This gear helps you sleep well, get wet or stay dry as you desire and have fun with your four-footed friend
On your next trip, get a sound snooze, soothe your soles, go into the wild without fear of getting wet, and connect — with your dog.
Sound for sleep
Comfy memory foam Sleep Headphones Eye Mask from 1 Voice has embedded over-ear sound disks on each side that won’t poke when you roll over.
An integrated audio port connects to cellphones or MP3 players with the included audio cable with 3.5mm jack.
No battery is needed because your electronic device provides all the oomph. An inline volume control knob lets you turn the sound level up or down.
Cost, info: 1 Voice Sleep Headphones Eye Mask comes in black, blue, gray or pink and costs $49.
Hitting the spot
After a day exploring city sights or hiking in the wilds, here’s a kindness to your feet: the Soapy Toes Travel-Sized Foot Scrubber from McNaughton Inc. It’s a smaller version of the larger mat and weighs in at less than 7 ounces.
The integrated polyvinyl bristles, bubbles and bumps clean, massage and stimulate like a team of personal spa attendants. All you add is soap and the “ahhh.”
Cost, info: Soapy Toes travel size comes in six colors and costs $12.95.
But when your feet need to be dry
Hiking or cycling along muddy trails, crossing streams or traversing snow, slush or ice usually mean wet feet, but not if you’re wearing DexShell’s new waterproof socks.
They have a three-layer design; the middle layer is a slim flexible polyurethane micro-porous membrane that bars water entry. I tested them by standing in a tub of water for nearly an hour and when I peeled them off, my feet were dry.
The company makes 18 waterproof styles, from crew length to knee-highs, ultra-light to thick thermal. The middle layer is always the same waterproof membrane.
The outermost layer usually is made of a chemically treated water-resistant nylon elastine. It’s not waterproof but it is quick-drying.
The socks come in four unisex adult sizes; one model is sized for children.
Cost, info: DexShell Waterproof Socks cost $29.99 to $52.99; children’s socks, $20.99.
Joring with your dog? Rarely boring
Vacationing with your dog can strengthen your connection especially if you’re connected by the Omnijore Dog Joring System from Ruffwear.
Jor-what? Joring is the sport in which your canine friend pulls you while you’re atop a skateboard or cross-country skis or other conveyance.
The system includes a specially designed, five-adjustment-point halter with a detachable girth strap for your dog; a beefed-up padded hip belt with multiple pockets and detachable leg loops (for stabilizing the hip belt) for the human; and a tow line.
The two of you are attached by that last piece, an extendable 6½-foot tow line/leash with a shock absorbing elasticized section, strong talon harness clips and a quick quick-release hip belt hook-up that lets you free your dog quickly if necessary.
My rescue hound Shayna seemed comfy yet controllable in the Y-style padded harness; unlike most harnesses I’ve imposed on her, this one didn’t irritate sensitive spots.
Cost, info: Ruffwear Omnijore Dog Joring System costs $174.95.
More to Read
Sign up for The Wild
We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.