Problem: You’re looking forward to your July 4th beach day with the family. Sand. Surf. Sun. All good. Lugging all the beach chairs, tents, coolers and other equipment through burning hot sand—not so good.  But you’ve got to keep the little ones shielded, hydrated and comfy.

Solution: Outdoor adventures are made easy with the Shade Wagon ($600, shadewagon.com). Equipped with terrain tires (think sand, mud and gravel), a heavy duty umbrella, MP3/Ipod Speakers, holders for beach bags/garbage bags/totes, straps for carrying chairs, and a fold-down feature that turns the wagon into seats, it’s perfect for trips to the beach. Or, if you’re more of a mountains person, it’s great for camping and fishing excursions as well as sporting events, parades or water parks. It’s like a miniature version of your home—on wheels.