Veterans will know this as an entrenching tool, but to everyone else it's a folding camp shovel. Our hardened steel version is 22-1/2" long when open, folds to a measly 9-1/2", and weighs just over 2-1/2 lbs. Blade is 8-1/4" long x 6" wide, serrated on one side. Fits into the light canvas pouch, which you can carry on your belt because you never know when you'll need to dig a hole.

Just toss this little pack, unopened, into a wood fire and watch all the pretty colors. (For you chem majors, it contains 25 grams of cupric sulfate, cupric chloride and PVC crystals.) And do we have to tell you not to eat or inhale it? OK, don’t eat it or inhale it. Just watch it blow your mind.

This 3/8" dia braided orange nylon tow rope is a tad over 13 feet and rated for a max load of 6,613 lbs, which should pretty much make it good for whatever you’re driving, including the weight-class-leading 6,052-lb Rolls Royce Phantom EWB (Extended Wheel Base). Includes diecast 3/4” ID x 2-7/8” snap hooks at each end, with rubber non-slip grips.

These mighty handy wipes start at 3/4" dia x 1/2" thick and come alive (in a manner of speaking) when you drop them into a glass of water. Unfold one to 9" x 10" and use it to clean up the kids--or yourself--and you'll never leave home without them. Each pack is a plastic tube of  (8) wipes, which makes them great for purses, glove compartments and campsites.

Small enough to fit into the belt-mounted black canvas carrying case (4-3/8" x 3" x 1" thick), but they open up to be plenty big for most binocular needs. These 10X25 binocs have glare-reducing coated lenses, a thin neck-strap, adjustable focus, water-resistant and easy-to-hold rubber skin, rubber eyecups and fine-tuning for the right eye.

Camper alert: nothing says temporary water storage like this collapsible translucent PVC water jug. Holds 3-3/4 gallons (15L) and measures 11-1/2” x 10” x 9” when full, but flattens to cargo-pants-pocket size when empty. Includes a 3-3/8” handle, and a screw-on cap/spigot. Would also hold about a case-and-a-half of pinot grigio for bachelorette parties in the woods.

C'mon baby, light someone's fire with this magnesium and flint fire-starter kit. The 3" steel hack-saw-type blade and a 3-1/8" x 3/8" x 1-1/8" hunk of magnesium, with a rod of flint embedded in one long side, are on a keychain for carrying but are easily removed from it. With the serrated edge of the blade, shave some Mg into a small pile of tinder. Strike the flint with the opposite edge to spark the tinder-Mg's interest, and you're Prometheus.

This digital stopwatch includes a clock, alarm clock and lap modes. Reading appears in a 7/8" x 7/16" tall LCD display, graduated down to 1/100th of a second. Includes a 16" neck cord. From United Scientific. In assorted, but dignified, coach-appropriate colors.

Our jumbo emergency fire starter is 4" long with a 2-3/4" long x 5/16" dia flint with a handle, on a wrist strap with an attached 2-3/4" long steel striker. Guaranteed never to run out of fuel.

It will be if you buy this bright-as-a-Phi-Beta-Kappa COB LED 3W flashlight, with a bonus red laser. Measures a mere 4-3/4" x 1-1/8" dia and comes with (3) “AAA” batteries inside, where they belong. In a knurled aluminum body of a color that we’ll pick for you (gray, black, red or blue) because who cares what color a flashlight is. (Note: flashlight and pointer can't be on at the same time.)

Smart campers buy glow-in-the-dark rope. You'll get (100) feet of 5/32" dia 7-strand paracord with a 220-lb working load, a 660-lb breaking point, and a nice light green glow-tone. Handy for not tripping at the campsite, and for rustling cattle in the dark, as long as they weigh less than 660 lbs.

Four carabiners, no waiting. These are for keys and stuff, not for hanging around Mt. Everest. We'll pick a quartet of 2-3/4" x 1-3/8" carabiners in assorted vibrant anodized-aluminum colors, including black and polished silver. They open to a max of 5/8" and each has a complimentary 7/8" slip-ring at absolutely no extra charge.

Tube tents are tubes in the sense that they're one piece, with floors, and can be used as shelters, ground cover or or blankets in emergencies or disasters. This one is bright orange nylon with an aluminized coating on the inside for insulation. Measures 82" x 36". Includes 23 feet of nylon rope for hanging between trees or posts and (4) 9" zinc-plated steel stakes.

Just how big are your hips? Big enough to handle our 64-oz hip flask? Measures 11-1/2" tall x 6-7/8" wide in the traditional curve x 1-5/8" thick. Holds a party-ready half-gallon, which is 1.89 liters which would be, yes, bigger than those 1.5 liter bottles. In surgical stainless steel with the all-important attached screw cap that won't get lost. Brushed-finish sides, polished top and cap. Suitable for engraving as an extra-special award item.

You will survive, too, just like Gloria Gaynor, and in the woods, even. But only if you have this U.S. Army manual, cleverly titled: SURVIVAL, Department of the Army Field Manual FM21-76. It's 287 heavily illustrated pages of techniques for staying alive (add your own BeeGee jokes here) including orientation, food & cooking, fire- and shelter-making, rafts, animal, insect and plant recognition, and much more. This is the 1970 edition, but staying alive in the woods hasn't changed a whole lot since then. In soft-cover.

This storage pouch, in safety-vest-chartreuse, is 9” x 2” x 2” with a 2-step zip-lock and hook-n-loop water-resistant seal. Good for walking in the rain, biking, sailing and triathlete-ing with valuables, either strapped around your waist with the adjustable elastic belt and molle buckle or not. The pouch is gusseted, which means it’ll also open to 4” wide—perfect for a cell phone.

Or turn this versatile pivoting headlamp instead. From i-Zoom®, this lamp is a serious piece of equipment, not some disposable cheapo. Has high/low/flashing modes, precise slide focus and a max of a super-bright 350 lumens. Comes with (3) “AAA” batteries in a separate rubber-covered compartment at the back of (3) adjustable elastic straps. Will pivot down (4) clicks from straight ahead to straight down. Mfr says it’s good for a 5-hour cycle on fresh batteries. Fear not the darkness with this beauty.

What a bright idea! Our emergency blanket is reflective silver Mylar on both sides. Measures 68" long x 23" wide x a heat-sealing 1/16" thick. Comes with attached straps to roll it up and store it, plus a little carabiner to clip it to a pack. Keep it in the car and it might save your life. Or use it as a slim 21st century bedspread if you have a stainless steel bedroom.