With Halloween coming, now is the time to think about what you can do to keep your children safe when they're out trick or treating. Gear guy Paul Hochman was invited on the “Today” show to talk about some common sense items to keep those little ghosts and goblins safe during the witching hour.
Mini Q40 eLED Safety Flashlight
Sometimes it even rains in Southern California, especially on Halloween when it's already dark. Enter the waterproof, high tech Q40 flashlight, which has O-ring seals for water tightness and a highly durable ABS and polycarbonate casing that stands up to almost any impact. This light is strong, submersible, lightweight, and runs an LED bulb (not incandescent) which has a life of more than 10,000 hours. www.uwkinetics.com, $29
C-8 Flashlight
Here's a great way for parents to illuminate a whole crowd of trick-or-treaters. The C-8 is a diver’s lamp that uses a 6-watt white LED lamp and is the most indestructible source of illumination today. Unlike the standard glass envelope lamps used since Edison, the LED will not break when dropped. The life expectancy is more than 5,000 hours. www.uwkinetics.com
Flameless Wax Sensor Candles
Now you can enjoy the ambience and warmth of an accented wax candle, but without the flame. These candles are made of real wax but produce no fire, perfect for kids and pumpkins. Slowly wave your hand over the candle, and the motion-detecting sensor turns the candle's LED lights on or off. Dual LED lights simulate the gentle flicker and light of a candlewick, provide 100,000 hours of continuous use and shut off automatically after two hours.www.brookstone.com, $20.
Remote Control Scary Sounds
As kids approach the house, you can press the remote (works up to 50 feet away) to produce seven terrifying sounds: ghosts moaning, wolves howling, doors creaking, screams and the like will be heard only if you hit the button. So, for little kids, don't use it. For teenagers, give them pause. www.gagworks.com, $11.99
Gamma GarbFlipo LED beacons are for everybody, even the dog. Sure, you've seen versions of this everywhere, but Flipo is still the industry leader in small, lightweight, extremely bright body lights, which are perfect for late-night trick or treating. The pet blinkers, for example, are made with silicon chips powered by a watch battery, and can be seen up to a mile away. A belt buckle is programmable so it can brightly display your individual message to your passing neighbors. It’s fun, crazy and cool.www.gammagarb.com, up to $20.