Come to Your Own Rescue on the Road

We do a fair amount of road-tripping in our family. That, plus a husband who likes to tinker with cars, means that our AAA membership can sometimes get quite a workout. This all-in-one gadget from the Herrington Catalog (handout photo) has everything you need to keep safe on the road, from a strong air-compressor to re-inflate a flat to a heavy-duty battery to jump start your car.

September 30, 2007

Need a jump-start? Never fear

By Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff



Come to your own rescue on the road with the portable Roadside Assistant. It has a built-in air compressor that can inflate a tire in minutes, a sealed 18-amp-hour battery and heavy-duty copper cables to jump-start your car, an emergency light, a 400-watt AC power inverter, and dual 12-volt DC sockets for powering your cellphone or laptop.

It's all packed into a compact, easy-to-carry case (19 1/2 inches-by-8 1/2 inches-by-11 inches) that weighs about 20 pounds. Recharge the battery by plugging it into any AC wall socket, or use the included DC charger cord and your car's lighter socket while you're driving. Not going far? It's also great for camping. It costs $149.95 through the Herrington Catalog (866-558-7467, herringtoncatalog.com). [More]