Your health on the road and teeing off

By Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff, 04/27/03

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Your own air filter

Fear of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, has affected business travelers and vacationers alike, with travel to and from Asia on the decline and airplane passengers worrying about every sneeze and sniffle. Dr. John R. Haaga, chairman of the Radiology Department of the University Hospitals of Cleveland and a professor at Case Western Reserve University, has responded by designing special scarves and neckties lined with medical filtration fabric, which wearers can breathe through in an emergency. The filter is made of polypropylene with an electrostatic charge; while not as thorough as a respirator, the neckties and scarves can help provide temporary relief and protection by filtering out airborne allergens, bacteria, pollutants, and dust. The filter works like an electrostatic air cleaner, attracting particles and trapping them within the fabric. The outer shell is 100 percent silk; the scarves and ties are available in red, royal blue, gold, and black. They cost $40 each and may be ordered directly from FBS Clothing (866-463-7233, www.fbsclothing.com).

Help on the tee for aching joints

Golfers, rejoice! Joe’s Original Backtee eliminates the need to bend down to tee up a ball, or stoop over to pick up a tee – which means that even golfers who suffer from hip, knee, or lower-back pain can play more comfortably. Introduced this year at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla., the Backtee clips on the top of any standard gold-club grip; insert a tee, turn the club over, and push the tee into the ground. Or slide a ball into the clip, turn the club over, and place the ball on the tee. It can be used to retrieve your ball from the cup, even to pick up a dropped pencil. To paraphrase C. Joe Egli, for whom the Backtee was originally made, this little gadget picks up everything except your clubhouse tab. It costs $14.95. To order, call Jim McGrath at 617-424-7673 or e-mail ja.mcgrath@verizon.net.

Stay charged on the road

Keep this solar port handy and you’ll never have to worry about running out of power when you’re on the road. It can recharge or operate electronic equipment including cellphones, GPS units, Palm Pilots (and other PDAs), and portable CD and MP3 players up to 2 watts (though you can link two or more together to power gadgets requiring more wattage). The port weighs 11 ounces, and is about the size of a paperback book. It comes with suction cups (to stick it on your car window), a power cable, a 12-volt auto adapter, and a set of seven adapters for small electronics. It costs $95 and is available via Red Envelope (877-733-3683, www.redenvelope.com).

Lylah M. Alphonse’s e-mail address is lalphonse@globe.com.