Is that a pen, mobile phone, wallet, set of keys, diary, tennis ball, dog lead and €5 in loose change in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?
It’s time more overstuffed fellas overcame their insecurities and started carrying a handbag – er, manbag – for their daily detritus. For business travellers, the compact Messenger bag from Manbag won’t let down the firm (from £225/€242, www.manbag company.com). It’s available in nice leather, with a hip little motif to restore credibility, and is just the right size to not be mistaken for a big purse.
Speaking of size, Sweden’s Primus boasts that it has perfected the two-man camping stove with the EtaPackLite. It has saved space with the product name by running all those words together. All the components, including the gas cartridge, fit into a pot of a little over a litre. The titanium coating and heat exchanger help it to boil in two and a half minutes and ensure as little lost heat as possible (www.primus.se).
It’s the family holidays. Everyone’s asleep. Life is so relaxing. Then thump . . . silence . . . deafening scream. That was the sound of the little one rolling out of bed and on to the hard floor. The holiday no longer feels so carefree. Prevent midnight catastrophes with Dreamtubes (€46 www.babytravelshop.ie): double sided, portable, inflatable roll guards for peace of mind when you’re away from the cot.
aharvey@irishtimes.com