Keeping Cool, Informed and Grounded in Summer

Baseball, lazy beach days, swinging in a hammock--summer is sweet. Here are new items that make these balmy days even sweeter on the go. Some products may be available in stores. Prices do not include shipping.

Batter up: Baseball fans need no longer worry that they will lose track of where their favorite team is playing, against whom, or at what time. The new Schedule Watch from Game Time is a standard wristwatch that also is programmed to keep track of the American or National League team that you specify when ordering.

Each day the LCD display shows your team’s initials (for example, NYY for New York Yankees) and the other team’s initials (CLE for Cleveland Indians), with the visiting team first, followed by the word “at.” If the Yankees are playing at home, for example, the display will show CLE at NYY, followed by the time of the game.

The watch has standard calendar, alarm and hourly chime functions, plus a “game start melody” alarm that plays “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at start time. Four control buttons on the side of the watch can be used to jump ahead to other dates or check on other teams’ schedules.

Because the watch is preset, it cannot keep track of rain dates or playoffs. An update is available for each new season.

Baseball Schedule Watch is $49.95; update modules, $14.95, from Game Time; telephone (888) 249-9627, Internet https://www.schedulewatch.com.

Cool kids: Keeping baby from burning on the beach will be easier thanks to Kelgar’s Kids Sun Dome. The 1 1/4-pound, nylon tent-like shelter has a built-in floor, mesh panels and zip-up mesh door for ventilation. When erected, the one-piece, pop-up tent is 29 inches high with a 39-inch-diameter floor. It comes with a carrying case and, when folded, measures just 21 inches diagonally.

Kids Sun Dome (item 12132) is $34.99 from Kelgar; tel. (800) 388-1848, Internet https://www.kelgar.com.

Well grounded: For impromptu picnics, take along the Picnic Hog Rug. Brushed cotton flannel on one side and waterproof urethane-coated nylon on the other, the 60-inch-square rug tucks into its own sewn-in 10-by-9-inch nylon sack, which has a loop for attaching to a belt or bike handlebar.

ABO Picnic Hog Rug (item 210-102-316) is $30 from Eastern Mountain Sports; tel. (888) 463-6367, Internet https://www.easternmountainsports.com.

Hat trick: The featherweight, wide-brimmed Adventure Hat from Sunday Afternoons offers some of the best sun protection around. Made of cotton-like nylon with mesh panels at the scalp for ventilation, the hat has a UPF 45 sun protection rating--the highest possible for fabrics. A flexible 4-inch rim shades the face, while a 7 1/2-inch veil protects the neck and ears. The hat has an internal sweatband, chin strap with cord lock, and rear sizing tape.

Adventure Hat in unisex sizes and 10 color choices is $34 from Sunday Afternoons; tel. (888) 874-2642, Internet https://www.sundayafternoons.com.

Downtime: Summer is perfect hammock time. But who can count on finding two appropriately spaced trees wherever you choose to tie it up? No worries. The portable Sling Thing is a polyester canvas hammock that comes with a lightweight frame. The hammock measures 8 feet, comes with a carrying bag and has a maximum capacity of 230 pounds.

Sling Thing (item 654770) is $79 from REI; tel. (800) 426-4840, Internet https://www.rei.com.

Gear & Gadgets appears monthly.