All Along
Destinations Get in gear Going Strong Outbound Real deals Sensible traveler Taking Off Where they went
In the car
By Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff, 03/23/03
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All Along Destinations Get in gear Going Strong Outbound Real deals Sensible traveler Taking Off Where they went
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Jumper cables are a must if you are gearing up for a long drive, but they can tangle up and take over your trunk. And which end gets clipped where? This little gadget can eliminate all your jumper-cable dilemmas. You plug one end of the E-Z-Start Car Battery Charger into the cigarette lighter of the car with the dead battery, and the other end into the lighter of another car. Wait a few minutes, and the battery is good to go. It costs $24 and is available via the She-Works catalog (telephone 800-201-3669) and online at www.she-works.com.
Access airwaves with some muscle
This hand-crank radio by Philips requires no electrical power supply. Once fully charged (about an hour’s worth of twirling the easy-to-turn crank), it can operate for as long as 15 hours; one minute of cranking gives you about 30 minutes of listening time. The 2-inch speakers provide a remarkably clear sound. It weighs a mere 12 ounces and measures just 5-by-3-by-2 inches, making it a great choice for backpackers. It comes with two NiMH rechargeable batteries, and its dial lights up so you can tune in the dark. It costs about $40 and is available through the Hammacher-Schlemmer catalog (telephone 800-321-1484) or online at www.hammacher.com.
Classic games for long drives
Electronic hand-held games can help occupy the children while you are driving, but many parents are concerned about the effects of hours of playing blood-and-guts shoot-’em-up games. Hasbro may have a solution: electronic hand-held family classics like Boggle. Kids can play Boggle’s word-search game on their own or against one another with untimed or traditional games (3-minute time limit). The built-in dictionary contains thousands of words, and its automatic scoring feature may cut down on the quarrels. It comes with batteries, and its automatic shutoff feature helps make them last. The game costs $11 to $15 and is available at most toy stores and online at www.amazon.com; www.etoys.com; www.boardgames.com; www.drtoy.org/drtoy/best10–02–53.html; shop.store.yahoo.com/boardgames/hanhelgam.html.
Lylah M. Alphonse's e-mail address is lalphonse@globe.com.