Ultimate Setup – Outdoor Tech

Summer’s here and the time is right for... partying in the great outdoors. And there’s loads of tech to make your al fresco funfest go with a swing. Read on and we’ll clue you up.

Weber Summit S450 £2230
www.johnlewis.com
This behemoth of a gas barbecue sports four burners, so you can heat up a sauce whilst your steaks and sangers sizzle, not to mention a rotisserie attachment if, y’know, you fancy cooking a whole chicken. Its stainless steel Flavorizer bars give your grub a nice smoky taste, and there’s even a thermometer to avoid those nasty salmonella-related incidents.

SoundCast OutCast Jr. £400
www.soundcastsystems.com
Want to bob your head whilst barbecueing? With a subwoofer and 60W of digital amplification, this outdoor speaker can easily fill the average British back garden with music that’s both loud and actually listenable. You can rig up a stereo source via 3.5mm or invest in one of two wireless transmitters: the iPod-friendly iCast (£75) and the Universal AudioCast Transmitter, which can be connected to your computer and a variety of audio sources.

Lazy Days hammock £70
www.firebox.com
Forget those tricky-to-set-up tree-mounted hammocks – the Lazy Days lives up to its name by taking a matter of seconds to erect. No nautical knot-tying skills necessary, and you can put it up anywhere with a bit of space. When the traditional British summer rainstorm comes over, the entire thing can be collapsed and packed away in a bag.

Zeus patio heater £450
www.chillchaser.co.uk
Once the sun goes down things can get a bit chilly outdoors, but this heater should stop your teeth chattering. The carbon fibre heating tubes reduce power use, so the Zeus only outputs around half the CO2 of gas-powered rivals. There’s also a built-in light and proximity sensor, which turns the heater on and off depending on whether there’s anyone out on your patio.

Bug Zapper £10
www.iwantoneofthose.com
Become the scourge of wasps, flies and other winged critters with this tennis racket-shaped, battery-powered electronic zapper. Not only does the insect get whacked, it also gets a few volts up its abdomen.

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