Above we have the Exped Wallcreeper Sleeping Bag ($229) which is basically the drunken love child between a down jacket and a sleeping bag. At first glance you have a standard toasty down filled sleeping bag with a funny looking hood but then thanks to a bunch of zipper openings your sleeping bag then lets you to free your arms from the sides and put them in front side pockets and let your legs out allowing you move around or get out of your tent without you having to freeze your nads off.

If you are anything like me then you have watched to many movies like The Edge and Castaway and have now become completely paranoid that the next plane you get on will have you ending up stranded in the middle of Alaska or on an a uninhabited island and fending for survival. Ok maybe thats just me but anyway, (even though this kit isn’t as complete as mine) for $33 the Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak is small and cheap enough to have in your backpack, car, boat, plane or just about anywhere you might need it to give you that extra edge in surviving if the worst case were ever to happen. It contains the tools you need to help yourself out of a bind – a signal mirror; fire starters; a whistle; duct tape; a sterile scalpel with disposable blade; a compass; heavy-duty aluminum foil; waterproof paper; a magnifying lens; stainless-steel safety wire; 10 ft. of 150-pound-test braided nylon cord; nylon sewing thread; a sewing needle; fish hook; sinker; swivel; a pencil; safety pins; waterproof survival instructions; and a Pocket Survival Pak contents list. You may think you’ll never need it but when the unexpected happens and you are caught stranded awaiting rescue without even a match stick, what are you going to be thinking then?

I love simplicity and multi use gear, so whenever I find one thing that can replace two or three things to make my pack lighter and more spacious I’m definitely going to choose that over a more cumbersome alternative. Now this won’t make a huge difference but the heat resistant, teflon coated and funky colored Light My Fire Spork Original utensil which is a fork/knife/spoon hybrid is the first step in lightening the load.

If you have ever hiked/camped in very wet or humid places like the Amazon or the snowy Alps, you know how much of a nightmare it can be to get a fire going. The Light My Fire Maya Dust is an awesome fire starter that will make your life a ton easier when trying to light a fire in soggy conditions. This fire starter contains 80 per cent resin and the result is an extremely hot flame. It comes in a 1oz waterproof snuff box that fits in your pocket and sells for $4.50 a pop.

Lighting is essential for outdoor adventure and camping, that is if you ever want to get anything done in darker conditions. So its obvious that one of the most important members to anyone’s kit is a flashlight of some kind. But in the end technology will ultimately fail us. Why? Energy. Eventually (unless you have one of those hippy solar powered/wind up/shake-to-power lights) your batteries are going to run out. When that happens, you need some kind of fail safe. “Another flashlight or batteries!” you say, sure in most cases this is the solution but on longer trips where your resources are limited to what you can carry and there is no where to recharge but you need just enough lighting to cook at night or hang out in a tent there’s this: The Nuwick 120 Hour Candle. Yes 120 hours! The Eco-Friendly, FDA approved, paraffin based candle will ensure light, heat and is even safe to cook with when you find yourself needing to go back to basics. You can safely store the 120 Hour Candle indoors, in your vehicle or in your backpack without the worry of harmful emissions or a potential fire hazard, because it’s non-toxic, and contains no dangerous chemicals or flammable fluids. The candle comes with six movable wicks, a can of wax, tweezers and matches, and retails for approximately $9.99.

When camping, a shower is usually a luxury. “Nay!” says the people of Sea to Summit, “The days of subjecting your fellow outdoorsmen to your stink are over!”. Check out the Sea To Summit Pocket Shower. When fully unfolded it has a capacity of 10 liters and a 20 foot cord that can be hung up on just about anything. Its super easy to use with a convenient little shower head that also functions as the on/off knob. When fully open you get about eight and a half minutes of shower time. Not bad for an incredibly small and light shower bag that zips into a three-by-six-inch pouch and weighs only 4.25 oz. $24.95

I’ve seen ponchos and rucksack rain covers but the clever guys at Sea to Summit have decided it makes more sense to combine the two for maximum protection from the wet. And I tend to agree. The Sea To Summit Siliconized Cordura Tarp-Poncho is basically an over sized raincoat that covers you and your bag and its versatile tarp like Ultra-Sil material makes it light and completely waterproof. It can also double and triple as a ground sheet and with its cleverly added built-in guy attachment points it can become a make shift shelter. For $79.95 its a little on the expensive side but good luck finding a poncho with this many features. So whether you are hiking in Ireland (zing!) or a hunchback caught in a hurricane, this is an essential piece of kit for you.

Outdoor multi-function sport watches are great for you are outdoors and using all of its crazy features but they can often look a little too military or high tech for general use so when you get back to the office you either look like you still got a piece of your RoboCop costume still on or just got back from Marine training. Meet the Suunto Lumi Sportif watch, the most elegant looking sports watch you’ll find. Don’t worry though just because its high fashion, doesn’t mean its low function. On the contrary this watch has a slew of features to whet your techie appetite. The Lumi Sportif has a day counter which lets you know exactly when the sun is rising or setting in over 400 locations world-wide. On treks, it also logs the duration of the trip and your altitudes. Its barometer forecasts the weather and provides storm warnings; and the digital compass always points you in the right direction. And if you ever wanted to know what different weather conditions were in French or English or Spanish or German, for that matter, not to worry because the Lumi Sportif boasts all four of these languages.

Last on my list, and this one was just for fun, is the Coleman 5-IN-1 Quickbed Convertible Air Bed. This is just because I’ve never seen a multi purpose air mattress or what equates to an inflatable futon basically. Here’s what Campist Blog has to say:

The 5-IN-1 Quickbed Convertible Air Bed offers various mattress configurations, so customize it to suit your camp configuration. Need to accommodate a couple of campers? Use the 5-IN-1 separately as two twin mattresses. Camping couples may prefer to zip the twin mattresses together for a king-sized bed to share. If you’re sleeping solo, stack and snap the two twin mattresses for a comfortable raised twin. If the sleeping situations are all taken care of, and you need a place to lounge, convert the mattress to a sofa, which includes two smartly designed cup-holders. The Airtight System is guaranteed not to leak, and made of exclusive PVC, the 5-IN-1 Quickbed Convertible Bed will offer durability for years of use. Retails for $44.99.

Well thats about it. Check back in for future round ups as I scour the internets for some of the best outdoor gear around.

-Alx-

Report found through kirou.com

Image Credit: Photos found online through German-language site, Abenteuer park.de.

- Neal :) -