First and foremost, it’s an iZoom® lantern--a really handy, collapsible, dual-mode, battery-operated lantern. But it’s also a magic trick because to turn it on, you pull it open, like a pirate’s spy glass. Open it once and its 80-lumen LEDs glow bright-white, constant-on. Close it and pull it open again, and the light is an amber 25-lumen, flame-mimicking flicker. Open it again and it’s back to white. At 3-1/2” dia, it stands approx 5” tall when closed, and a max of approx 7-1/2” when open. Has (2) handles that fold down for storage or up for hanging and carrying. Comes in black or gun-metal gray, and we’ll pick because that’s how we roll. Adding to the magic, the whole shebang runs on (3) “AA” batteries. (Not Included)

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, green, blue, silver or purple version for you.

Inflatable air loungers are all the rage, and we’ve got ’em! Ours weighs just a smidge over 2 lbs, and when it’s folded and stuffed into its bag with shoulder strap, it measures a mere 14” x 8” x 6”. No pump required! Just swing it around to fill the pockets with air (or use the wind), snap it shut and plop down. Great for the pool, beach, concert, game, picnic, campsite or living room. Hey, it’s your life. When inflated it’ll look like a 20” high x 30” wide x 70” long hot dog bun. Sit in it longways, for a hammock pose, or the other way, where it becomes a single lounge chair--or a love seat if you’re willing to share. Your choose what color but at this price they won’t sit around here for long.

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.

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.

Put these on your feet, and stay on your feet. We use these here in the frozen heartland, and so should you if you’re anywhere where the snow flies and ice coats the sidewalks. Measure 9” long in black silicone rubber, and they stretch over the toe and heel of pretty much any size shoe, men’s or women’s, with rubber pads that have (5) 5-pointed steel cleats on each sole. Easy on, easy off for your winter-walking convenience. For you folks in the warmer climes, you can use them to turn any pair of shoes into cleats for pick-up games of football.

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.

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.

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!

Daytime, too, or whenever you need to start a fire, especially outdoors. These pressed resinous-pine tinder sticks measure 4" long x 1/2" square, and our each is a box of a dozen. Marked as being from the “Survivor Series,” they’re water-resistant and slow burning, lasting approx five minutes each. 

Inflatable air loungers are all the rage, and we’ve got ’em! Ours, by Drenched, weighs just a smidge over 2 lbs, and when it’s folded and stuffed into its bag with shoulder strap, it measures a mere 14” x 8” x 6”. No pump required! Just swing it around to fill the pockets with air (or use the wind), snap it shut and plop down. Great for the pool, beach, concert, game, picnic, campsite or living room. Hey, it’s your life. When inflated it’ll look like a 20” high x 30” wide x 70” long hot dog bun. Sit in it longways, for a hammock pose, or the other way, where it becomes a single lounge chair--or a love seat if you’re willing to share. At this price they won’t sit around here for long.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Just ax yourself if you really need a big hatchet when this excellent, and extremely cute, stainless steel mini hand ax is available. Blade is 4-1/2” wide on a 5” molded handle, so the whole shebang is just 9” long. Comes with a canvas sheath with a belt loop for easy carrying.

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".

The Survival Bottle itself is an acrylic, 27-ounce water bottle with a screwcap and keeper. Inside is a compressed towel that magically expands to 23" x 11-1/2", a 52" x 82" Mylar blanket, a 3" x 1" magnesium fire-starting block with a 3" saw blade, a 5-function pen-knife/tool, and a whistle/thermometer/compass/mirror/magnifier/LED flashlight combo (phew!) powered by a couple of included coin cell batteries.