10 most ridiculous travel accessories

There are heaps of cool gadgets for the discerning traveler. But there's a lot of junk out there, too. Unfortunately the junk often has a devious way of appearing useful ... until you look a bit closer.  

Just remember, when you start thinking, "Oh that's cool, never seen that before," there's probably a reason you've never seen it before. It's stupid. 

 

10. The Cabin Pillow 

Just when you thought the airplane tray table was already hugely annoying -- with its faulty catch and slick surface that sends your coffee into your lap -- along comes The Cabin Pillow.

Imagine the scene: the seatbelt light has been switched off, the movie starts, passengers are nestling down with their complimentary drinks and John Grisham novels and then: Wham!

You set this giant gray recycling bin on the tray table, instantly making you the most ludicrous person in your row. 

Get more info about The Cabin Pillow (US$28.95) at Travelproducts.com. 

 

9. Zebco 220 Umbrella and Shelter

Is it a tent? Is it an umbrella? Maybe it's a tentbrella. Who knows? Who cares? It's probably good for fishermen, and anything that's good for fishermen is probably not good for the rest of us. 

To get your money's worth out of this thing you need to be going somewhere where it's pouring rain, and that already sounds like a bad move.

You may as well stay in the office and spend your time searching for wacky travel accessories on the Internet. 

Find the Zebco 220 Umbrella and Shelter (US$44.40) at Amazon.

 

8. Highlander Camping Cupboard

Call us crazy, but one of the things we're not thinking about before we leave to go camping is where we're going to store our underwear and tins of beans. 

However, we also concede that some obsessive-compulsive types like to keep their things in order even when out in the wild. For these people, the "portable camping larder" fills a need. 

Get more info about the Highlander Camping Cupboard (US$32.45) at Surplusandoutdoors.com.

 

7. Travel Door Alarm Stop

Wedge this shiny gadget under the door of any sleazy motel room and anyone entering will set off a 120-decibel alarm.

It might send your would-be attacker running for the hills, but it might also give you a heart attack, ripping you out of your sleep with all the subtlety of a rhinoceros.

Next time, why not just go with the knob lock, deadbolt and safety chain?

Upside: great laughs substituting this for your mom's sewing machine pedal. 

Get more info about the Travel Door Alarm Stop (US$14.95) at Goinginstyle.com.

 

6. Guardian Gear Dog BackPack

If you ever wanted to embark on an epic adventure in the great outdoors, only to be held back by all that lard around your six pack, this canine backpack is going to open up your world.

OK, it’s essentially a doggy slave-maker, but look at this furry little guy ... he's so happy!

Dog backpack sells for US$64.99. Dog not included. 

Get more info about the Guardian Gear Dog BackPack at Dogswigglesandgrins.com.