Go Gadgets: With the furnace-like heat of an Irish summer a hazy memory, Stone Island brightens thoughts of colder weather to come with a down-filled jacket that changes colour as the temperature falls.
The heat-sensitive liquid-crystal coating reacts as the temperature falls from 15 to 10 degrees, changing from sky blue to navy. Is £1,095 (€1,275; www.stoneisland. co.uk) too much to pay for an oversized thermometer?
Eagle Creek's Global Commuter bags($130/€92, www.eaglecreek.com) are more relaxed than standard computer satchels, and they get the little things right: they flip open for airport security, allowing the laptop to be X-rayed separately from the bag's contents so the computer doesn't need to be taken out; the zips stow into little toggles, making it impossible for the bag to be opened accidentally or by nimble-fingered thieves; and there are heaps of internal pockets, including a fleece-lined pouch for MP3 players or sunglasses. The bag also has concealed daypack straps, a removable shoulder strap and a padded grab handle.
LittleLife's Family First Aid kit(€24, www.baby travelshop.ie) can probably handle most holiday mishaps that don't require a defibrillator and surgeon's kit, as among its contents are antiseptic cream and wipes, wound-closure strips, bandages, scissors, tweezers and, if you really want to impress the kids with your professionalism, disposable latex gloves.