OUT & ABOUT

This black canvas pouch has belt loops and a cornucopia of compact construction tools inside, including a small combo hatchet/hammer/tent-stake puller; entrenching tool (that’s a shovel to you) with a compass in the handle, and pickaxe and saw attachments for the shovel handle. Belt measures 9-3/4” x 4” x 1-1/4” overall. Don't go into the woods without it. Also, take snacks.

We’re not suggesting things will go south next time you head into the wilderness. We’re just saying this Tactical Survival Camping Car Tool Kit is always good to have on hand—just in case. Great for campsites, but also for stashing in the trunk or glovebox of your car. Includes a 10-in-1 pocket knife; a 7-in-1 multifunction card tool; and a 1000-lumen rechargeable, zoomable LED flashlight. Knife is Swiss Army-ish, red and 4" long with a corkscrew, saw, can opener, file, scissors and more; card tool is flat, like a credit card, and includes box, letter, bottle and can openers, a ruler, hex drivers and a cell phone stand; and the flashlight is 7-1/2" long x 1" dia, black with a pocket clip. Knife comes with a belt pouch, black and approx 8-1/4” x 5” x 2-14”, and the card tool comes with a black protective sleeve. Doug took his set camping and everybody else wanted one.

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!

From Farpoint®, this (2)-pack of Slim Fit Headlamps delivers super-bright light in (2) headbands that weigh a scant 0.14 lbs each. Lights are 300 lumens, with (2) beam levels, (6) hours of battery use and a total of (26) COB LEDs in two rows 3-3/4” wide. Adjustable, elastic headbands are ultra-thin, comfortable and 1-1/2” top-to-bottom at their widest, with a 3/4” battery pack in back. The (3) required “AAA” batteries are included. Sure, they’re great for camping and hiking, but the wide light spread also means you don’t have to over-tilt your head to see what you’re working on in your shop or craft studio. Ages 6+.

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.

Or would have, had you hung one of these yellow glow sticks around your neck. You’ll get a dozen of them at 6” long with both a small hole and a carabiner-ish slotted opening for hanging. Includes a 24” plastic cord to hang them from. Surplus factor: packaging shows rainbow colors, but all are, in fact, yellow, which is fine because who wants to glow green or blue? Bend or shake to activate. (Duh.)

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.

Before fishing got all modern with high-tech reels and rods, and lines and hooks, our ancestors caught seafood dinners with pointy things. Return to those simpler days with this 9” Fishing Spear Head from Crate Club by Martin Brothers. Technically it’s a tactical survival tool, but that just means it’s super-high quality and durable. Made of 3/16” thick stainless steel, you can use it as a (2)- or (4)-point spear. Assembles easily and folds flat for storage. All you supply is the stick that the spear attaches to, and the hunting spirit. The fish will respect you more with a spear—trust us.

This is our cutest, and handiest, adjustable beam UV (395 nm wavelength) flashlight. Has a 3-stage switch: 50% brightness, 100% brightness or flashing. It comes on a lanyard if you don't have a pocket. Measures 3-3/4” long x 1” dia, in aluminum. You add a “AA” battery

Pity poor Gandalf traipsing through Middle Earth with that weak excuse for a staff to lean on! Sauron wouldn’t have stood a chance if he’d had these telescoping Pacemaker Stix Journey trekking poles. They’re perfect for walking, hiking, climbing, confronting a Balrog, or defeating a touchy Ringwraith. Sticks measure 54” extended and 26” retracted, with patented failsafe twist-locks. Made of aircraft-grade aluminum, with tungsten tips, synthetic cork grips and various feet attachments for snow, sand and rocky surfaces. Cave trolls, wargs and state park trails beware!

Call this one the “Glam Bottle,” a 17-oz stainless steel vacuum-insulated tumbler with a gold flake ice-design exterior. Measures 10” tall with a 3” dia base, tapered shoulders and a silver cap. Keeps beverage cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. Keeps you looking cool for as long as you’re holding it.

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 Denali. 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".

Call us crazy but we love coming home from the wilderness alive. This is why we always carry a survival whistle like this one. It’s safety orange, and 3” long with an 8" bungee lanyard. It’s also plastic with a dual chamber design and no moving parts, so it won’t freeze up or stick to your lips in extreme cold. Ward off predators, call for help, or just ref a nice game of hoops out there. We’ll send you (2) whistles per order.

North, South, East and West (plus some others) are all included in this sturdy, stainless-steel compass featuring a glow-in-the-dark dial and degree markings around the face. Measures 2-1/2” dia with a 1-1/2” dia face and a glass cover. Probably the nicest compass we’ve had in a long time. Great for…wait for it...compassing. Actually, it’s perfect for that. Ages 4+.

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. 

Not when you’ve got this puppy at your side. Our latest and greatest COB LED flashlight is 7" long, rated up to 2,000 lumens with a visible distance of 100 meters. Has three modes—max, low, and strobe—and is focusable, but the best part is not needing to hunt for batteries because it has a built-in rechargeable battery rated at 2,200 mAh. Just plug it into a USB charger and you’re good to go when you need it. The real best part is it has a second USB port to charge your phone or other devices, which makes it nice for camping, fishing or other adventures. How’s that for handy!?

You can only carry so much bottled water in the woods. Campers and preppers alike will want this water purification tube, eminently backpackable at 9" long x 1" dia x an ultralight (2) ounces. Called the Water Washer, its microfiltration membrane is good for 1,000 liters. Meets EPA and U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards, and filters out 99.9% of waterborne protozoa and 99.9999% of bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella. No batteries, no BPA, no chemicals, no aftertaste, and no reason to go into the wild without one. Or two.

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.