Stuff Geeks Want

Snowpeak makes excellent gear for campers, and cutlery is no exception. While ultra light-weight titanium sporks are cool and all, we prefer to chow down with the Backpacking Chopsticks, which will also impress the waitress at your neighborhood sushi bar.

These chopsticks are cool for multiple reasons:

• the wooden ends unscrew and are stored in the hollow aluminum handle when not in use
  
• the wooden ends are made from recycled white ash baseball bats
• they only weigh 1 oz.
• a carrying pouch is included

The only downside is that Snowpeak can’t seem to keep up with demand, as the chopsticks are out of stock everywhere at the moment, including direct from the manufacturer.

But when they are in stock, you can find them for about $25-$30 from REI.com or ThinkGeek (search for “chopsticks” at either place).

Nothing else improves your chances of survival more than a lighter. Capable of creating warmth, light, and a means for safely preparing food, fire is always taken for granted—until you really need it.

Be prepared with the Windmill Delta Shockproof Lighter. This lighter can keep a flame even against the strongest of winds, it’s waterproof when closed, and extra rugged to ensure no damage if dropped down the side of a mountain.

It’s also the choice of Survivorman’s Les Stroud and costs less than similar lighters, like Brunton’s Helios Stormproof Lighter (SRP: $84.40, $52.11 from Amazon).

The Windmill Delta Shockproof Lighter comes in four colors. We’ve scoped out the lowest prices so you don’t have to:

• Smoke Green: $39.24 (Knife Depot via Amazon)
• Black: $39.99 (Think Geek, search for “Delta Lighter”)
• Matte Green: $48.60 (OutdoorPros)
• Blaze Orange: $46.68 (Ambient Weather via Amazon)