Tom Hanks had Wilson, his volleyball companion, but he'd have been much better off, and rescued much sooner, if he'd had this Marooned dry bag kit from Alpha Outpost. Measures 24" x 13" in neon orange with reflective silver strips. Includes a waterproof flashlight that requires (4) "AA" batteries; intermittent red/white strobe light that will need (2) "AA" batteries; a float-able key chain; whistle; signal mirror; and maroonee info card. Don't get in a boat without it. (Also includes a Marooned patch, but we'd wait to sew that on until after you're back home.) "Wilson!"

No, but this chain will fool the eye of passersby and save you beaucoup bucks. Our each is (10) feet of #8 plastic chain with 2" long x 1" wide links. For decorative use, landscape and perimeter marking only. Won't keep out wildlife, but does has a maximum load of 175 lbs, so it won't break when you trip over it. You pick white or black chain.

Wouldn't you rather hear that than "Is that a cell phone in your pocket...?" Yes, you would, and you will if you strap on this olive green w/ woodland camo highlights phone holster. Made to strap (we like saying that) to your leg above your knee, like Wyatt Earp's Colt (or any number of the army surplus gas masks we sell), but you can also attach it to your arm or some other handy body part because the two straps extend from 15" to 27" and 10" to 13". The weather resistant holster is 7" x 6" with a 5" zipper, and the phone is operable in situ, as it were, through the transparent protective covering. Manufacturer calls it a "Hunter's Phone Holster," but don't let that stop you from wearing it around the neighborhood. Also adaptable, we think, to small dogs.

And you’ll get found again, and you’ll also know what time it is. This 1-3/4” dia x 1/2” thick device has a pull-up pointer flap that makes it a working sundial positioned above a compass. Folds flat and has a ring that’s attached to a lobster clip, so you can hang it on your belt or pocket clip. A handy companion for traveling through time and space, if that’s your thing.

The Walker Banner from Healthsmart is made to wrap around the front of a walker or rollator, and has a pair of 4” x 6” transparent pockets on the front to display family pictures or anything else you treasure. (We’re thinking Cubs ticket stubs here at the home office.) The back has a similar, but solid pocket for personal items. Attaches with hook-and-loop fabric, and we’ll pick one with either a “Family” or “Aged to Perfection” motif.

Looks like a standard neck pillow, in soft nylon and filled with gooshy foam beads, but press the little button on the right side once for a vibra-massage and twice for a faster vibra-massage. Press the button on the left and a bright white LED comes on to illuminate your book. Snaps on so it doesn't vibrate off your neck. You add (4) "AA" batteries. LED is rated for 50,000 hours, by which time you should be vibrated to pieces. Spot wash only, on account of... duh. We'll pick one in gray, brown or purple and you'll like it. For ages 5+.

From the Chinese military, this olive drab canvas recon chest rig is made for carrying SKS rounds. We think it’d also be great for fishing lures, balloons (if you’re a balloon artist or a water-balloon tosser), various nails and screws, bolts and washers and probably a hundred other uses. Business part measures 24" wide x 5-3/4" with (6) 4-1/4” deep pockets, (2) at 2” wide and (4) at 1-1/2” wide, all with flaps that close with little plastic clips. Has 4 holders for items in the 7" long range. (Photo shows 7" long tubes inserted) Fits via adjustable crossed shoulder straps and a buckle. We also think it would hold a nice assortment of snacks for hands-free hiking.

Nothing says Yuletide Salute like a holiday tree on the roof of your car, and this one is ready to stand tall on any make or model. The lightweight frame has scratchless suction cups, and is attached to straps that go under the door openings and meet inside. Adjusts to fit car, truck, SUV or golf cart, and folds down for garage-entry or high speeds. The preassembled tree has bendable branches and (70) colored LED lights that plug into your cigarette/aux port. Disassembles for easy storage, but if you want to leave it up there all year long, it’s fine with us.

It's not Swedish and not from Santa Barbara, but your beer won't care. Neither will your egg salad sandwiches, because the Santa Barbara cooler bag from Sweda will keep them all as cool as you'll feel carrying it to your picnic, tailgate, cookout, campsite or boating trip. Heat-sealed, insulated and padded, this khaki bag measures 15" wide x 18-1/2" tall with a front pocket and big handy handles. Exterior is water-repellent with a vegan leather bottom, which is more than you can say for yours.

And so will you if you have this foldable storage box/wastepaper basket/toy box/whatever-container. Measures 10" x 10" x 1/2" thick when folded, but it pops open to a 10" cube with a solid bottom and little carrying handles on the sides. In red and cream canvas over boards you can't see. Reliable sources tell us these are in regular use in nursery schools for toys, books and supplies.

Time was, they told us the age of reason it was 7, but kids are smarter now. (It’s probably the chewable vitamins.) Now you can start their science education at 5, with this Stepping into Science kit. Includes (29) experiments about plants and weather, basic physics, air and water, and beginners chemistry. Includes a 48-page manual and (58) items that you augment with simple household supplies. Made in Germany for Thames & Kosmos for ages 5+.

Call it a lesser desk ruler at just 8" long, but it's really a three-fer addition to your home office desk, which you're probably spending a lot of time at these days. Above the ruler part are (4) 1" x 1" picture frames to hold pix of the kids at the desks across the room, and a 1-1/2" x 1" digital clock to time your Zoom sessions. Wedge-shaped for easy viewing. We'll pick one in blue or silver, because you have enough to think about these days. All things considered, we'd say don't stay home without it.

Get off the grid and forget the batteries with this nice little dynamo flashlight with wrist strap. Measures a scant 3” x 1-7/8” x 1-1/4” with a folding crank. Has (3) white LEDs with single, triple and flashing modes. One minute of cranking translates to one hour of single-LED light or a half-hour of triple LED brightness. Toss it into the emergency drawer and forget about it. Almost makes buying batteries seem silly.

This buckish knife from Alpha Outpost is a heavy-duty—and weighty—single-blade pocket knife. Hang it at your side, but you might want to use the built-in belt clip so it doesn’t drag down your jeans. This is a solid piece, understand? Measure 8” long open, 4-3/4” closed with a 3-3/4” locking blade that’s 1” across at its widest. Handle is a wood-and-metal combination, and it’s got a hole to hang keys from.

We’re big fans of USB- and battery-powered gadgets, which is why we love this little dual-powered fan. It’s round, 5" dia, comes with a USB cord, tilts up and down like the lid of a waffle iron (and is the size of a large hamburger when it’s down), and has (2) speeds. If you don’t have a USB port handy, it’ll run on (4) “AA” batteries, which you provide. (We can’t give you everything.) In black or gray, with a blue front grill, and we’ll send you the color we think will go best with what you’re wearing the day it arrives.

Back by popular demand! Stick the dull, but leaded end of your wooden pencil into the left nostril of this nose and twist clockwise. You will be rewarded with a shiny sharp point on the pencil and a curl of shavings on your desk, lap or floor. Pretty good performance for a life sized, flesh colored piece of hard plastic!! We'll send you (3) in assorted skin tones. If you want to sharpen things up around the office or home, send for this item, and prove you have a nose for great deals!!

Actually, it's a Round Stic®, without the “k,” which is the name BIC® gives to its #1 selling ballpoint pen. They're black, and round, with black ink and medium points. Also have separate caps with pocket clips. Hard to go wrong at (10) for two bucks. “Writes First Time, Every Time®,” they say.

One byte at a time. Or maybe just a nibble if you’re trying to cut back. A nibble is what programmers call half of a byte. It’s also what the folks at Velleman call this Arduino-compatible microcontroller which has all of the pins as a standard Arduino, but the Nibble is enhanced with (4) built-in buttons and (4) blue LEDS for easy prototyping. Plus, it comes fully assembled and pre-programmed with a memory game. Just plug it into your computer’s USB port and you can start having fun and learning right away.

We thought of you when we saw this saw. See? Folds into a 2-3/4" long x 5/8" x 5/16" thick orange plastic cover. Inside is a 2" saw (see?) with (24) TPS (teeth per inch) and a second 2" long razor blade. Saw cuts most wood and metal on the pull stroke. Has a small hole so you can hang it on a key chain and always have it when you need it. Manufacturer suggests it as a skinning blade, but we like it for opening boxes with stubborn fabric tape because we don't skin much around here besides our knees.

Bugged by no-see-ums? Turn on this rechargeable flashlight and see 'um--along with skeeters and other annoyances--then start waving the built-in bug zapper at your entomological nemeses. The COB LED shines at 1000 lumens with spot, flood or strobe modes, and the 2200 mAH battery charges via a micro USB. Weatherproof in aluminum alloy, it measures 8-1/2" long x 1-1/2" dia, and lasts up to (6) hours on a single charge. And guess what, a great flashlight like this works just as well in the basement or garage in the winter. Let there be light, even when there are no bugs to zap.

Our Associate VP for Residual Tackiness says this cloth tape is not as residual as duct tape (meaning it won’t leave as much residue behind when you pull it up), but tackier than gaffer’s tape. Strong and sticky, easy-to-tear, and just right for repairing vinyl, upholstery, plastic, canvas and most other stuff. On 4-meter (approx 13-foot) rolls, they’re 1-7/8” wide on a 1-1/2” core. You pick red or white.

From Stanley®, these turnbuckles have hexagonal aluminum bodies with stainless steel eyes. You pick: the shorter 3/16” x 5-1/2” long one with a 3/8” body, 9/32” ID eyes and a 65-lb safe working load; or the longer 1/4” x 7-1/2” long one with a 7/16” body, 3/8” ID eyes and a 110-lb safe working load.

This vacuum pump from Koge Electronics draws 100-250mA at 4.8V and is rated for >2.6L/minimum output and -460mbar of pressure. Measures 2-9/16" x 1-3/16" x 1-5/16" with a 3/16" OD x 3/8" inlet barb and a 3/16" OD x 1/2" tall outlet barb, plus (4) 1/8” ID mounting wings. Power terminals are exposed and you may get short leads. Koge model #KPV276.

SPECIAL NEWS ALERT! WINTER IS COMING! Avoid those hip-cracking amateur sidewalk double-axels with TREX™ slip-ons, extra-aggressive traction spikes. It regularly ices up here at the home office, and we stay on our feet with these. The chains and spikes are stainless steel, with both sole and heel coverage, and the stretchable rubber tops are high-visibility orange for added safety. You pick small (men’s 5-7, women’s 6-1/2 to 8-1/2 ); Medium (men’s 7-9,women’s 8-1/2 to 10-1/2 ); or large (men’s 9 to 11,women’s 10-1/2 to 12-1/2 ). The rubber uppers are uber-flexible, so they’re likely to fit larger sizes than suggested. (Pat stretched the small over his size 11 boots!)

Our classic bike accessory is LED-free, battery-free, and happily wireless. The retro bike horn has two tones (one while squeezing, the other while the bulb inhales). The tone is much more a Clarabellian quack (search the Web for Howdy Doody if you're too young to remember Clarabell) than a deep Harpo Marxian (ditto) honk. Measures 8" long with a 2-3/8" bell and a rubber bulb that will be either red, black, or purple. Includes a removable handlebar mount.

For bigger, or longer, projects, and hands-free operation. This 1/4-hp flex-shaft grinder has a 42" long (counting the chuck) flexible shaft, a keyed chuck that accepts bits up to 5/32", a variable-speed control foot-pedal power switch, and a comfortable 1" dia hand grip. The motor runs 500 to 22,000 rpm, operates on 120VAC, measures 3-1/4" dia x 4" long, and has a sturdy hook to hang it from an over-the-bench shelf. Intermittent duty. Over 25 grinding tool accessories included!

Top off this beautiful tool with our 227 piece accessory set. Click here

Our clear tape is an uber-sticky 2” X 55 yards. A high-quality tape made in the USA can be used as protective covering over labels or for sealing cartons. And do compare the savings -- even discount stationery catalogs can't touch these prices.

Were you the one who needed an industrial relay? Oh, great, because here’s one from Midtex, and it’s rated for 30A and 1HP at 120VAC; 30A and 1.5HP at 240VAC; and 15A at 600VAC. Has SPST normally-closed load contacts, and coil will draw 25mA at 12VDC. Measures 2" x 1-3/4" x 2-3/8", including a plastic bracket on the face. Has 1/4" quick-disconnect terminals on the bottom.

Even superheroes have to wake up on time, and they use these classic superhero alarm clocks. Measure 12” tall over all x 9-1/2” wide x 2-3/4” with a 7-1/2" dia face, and a pair of old-timey-looking bells on top, although the alarm is a non-old-timey soft beep. You pick: the Superman clock in Superman blue with his red and yellow S logo in the center; or the Batman clock (he is too a superhero, so be quiet) with a black background and the yellow bat logo in the middle. Each has a wall-mount slot on the back. You add (1) “AA” battery.

These are the split rings with the beveled profile, the good ones. The bevel and the largeness of these rings translate to fewer chipped fingernails and blurted-out obscenities. Measure 1-1/2" dia x 1/8" thick, in steel, and hold a bunch of keys.

Naked squirrels always trouble us. For your instagrammatic pleasure, this 7-3/4" tall laminated squirrel cut-out stands on a folding easel and comes with (39) assorted, reusable vinyl clothing stickers, including tighty whities, pearls, a propeller beanie, sneakers, an argyle sweater and a whole bunch of holiday costumes. Easter bunny with a chain saw, anyone?

The manufacturer, Elenco Electronics, says Bredblox, but what's in a name? This is just a nice little breadboard for electronic experiments. The Elenco Model 9830 measures 6-1/2" long x 2-1/8" wide x 5/16" thick with (2) power busses up both long edges and (63) double rows of more busses. The holes for components and jumper wires are approx .050" each and multiple boards can be interlocked via tabs and ports on the long edges. Now go invent something and get rich.

Right after you build your own working medieval catapult or trebuchet. All you’ll need is glue, scissors and a steady hand (plus a small bag of marbles or rocks or something as a counterweight for the trebuchet) to construct these wooden, Canadian-made siege engine kits. The catapult stands 6” tall x 5” wide x 10” long and will toss assorted stuff 15 feet or farther, depending upon the stuff. The finished trebuchet will be 26” long x 18” wide x 24” tall and will propel small objects (meatballs?) 20 feet or more. Both include detailed instructions and are great resources for STEM activities. For ages 9+. Note: Please don’t propel small mammals, and please don’t put anyone’s eye out.

Bigger than a baseball across the top, this is one ginormous jewel. You pick a clear or deep-translucent-blue, 24% lead crystal, cut-glass gem. It’s 3-1/8” dia at the top, tapering to point 2-1/8” deep. Could be mounted in a stunning, but really, really, really big engagement ring.

There's no escaping the automobile attraction when you've got a giant flagpole mounted on your roof. The lightweight frame with folding bracket mounts atop your vehicle with scratch-resistant suction cups and durable straps. The flagpole itself extends up to 4' long which folds down for garage access and works with the included 2' x 3' American Flag or up to a 3' x 5' flag with grommets. Fly the flag of your local sports team, our classic Jolly Roger. Plus, at the top of the pole sits a bright white LED powered by your vehicle's accessory port which means you can keep showing your pride after dark. But keep in mind that you can't drive fifty-five—the manufacturer recommends keeping it under 30 MPH if you want to keep your pride intact. Easy setup instructions and 2' x 3' American flag included.

Expedited shipping is not available and your entire order will ship standard ground.

No maybes. Our each is a set of matching “YES” and “NO” buttons, a little over 3" in dia, like on quiz shows. When smacked, they recite one of (10) variations on the theme, as in “No, no, no, no” or “Yes, baby.” or “For the last time, NO.” Perfect for arbitrary decision-making at work and excellent for responding to requests from teens. You add a couple of “AAA” batteries and the buttons do the rest.

The world does not live by screw caps alone. These thick amber glass vials are 3-5/8" tall x 1-7/16" dia with a lip and 1-1/8" ID mouths. They’ll take a #16 cork, which we’ve included to save you time because we’re thoughtful that way. Made in the USA. Holds about 1.35 oz. with the cork, and about 2 oz. without. (That's about 40ml and 60ml, respectively, if you're into the metric system.) 

Or the Swanee whistle. Whatever you call it, this little slide whistle (just consider it the smallest trombone in the universe) has an outsized musical history. No elevator has ever fallen in a cartoon without its accompaniment, and no jug band is complete without one, but Louis Armstrong also played one on his Hot Five recordings, and Ravel even required one in an opera score. In assorted plastic colors with a steel slide, 6-7/8" long x 1/2" dia.

Add a little pizazz to your nitro pills! This 1-3/4" x 1/2" dia container for meds is anodized aluminum in mostly silver but also could be in blue, turquoise, purple, red, gold (our choice). It's gasketed so it's watertight. We recommend cleaning the inside with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol before using, since some have a bit of rust-colored residue in them. Flashy!

This idea is for the birds. Literally. A green/black plastic perch, dish, and dispenser that you can screw onto an inverted plastic pop bottle to convert it into a bird feeder. Obviously, the bottle should have been emptied of pop and filled with seed. One of those "100 things to do with old coat hangers" ideas that really works!! Complete with instructions and bail to hang the completed feeder. Please note: this feeder will not attach properly to the new Coca-Cola low-profile bottles.