Goal Zero Lighthouse Lantern
Hardy travellers are covering all bases with this rechargeable lantern from Goal Zero. A veritable power station rather than lighthouse, it recharges easily from USB, solar or the windable hand-crank integrated on top. A minute's elbow grease gives 10 minutes of light. Moreover, it has its own built-in USB slot to power your personal electronics, offering up to 7.5W, enough juice even for most tablets. And Lighthouse beams out 250 lumens which can be dimmed as required.
$80 goalzero.com
LifeStraw Go
Here's an easy way to have purified water on tap, so to speak, anywhere you go. It uses LifeStraw's patented, award-winning hollow fibre membrane technology and marries it with a water bottle.
Or you can buy the straw separately and use your own. Simply fill the bottle from whatever your source and sip clean, purified water. No chemicals, no iodine, just up to 1,000l of water 99.9999 per cent clear of bacteria and 99.9 per cent clear of parasites. It's a life saver.
€40 from buylifestraw.com
Abco Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
An extra for your wash bag, this neat little speaker won't exactly rock the house, but it will deliver decent sound in a shower, hot tub or your sodden tent. (Now there are some holiday options to mull over). A suction cup sticks to any smooth surface and it pairs with your smartphone or tablet audio source. It's said to give 15 hours playback from a full charge, so you can shower-karaoke your way through many a playlist.
£16 from amazon.co.uk
Tom Kelly
betweenideas.blogspot.com