The manufacturer calls this a SWAT Survival Kit and it’s a wonder of emergency compactness at 4” x 6” x 2-1/2”. Tucked inside the heavy-duty black plastic case is a bright LED flashlight, multifunction leatherguyish tool, survival compass, whistle, emergency foil blanket, credit-card size multitool with (10) functions, flint fire starter and steel wire saw.

Walking sticks have moved into the space age! This walker's/hiker's friend has futuristic features and the look of an inter-galactic weapon. The high-quality collapsible aluminum stick extends from a packable 27" to a full 43", and has a carbide tip with a rubber cover, a removable 2" dia disk to keep the stick from sinking into soft ground, and an internal shock absorber that can be turned on or off. At the top, a 5-LED flashlight with a 90° pivot is embedded in a molded-plastic cane-style handle to light your way. For mountain trekking, lengthen the stick, slip the adjustable canvas wrist strap over your hand, and clutch the stick by the padded foam section below the cane handle. Directions, diagrams, and 1100mm to 1350mm gradations are marked clearly on the 3-draw pole. We'll pick a black or anodized red, blue, or silver version for you.

Newly manufactured P-38 Can Opener from the same folks who supply them to Uncle. It folds! into 1-1/2" x 5/8" flat piece which is easily carried and lost. Reportedly works much better than the Asian knockoffs for those who really want to gain entry to the Spam!

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!)

Put your silverware on your belt. This 4-1/4" camping implement separates into a fold-out fork and spoon, and the spoon has a fold-out knife at the other end so you can use it with the fork to cut your pork chops. Also includes a corkscrew (we recommend a nice Grenache or Tempranillo with pork chops), a can/bottle opener and the ubiquitous awl. In brushed steel with a black canvas belt pouch that you should put the thing into fork-down or the tines might catch on the fabric and make you crazy.

They don’t give them away in bars anymore, so you’d better buy this Matchstick Fire Starter. Has a 1-1/2" x 1-1/8" x 3/8" flint housing and a 1” striker with a small cotton wick around the end. Fill it with a little lighter fluid and you’re ready to start something. Includes a 1/2” clip to hang it on something. A must for camping.

They have the look of something designed for the space program. They're mylar, a paper-thin shiny metallic sheet, that comes in handy when your car breaks down in winter, or when you're separated from your climbing group on the slopes of Mt. McKinley. Barring that, they're also a perfect material for a do-it-yourself cold-climate Halloween costume-near impossible to rip by hand, but cut easily with scissors. There's no padding, so they wouldn't be too comfy on your bed, but they sure are warm. They both come folded about the size of a wallet. The Blanket is 52" x 82", the Sleeping Bag is 34" x 84".

If you fly to where you hike, you absolutely need this three-piece bianbai wood walking stick. Like in portable pool cues, the pieces are threaded together via steel inserts. Measures 55” long assembled, with a metal tip covered by a removable rubber foot, wrist strap and water-resistant nylon carrying pouch. Pieces are approx 21” long.

From the enlightened folks at iZoom® comes this two-pack with a 600-lumen collapsible lantern (see our #95833) along with a bonus 350-lumen flashlight. Lantern is gun-metal gray and collapses from 7” to 5” tall. Black aluminum flashlight is 6” long with settings for high, medium, low, strobe and SOS. A great gift set for any camper, and batteries are included.

It’s always hot somewhere. Stay cool with a hyper-evaporative towel. In a sports-jersey-ish fabric, you wet it and wear it--around your neck or head--and the evaporative quality keeps you cool. Measures 40” x 12” in a flattering blue, and comes in a plastic bottle with a carabiner-like clip on top so you can wet it and hang it on your belt until you heat up.

Outdoorsy brides-to-be all across America are registering for this BPA-free modular plastic knife/fork/spoon combo. The fork and spoon snap together like a molle buckle, hiding the surprisingly sharp serrated knife inside. Measure 6-1/2” long when together. Our each is a service for (4) in red, blue, orange and green. Camping utensils don’t get any utensiler.

An exhausted physicist. Also this 3-1/4" dia camping lantern. Stands 5” tall with fold-down handles, but pull up those handles and reveal the super-bright, a whopping 600 lumen COB LED light inside. Turns on when you open it, and has a small compass on top so you can see where you’re going. Measures approx 7” open and will shine for approx (6) hours with a trio of “AA” batteries, which are included. In utilitarian gray ABS plastic.

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.

Have a blast at the family picnic or your next traffic jam -- or when boating, coaching the soccer team, or calling the kids for dinner. This lightweight megaphone is only 8-1/2" long, with a 5-1/2" dia horn and a fold-down handle, but its 5-watt power output lets you project up to 165 yards. Volume control, on/off switch, voice/siren option, hi-impact ABS body that's shock and weather resistant. Use the nylon strap to hang it from your wrist or around your neck. Uses (4) "C" batteries (not included).

You don't have to smell like a polecat just because you're camping. Our 5-gallon PVC solar shower bag measures 23" x 16" with an in-line valve, 25" hose, 1-1/2" shower head and mounting hook. Mfr says 2 hours in the sun on a 70-degree day gets you 95-degree water.

You will survive with this Survival Candle, a 3-wick burner made of soy and palm wax in a 3-1/8" dia 2-3/8" tin can with a lid. Rated to last up to 36 hours.

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.

Once upon a time, tweeting is what birds did, and also what people calling birds did. Return with us now to those trilling days of yesteryear with this little hand-held Audubon bird call. Measures 2-1/4" long with a cast-aluminum shaft inside a birch barrel. Twist it to tweet, and there’s no limit to how long you go on.