Compiled by
TOM KELLY
Go-Go Dog Pals
When it comes to getting off the sofa and into the great outdoors, there are no more irresistible motivators than the four-legged types. Until Go-Go Dog Pals. Now you get to walk the dog – without the pesky walking bit. It’s a remote-controlled toy designed especially for dogs to chase. You lie in the long grass or chill out on the bench while your canine companion gets the run-around. There are various covers supposed to make the Go-Go Dog Pals look like animals, including a tortoise, a bunny and a squirrel, but only in a cartoony, just-crushed-by-a-huge-rock way. Its tail, though, will get most dogs going and the initial taping on of a little beefy snacklet might be enough for a bit of Pavlovian conditioning. The Pal itself is a four-wheel drive that can do up 35km/h apparently (about 22mph) and is controlled by the usual sort of remote control steering. All this inactivity comes at a price, and not just to do with a growing exercise deficit, however it may be a good way to give some older, less mobile dog owners another walkies option.
Go-Go Dog Pal, $300 from gogodogpals.com
Hygienna Solo
After a glance at the photo and taking the name into account, for those still wondering what this is, allow me refer you back to the Crocodile Dundee movie, where he spells it out loudly. The rest can move on to considering whether the world’s most portable bidet will enrich our travel lives.
In its favour, the Solo is neat and cheap; doesn’t need batteries or a charger and fits any regular plastic bottles.
Hygienna has an introductory offer with a sliding scale of bulk purchase discounts, where ordering say, five, will get you 30 per cent off. Think about it: you’d have a stock in the present drawer that’d be a novel surprise for friends every time.
Hygienna Solo $9.99 from hygienna.com
Transparent Canoe
Bring the underwater world into focus with this clear polycarbonate hulled canoe, made from the same material as fighter jet cockpits. An aluminium frame keeps the weight down and the low seating position and wide body mean good stability and balance. Seats are adjustable and it comes with a pair of double-sided paddles and two flotation packs. It has a retractable skeg that can help with tracking in the wind and makes it easier to paddle longer stretches.
Transparent canoe, $1,600 from clearinflatablekayak.com