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Summer Fun

Summer Fun Survival Guide
By Andrew Hackman

Nothing can ruin a day out like a dead camera, pesky mosquitoes, sunburn, and thieves at the beach. But, the products listed below will help you survive all these pests and keep your day out stress free.

Sun Survival

Personal UV Monitor with Exposure Timer

You and your family just spent a long day enjoying the simple pleasures of the beach: playing catch, swimming, and basking in the summer sun. But at some point that summer sun stopped being so pleasant and started being a pain. You used sunscreen and tried to leave before everyone became too red. Despite your best efforts, the sun has left its mark on everyone and you are in for a long trip home. Don’t you wish you had some way of knowing exactly when enough was enough?

With the Personal UV Monitor from Oregon Scientific, now you can. This handy little gadget keeps track of how much incoming radiation from the sun you are receiving and lets you know when you should get out of the sun. It has a timer built in that calculates how long you should spend in the sun based on your skin type, the amount of UV radiation you are receiving and even what strength sunscreen you are using. Once timer is set, it will continually update based on any changes in the strength of the UV radiation. For more information or to buy the product, visit www.oregonscientific.com.  $29.99.

SunGuard laundry detergent

Every summer kids all over the country run outside and enjoy the warm, carefree days of summer, and the sunburn your child could get that might just seem to be a minor nuisance today increases a child’s risk of skin cancer later in life. Having your child use suntan lotion and tee shirt just might not be enough—that’s where SunGuard laundry detergent comes in. When you wash your child’s clothes with this detergent it turns a shirt with no protection into a shirt with a UPF protection of up to 30. It works by washing a chemical called TINOSORB® FD. For more information or to buy the product, visit www.sunguardsunprotection.com.  Prices start at $1.99.

Dead Battery Survival

Eclipse Solar Gear

Electronic devices have become a commonplace part of every family’s day. Mom and dad use their cell phones while the kids play video games on their portable gaming devices. But what happens if you and the family are away from home and you find that your batteries are dead? It’s not like you can just plug your cell phone into your backpack. And if you don’t have a car charger or are far away from a car it could be a problem—but not anymore with Eclipse Solar Gear products.

From backpacks to camera bags, these products come with an integrated solar charging solution that charges any electronic device, so if  you stuck somewhere with a dead cell phone or camera, you could simply wear your backpack outside and watch your battery go from dead to full just by using the power of the sun. Your family won’t ever have to worry about not being able to take that special picture because of a dead battery. For more information or to buy the product, visit www.eclipsesolargear.com.  $25.99.

Beach Thief Survival

Archport Sandals

A trip to the beach is a great way to relax and unwind from the stresses of normal life. Unfortunately, not everyone at the beach is there for vacation. Some people are there to take advantage of your lowered guard and hard earned vacation money. Pickpockets love few things more than a poorly guarded purse and a distracted mother.

This summer, don’t let thieves ruin your vacation. Try a new way to keep your cash, credit cards, and keys safe with the Archport Sandals. These sandals come with a hidden compartment in the sole that allows you to carry your valuables in a safe place. You don’t even have to take your shoes off to get to your money, just open the hidden compartment on the side and you are ready to go. For more information or to buy the product, visit www.archport.com.  $49.95.

Pest Survival

Bug Survival

You spent all day setting up for your big backyard cookout and guests are starting to arrive. The food is sizzling away on the grill and everyone is having a great time when everyone starts to notice the number of mosquitoes buzzing about. Soon, everyone has abandoned the backyard and the party as moved inside where the only thing anybody can talk about is how annoying their bites are. Needless to say, this is not the party you had planned on.

Few things can turn a fun summer party outside into a rush for the indoors faster than mosquitoes. There are many products on the market to try and stop mosquitoes but many of them involve the danger of an open flame or chemicals or cost exorbitant amounts of money. This summer, try using the ThermaCELL mosquito repellent lantern. The lanterns require only a few batteries and create a 15 foot square area free of flying pests. There are no chemicals to smell or flames to be wary of. If you set them up around your backyard you will have a party 98 percent free of mosquitoes and 100 percent  free of hiding inside the house. For more information or to buy the product, visit www.mosquitorepellent.com.  $23.99.