GEAR & GADGETS : Help With Toting Tots, Books and More

With family travel ever on the rise, manufacturers are coming up with innovative products that make taking junior along easier. The following items may be available in area stores. Prices do not include shipping.

Baby carrier with a view: Baby carriers that hug junior facing his mom’s or dad’s chest may be warm and snug, but sometimes a kid wants to see what’s ahead. You can have it both ways with the Snugli Celebration Front & Back Pack from Evenflo, a manufacturer of children’s furniture and accessories. The straps on the padded carrier, which holds children up to 18 months old and up to 26 pounds, are designed to cross over the carrier so that the baby can face either forward or backward, with the backrest always in place for added support. A reversible head pillow cushions the baby’s head in both positions, and the adjustable seat provides security for all sizes. The manufacturer cautions that up to 4 or 5 months old, a baby lacks the strength to support and control head movement, and so should be carried in the inward-facing position.

Snugli Celebration Front & Back Pack is $39.99. For a nearby store, contact the manufacturer, Evenflo; telephone (800) 233-5921, Internet https://www.evenflo.com.

Instant baby tub: Trying to bathe a slippery, soapy baby in a tub can be awkward. Now you can turn the sink at the motel or grandma’s house into a kiddie tub. The Tub N’ Tote is a 17 1/2-inch-by-15-inch nonslip bathmat with suction cup extensions that stick to sinks. The mat comes with a three-pocket organizer pouch for shampoo, washcloth and bath toys that suctions onto counter tops or a sink divider. The set, made of soft nylon, comes in a mesh tote bag.

Tub N’ Tote bathmat is $9. For a nearby store, contact the manufacturer, Kel-Gar; tel. (800) 388-1848, Internet https://www.kelgar.com.

Air baby: Air turbulence can be perilous to infants and toddlers sitting on their parents’ laps during flights. The Baby B’Air Turbulence Protection Vest is designed to protect children up to age 2. The vest, made of soft quilted cotton and secured to the child via Velcro straps and quick-release plastic buckles, is attached to the parent’s seat belt by a looped Velcro strap. The vest is for use only during the flight. It is not approved for use during takeoff, taxi and landing.

Baby B’Air Vest is $39.95. For a nearby store, contact the manufacturer, Baby B’Air; tel. (800) 417- 5228, Internet https://www.babybair.com.

Healthy back to school: Schoolbooks and supplies can really weigh on a kid’s back, especially if she has to tote them from class to class all day--or on the road with the folks. The Rolling Scholar is a lightweight combination backpack/rolling book bag that lightens the load. A large main compartment holds textbooks and binders (or clothes for travel), a front stuff-sack pocket holds a packed lunch or light jacket, and an outside front organizer pocket has a key clip and multiple slots for pens, small note pads and other supplies. Two side mesh pockets hold an umbrella and water bottle. The backpack straps stow into a tuck pocket. The bag has a telescoping handle and rolls on in-line skate wheels.

Rolling Scholar school bag (K08-09) is $98 at luggage stores and from Kiva Designs; tel. (800) 645-8818, Internet https://www.kivadesigns.com.

Rainy-day fun: As if splashing through puddles wasn’t fun enough, this new kid-friendly umbrella turns rainy days into even more childish entertainment. The SplashFlash from Totes comes in six wild patterns with design accents that glow in the dark and a removable flashlight handle in a choice of four colors. The light operates on two AA batteries (not included). This winter the company plans to bring out additional interchangeable lighted handles (sold separately), from a “Star Wars”-style saber to a strobe/siren light and a light at the end of a long, twistable extension. Beam us outside, Scotty.

Totes SplashFlash umbrella is $10; each additional handle is $7, at discount stores. SplashFlash has its own Internet site at https://www .splashflash.com.

Gear & Gadgets appears the first week of every month.