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Summertime Toys For Grown Men

Who said growing up meant putting away childish things? Oh… right: 1st Corinthians, verse 13. (Thank you once again, Wikipedia!) Well, alright then, who said grown men can’t have awesome toys? No one worth listening to, that’s who.

Related: A Gentleman’s Bike

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You work hard (or at least you should) so you deserve to have a few items in your life that are just for fun. Today, we’re talking about a few toys grown men will love, and we’re focused on great summertime toys specifically. Play your video games when Old Man Winter claws at the windowpanes, his frost-rimmed eyes alight with savage glee beneath a hoary mane swirling in the frigid gusts; the summer is all about outdoor fun! And while the kids may love their slip n’ slides and stick ball, you, sir, have achieved adulthood and generate a bit of disposable income. Part with the latter in style and enjoy the former this summer with great toys for grownups.

Oh and a quick pro tip for you: if you’re looking for even more ideas, be careful with those search terms… “adult toys” gets weird fast.

KAYAKINTEX INFLATABLE KAYAK
Hey, do you have seventy bucks on hand? Then you can afford to buy an Intex Challenger K1 Kayak, a “nimbler, durable” little boat that comes with its own air pump and double-bladed paddle included. That’s right, for less than the price of a respectable bar tab, you can own a kayak. And don’t worry, today’s modern inflatable kayaks are stable and resilient, featuring multiple air bladders that resist punctures and with I-beam style floors that keep the boat rigid when inflated. And when deflated, you can tuck your Challenger K1 under the bed or in a closet. Less than $70… kayak. As for the life jacket, that’s sold separately, but also encouraged.

DRONEHOLY STONE QUADCOPTER
You can spend well over $1,500 on a fancy flying machine, or you can spend less than $90 on this one. The Holy Stone U818A Gyro Quadcopter is one of the cheapest drones available that will actually perform well and that won’t break after the first crash landing. If you’ve always wondered what the rage was about these newfangled drone things, then this is a great starter model to consider. It comes with a built-in video camera, a four gigabyte memory card (which isn’t all that big, really), and a nifty pair of glasses! Actually, they aren’t that nifty… but they’re all yours, baby. Get out there and fly while the weather is warm.

Related: Australia is set to Test Mail Delivery by Quadcopter

DISCRAFT DISC GOLF

Remember this classic exchange?

GEORGE: I’d play Frolf.

JERRY: You mean golf?

GEORGE: Frolf! Frisbee golf, Jerry! Golf… with a frisbee!

No? Well here’s the heart of it:

https://youtu.be/W_7iFIC2xWg

And with the $39 Discraft Deluxe Disc Golf Set, you can see what the rage is all about! This set is 100% approved by the PDGA, and yes, the Professional Disc Golf Association is totally a real thing. In fact, it’s more than 40 years old.

HAMMOCKLEGIT CAMPING PARACHUTE HAMMOCK
You know what makes hiking fun? The moment when you stop actually hiking and start talking about the hike (or the climb or the scramble or the trek). All you serious mountaineers and hikers out there know what I mean. And you know what makes taking a break or setting up camp amazing? Having a hammock into which you can settle for a good long sit or a well-deserved snooze. The Legit Camping Nylon Parachute Hammock costs less than $45, weighs less than a pound, and can support up to 400 pounds. It comes with cords and carabiners, so all you’ll need is a pair of trees to enjoy the ultimate wilderness (or backyard or patio) relaxation.

SCOOTERSEA DOO SEA SCOOTER
Tap your inner James Bond (or Navy SEAL or… Jacques Cousteau) with your very own Diver Propulsion Vehicle, better known in the civilian world as a sea scooter. These babies motor along at only a couple miles per hour, but considering the fastest recorded human swimming speed is barely over 5.3 miles per hour, a sea scooter will make your next trip to the pool or the lake lots of fun. You can shell out more than a grand for a sea scooter that zips through the water at speeds over four MPH and reaches depths down to 130 feet, but this model costs just $200 and provides plenty of fun.

Steven John
Steven John is a writer and journalist living just outside New York City, by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, by way of…
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