Where do mad scientists gather? In the past, they huddled in their private labs, but in recent years, Kickstarter.com is the place to be. Here are 7 crazy travel inventions on Kickstarter that need to be funded in the name of travel efficiency… or just because.
#1 The Collar Perfect
What it is: A portable iron the size of your palm that can iron anything.
Why it’s cool: Other than being punny… it’s pretty nifty even if you aren’t travelling and are irked by the smallest of creases in life.
#2 The Malemaker
What it is: It’s a cool bag for dudes, made out of sturdy aluminium and burlap. They use old coffee bags, which is 100% hipster approved.
Why it’s cool: Because it fits just about everything, is inspired by masonry bags and get this – your bag will be made by an old leather bag factory in Hungary which is going through some tough times and funding this project will help them too. They (www.gemos.hu) do everything by hand and are super talented. Be a man and lend a hand, will ya?
#3 The 4-in-1 Salt Pack
What it is: A tiny shoe-size bag that will transform itself into a gargantuan mountain backpacker bag.
Why it’s cool: You can choose 4 sizes (duh), it has a waterproof compartment and with every Salt Pack order, they will remove a 2 pound bag of plastic from one of the huge ocean garbage patches through Clean up the Ocean Society. It’s 5-in-1, really – 4 bags, one imaginary one for goodwill.
#4 The neXtstep
What it is: It’s a ingenious luggage which has a handle that transforms into a chair, or a luggage rack.
Why it’s cool: Because we know that not all airports have ample seating and if you’re a germaphobe, you won’t be sitting where (many) butts have landed before.
#5 The Hendo Hoverboard
What it is: A HOVER BOARD.
Why it’s cool: In the movie Back to the Future, we were promised a hoverboard… well, now. You can get one at a cool 10k, but if you don’t, help contribute toward a hoverable future in technology. Seriously, what’s NOT cool about this???
#6 Olaf Scooters
What it is: Luggage you can scoot on.
Why it’s cool: Because it’s named after Anna and Elsa’s best ice friend (didn’t you watch Frozen?) and because it can be a luggage, a backpack, a shopping trolley, plus a kickscooter. There are all kinds of other cool features too but they had us at scooting.
#7 The Pronto
What it is: A hyper charger than can give you a full battery in 5 minutes.
Why it’s cool: The Pronto 5 can get you 3 full charges for an iPhone 5 whereas the Pronto 12 can get you 9 full charges, all in less than an hour. How long does it take to charge itself? Less than an hour! This needs to be a thing.