I have two friends who've been carrying these slim, multi-tools for a few years now and swear by them. I've only used the mini-screwdriver and bottle opener, but those functions alone seem worth it. It's stainless steel and will add some weight to your load, but no more than the average metal beverage pop-top. Why junk up your keychain when you can slip another "card" into your wallet? Added bonus: can opener, straight edge, knife edge, et al.

-- Steven Leckart

Credit Card Survival Tool
$4
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by BCB Survival USA

Sure, you can scale fish with the back of your knife blade -- and I did for years until I drove my thumb into the dorsal spike of a striped bass one evening. After subsequent surgery, I picked up this little device at the tackle shop. It offers more than self-defense, it's just absolutely good at what it does and costs less than ten bucks. Show it to your friends and make them guess what it's for; they'll be stumped. What would make you design a fish scaler with what looks like plastic hex-head bits loosely attached to the underside of a circular disc? It doesn't make sense. But it works! It defends your thumb (thank you) and prevents scales from scattering all over and flying up into your face. Only a little pressure is needed and the fish is completely clean in seconds.

-- Jay Allison

Magic Fish Scaler
$6
Available from Bass Pro Shops

Manufactured by Tackle Factory

SCOLA is a non-profit that rebroadcasts television programming (mostly news) from around the world in original languages (everything from Albanian to Vietnamese). It's intended as a language learning aid -- and it's great for that -- but you don't necessarily need to speak the language in order to get something out of the broadcasts. You can understand a lot about what's being discussed -- and sometimes how it's being discussed is interesting in itself -- even if you don't understand a word of what's being said. It's a great way to get a sense of a country you don't know much about. My brother-in-law said his image of Nepal as a backwater was forever changed after he saw their nightly newscast, complete with sophisticated commercials.

When I was at university in the early nineties, they ran SCOLA on the closed circuit cable system in the dorms. I'd forgotten all about it until a few years ago when I visited my mother-in-law in Omaha, where it's on the cable system (SCOLA is based in neighboring Council Bluffs, IA). I wanted to keep watching SCOLA at home, but at that time, online streaming was only available to institutional subscribers. I went back to Omaha again recently, rediscovered SCOLA, and was excited to discover they now offer individual subscriptions (it's also available on free-to-air satellite and from some cable providers).

The individual subscription allows you to stream SCOLA live or download individual programs. Downloading is ideal; you don't even need to TiVo the broadcasts you want. I recently downloaded news from Cuba, Spain, Kurdistan, Burma, and Egypt. I don't even speak Kurdish or Burmese, but where else are you going to get a chance to watch this stuff, or even hear what those languages sound like? I got a "Level 1" subscription which means that for $10 I get 15 hours of SCOLA per month, either via streaming or download. This is cheaper than satellite radio, and besides, Sirius and XM aren't going to give you the news in Kazakh.

-- Rob Ryan-Silva

SCOLA TV
$10 - 30*
Available from SCOLA

[*$15 (Level 2) gets you 25 hours per month; $20 (Level 3) gets you 40 hours per month; as it turns out, my Comcast cable package includes SCOLA and I didn't even know it until now --sl]

The beauty of these tools is they feel like a fetish item in your hand and, due to their size, you can always have them with you. They're handmade by Peter Atwood and have incredible strength because he uses a specialty stainless steel made via a powder metallurgy process ("The powder is compressed under significant force to a homogenous, solid state and the steel is rolled to required stock size. Molecules are uniform, inclusions of impurities are insignificant").

Both of my EDC knives -- a Swiss Army Cybertool and a SOG Multi Tool -- have slightly bent tips on the main blades because I tried to open or pry something I shouldn't have. That will never happen with the Mini Son of Prything I carry in my pocket or my Prybaby. The trend in tools is to include more and more features. An Atwood piece - and there are a variety of them worth checking out -- is generally designed to do a couple of things really well, and it does: open a package, pull a nail, cut some tape, strip a wire, etc. There are obviously other discovered tasks -- like propping up a new power supply in my computer while I get a couple of screws in -- but it's calling on that intended purpose that is most gratifying.

-- Greg Needham

Atwood Mini Tools
$35+
Available from Atwood Knife & Tools

The world is a feat of engineering. Beyond nature's glorious design, as this book recounts, our hands and minds have worked to shape, build, plant and populate as much of this planet as, well, humanly possible. With meticulous history and imaginative speculation, Weisman deconstructs progress across time and space. From concrete jungles in the West to ancient underground cities in Turkey to Chernobyl's Zone of Alienation, he both challenges and emphasizes the permanence of all our creation(s). The echoes of human impact, he concludes, will fade quickly in some arenas, but perpetuate radically in others. Remarkable, disheartening and inspiring, the book illustrates that we've inherited an immense, complicated and beautiful world from ancestors who were both ingenious and ignorant. Ultimately, how we choose to think, invent, and act will be what differentiates us from them.

-- Steven Leckart

The World Without Us
Alan Weisman
2007, 336 pages
$17
Available from Amazon

[It's worth taking a look at the Multimedia page on the book's web site for some intriguing time lapse artist renderings -- sl]

Sample excerpts:

Among the myriad species loosed on the world by humans that have surged beyond control, eucalyptus joins ailanthus and kudzu as encroachers that will bedevil the land long after we've departed. To power steam locomotives, the British often replaced slow-maturing tropical hardwood forests with fast-growing eucalyptus from their Australian Crown colonies. The aromatic eucalyptus oils that we use to make cough medicine and to disinfect household surfaces kill germs because in larger doses they're toxins, meant to chase off competitive plants. Few insects will live around eucalyptus, and with little to eat, few birds nest among them. Lusty drinkers, eucalypti go wherever there's water, such as along shamba irrigation ditches, where they've formed tall hedgegrows. Without people, they'll aim to colonize deserted fields, and they'll have a head start on the native seeds blowing down the mountain. In the end, it may take a great natural African lumberjack, the elephant, to blaze a trail back to Mount Kenya and expel the last British spirits from the land for good.

Ruins of high-rises echo the love song of the frogs breeding in Manhattan's reconstituted streams, now stocked with alewives and mussels dropped by seagulls. Herring and shad have returned to the Hudson, though they spent some generations adjusting to radioactivity trickling out of Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, 35 miles north of Times Square, after its reinforced concrete succumbed. Missing, however, are nearly all fauna adapted to us. The seemingly invincible cockroach, a tropical import, long ago froze in unheated apartment buildings. Without garbage, rats starved or became lunch for the raptors nesting in burnt-out skyscrapers. Rising water, tides, and salt corrosion have replaced the engineered shoreline, circling New York's five boroughs with estuaries and small beaches. With no dredging, Central Park's ponds and reservoir have been reincarnated as marshes. Without natural grazers - unless horses used by hansom cabs and by park policeman managed to go feral and breed - Central Park's grass is gone… Long before, the wild predators finished off the last descendants of pet dogs, but a wily population of feral house cats persists, feeding on starlings. With bridges finally down, tunnels flooded, and Manhattan truly an island again, moose and bears swim a widened Harlem river to feast on the berries that the Lenape once picked. Amid the rubble of Manhattan financial institutions that literally collapsed for good, a few bank vaults stand; the money within, however worthless, is mildewed but safe. Not so the artwork stored in museum vaults, built more for climate control than strength. Without electricity, protection ceases; eventually museum roofs spring leaks, usually starting with their skylights, and their basements fill with standing water. Subjected to wild swings in humidity and temperature, everything in storage rooms is prey to mold, bacteria, and the voracious larvae of a notorious museum scourge, the black carpet beetle. As they spread to other floors, fungi discolor and dissolve the paintings in the Metropolitan beyond recognition. Ceramics, however, are doing fine, since they're chemically similar to fossils. Unless something falls on them first, they await reburial for the next archaeologist to dig them up. Corrosion has thickened the patina on bronze statues, but hasn't affected their shapes. "That's why we know about the Bronze Age," notes Manhattan art conservator Barbara Appelbaum. Even if the Statue of Liberty ends up at the bottom of the harbor, Appelbaum says, its form will remain intact indefinitely, albeit somewhat chemically altered and possibly encased in barnacles.

This electric scooter is a fun and practical means of transport for anyone looking for eco-friendly, short-range transport. My 40-minute, 2.5 mile walk to work is now a 15 minute ride. I now get to work without showing up soaked in sweat, like I did riding my bike. And I love avoiding the Seattle public transit system.

The ESR 750 EX has a purported range of 8 miles (12 miles in "econo mode"). With all the hills I have to climb in Seattle, I mostly use it in "turbo mode," which truncates the range, but it's actually a more fun ride that way. Set aside the fact it's taken me up every long, steep hill I've attempted. This thing is a blast to drive. It gives one the sensation of flying.

I looked at plenty of scooters out there. You can get an electric scooter for less, $300-$600 maybe, but not one that will take on Seattle-size hills. For longer range, an electric bike or gas powered scooter may be the way to go. But as I only have to go 2.5 miles to work, I was more interested in something that could also be safely brought into my building, where I don't have to worry about parking and a 'free,' full recharge takes three to four hours. The Go-Ped also breaks down and stows away easily.

You can also buy all sorts of add-ons, including a seat, which I did not get. I prefer to stand and, to me, the seat looks a little goofy. Sure you can spend thousands on fancier models, if that seems worth it to you, but at around $800, this Go-Ped is a good middle ground. Another scooter in this range, the Rad2Go Great White, was a close second in my mind, but it's nearly 100lbs. The Go-Ped is about 60lbs., which seems more practical if I ever have to carry it.

I was concerned that car drivers and pedestrians would view me as an annoyance (I mostly ride on the street, following the same rules as a bike), but that doesn't seem to be the case. I'm trying not to be an obnoxious driver myself and most people seem to regard it with curiosity and amusement, sometimes outright envy.

I should add one thing: these are not 'all-weather vehicles'. The electrical throttle on the handlebar for regulating your speed, is particularly vulnerable to damage from water were you to ride in the rain (I'm considering wrapping it in plastic and trying it anyway). Still, it may be more of a spring-summer option if you live in a wet climate. Regardless, the manual advises against riding in inclement weather, citing concerns of visibility and skidding.

-- Bez Palmer

Go-Ped
$900
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Patmont Motor Werks

[To witness the Go-Ped tackle a hill, check out the end of this short rockin' video... -- sl]

The idea of combining the virtues of a trainer and an off-road, combat or hiking boot isn't entirely original, but my Classic 6" Swats continue to impress me. The sole has masses of cushioning, all-terrain grip, and a steel shank for stabilization, making it the equal of a high-end trainer (the company says they set out to design what they call a "cross trainer for law enforcement"). But the Swats actually do a better job for me than trainers costing several times their price. I get more ankle support than a low trainer and lose hardly any flexibility or cooling. And these let me walk and run through mud in a rainstorm for two hours with perfectly dry feet and a secure grip.

I'm 220lb, with an ultra high arch foot and hyperflexible ankles. I need maximum stability and shock absorption, a tough combination to find. The boot is docked with a tough leather and Cordura upper that stops at ankle level, giving most of the protection and support of a boot, but still leaving you more flexibility. The result is a shoe that's good for almost every type of ground and lets you hike, walk, run, jump, wear it all day, and drive in it. Water resistance and breathability are excellent.

The Bates are obviously tough and provide extra ankle support off-road carrying a heavy pack, but it's a higher boot. There are high-cut, full-on military boot Swats, too. I haven't tried them. My 6" lower tops answer a different need. They're more of a universal shoe you can hike, drive or run in, and still wear at the office without feeling out of place (unless you work in a very formal environment). Another nice feature is these shoes are available in wide and women's fittings. They're also surprisingly cheap -- less than $80 a pair.

-- Jonathan Coupe

S.W.A.T. Tactical Sport Boots
$64
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by The Original Footwear Co.

StewMac isn't the only catalogue, nor the oldest, but every luthier and instrument repair dude I know has one on a shelf by his/her bench. I've been getting the catalogue for 6-7 years to find and order replacement and upgrade parts. I buy instruments at garage sales and fix them up to give away or use (I play a bunch of lute-family instruments -- own about 10 guitars, a couple of banjos, a sitar, a bandurria, a ukulele).

StewMac carries some really unusual tools and they have the widest selection I've seen: fret files, bridge plate iron, inlay routing jigs, saws for mother-of-pearl and abalone, bushing pullers. They carry specialty glues, hard-to-find woods (Sitka spruce, koa, curly maple, Indian rosewood), laminated paua abalone, pre-sawn wood blanks for mandolins, banjos, ukuleles, and guitars.

If you've busted a hole in your guitar, you can also get the repair supplies, tools, and instructional books/videos to fix it for less than the guy at the shop will quote for doing the job. StewMac put in a minimum order of $30 not long ago, but I still think it's a fair deal.

-- Mark Johnson

Stewart MacDonald Catalogue
Free
Available online

Or order the print version here

[StewMac also has a "tips, tricks, news and know-how" Trade Secrets Newsletter you might want to check out- sl]

I've been using these Totes for more than a couple years now to store snow tires I swap on for only a fraction of the year. I also use one for the spare I keep in my trunk. They make moving the tires around really easy and the clean factor is definitely part of the attraction, for both the trunk and the garage. My garage is small and full of stored, well-organized items, but I have to shuffle items to get at certain things. A stack of bagged tires neatly stored and easily moved is a plus. I can quickly grab and move two tires at a time and stay clean doing it. I also don't get dirty brushing past the stack or having to reach over it. The bags are made of polyester and nylon and the stitching is strong. I haven't had any tearing or loose threads. They're not something I was looking to buy for myself, but a friend got me my first set as a gift. I then bought the one for my spare and I've also started buying these for friends and family.

-- Fred Moss

Tire Tote
$24
Available from Amazon
(set of two)

Or $18 (set of two) often available from Home Shopping Network

Manufactured by Motivation Design, LLC

The word that best describes the Ridgid oscillating belt sander is "workhorse." It is one of those rare tools which ends up at the heart of your workshop -- fast, precise, durable. The belt rotates like a standard sander, but also simultaneously and automatically oscillates up and down 60 times per minute, giving you better space coverage and a wider stroke (about 1 in.); this is especially helpful with larger pieces, because you don't need to reposition or flip the piece to sand the whole thing.

I use mine almost daily to fabricate parts in wood, metal, and plastic. The metal platen provides plenty of support for serious, precision sanding. I routinely sand to the center of a 1/64 slot on an Incra ruler. Not bad. It's also very quick to swap out the belt and use it as an oscillating spindle sander, meaning you can handle both flat and curved sanding.

It's designed to sit on a bench top, but they also molded slots into the bottom so that it rests stably on a sawhorse. It has an incredibly well made tilt table, with fence, that folds down onto a molded storage bay which holds all the accessories it comes with. And a vacuum port is molded into the back of the unit for clean up.

Two things to know: I find I often have to adjust the belt tension to prevent the belt from rising or falling, but this is easy to do on account of a large, well-placed knob. Also, the belts and spindles it comes with are extremely aggressive and are meant for hogging away wood. If you want to do more delicate work, you need to get higher mesh belts from a specialty store like Rio Grande, Klingspor, or maybe Grainger or McMaster-Carr.

-- Sam Mapadatha

Ridgid Oscillating Edge/Belt Spindle Sander
$200
Available from Home Depot

Manufactured by Ridge Tool Company

This beautiful, informative calendar has four panels representing the Earth's four natural seasons, either from equinox to a solstice or from a solstice to an equinox. Stepping outside the convention of having 12 pages full of squares, the calendar's four panels guide you through the astronomical season using several bands: Sky, Sun, Moon, Earth, Tide Chart and Gregorian Calendar from top to bottom.

I use the tide band to remind me when it might be a good time to plan a trip to the Oregon Coast. This year, I've already taken seven trips and have found an excellent low tide every time, so I've been able to see all kinds of cool critters, including chitons, crabs, starfish and large barnacles. I look at my ECOlogical Calendar every day and at the moon every night. I'm still working on learning to identify the planets and stars in the sky, which is a lot of fun, and the calendar serves as a perfect reminder.

The calendar is also very good for giving reminders of a number of phenomena you just wouldn't otherwise think about at all, such as the activities of amphibians, butterflies, worms, salmon, bats, eagle mating, fledging of birds; plus things such as the mushroom season and when bears start to hibernate. Most of us could probably keep track of some of those seasonal events on our own, but few could keep track of them all -- even a professional ecologist or farmer would have to be fairly compulsive to be mindful of everything on this calendar, simply by memory and/or Internet searches.

You could probably use the Calendar Band to note your regular doctor's appointments, interviews, and meetings if need be. But personally, I use a conventional planner for that, primarily because this calendar seems too beautiful to mark with my handwriting. It's as much a work of art as it is a practical tool for nature awareness. And how many art works change with the seasons?

-- Amy Scanlon

ECOlogical Calendar
$10
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Antenna Theater

[It's only July, so you could still get use from two of the four '07 panels; or you could obviously hold off until '08 (expect to pay about $16) - sl]

The Trikke is a machine you ride and propel by wiggling your body in a way that's Zen training on three wheels. It puts into direct use the conservation of angular momentum -- if you carry a mass through a turn around a center with a radius that decreases while you're turning, then your linear velocity will increase. You move the Trikke by leaning and 'S-turning' your way through a succession of these turns. The Trikke manages to turn all this physics into a fun ride as well as a no-impact aerobic workout (good for aging skeletons).

It was a slow learn for me -- took about a month -- but skiers, rollerbladers, and almost any kid will get it right away. Adults who've forgotten some of the finer points of operating their bodies will take longer, but that's one of the neat things about this no-pedal, definitely-not-a-scooter, tricycle: it will teach your body, all by itself, to make it go. You'll learn faster if, unlike me, you keep your mind out of the process.

When you do finally get into the groove, the feeling is beguiling. You move in a sinuous carving motion gently S-curving your way along city streets or park paths on the flat, downhill, and (eventually) uphill at an average 8 mph. It never (not in 8 months, anyway) gets boring. It requires upward of 350 of your calories per half-hour for propulsion, so it's damn good exercise. It involves 20 or 30 muscles from your neck all the way down to your feet, working in concert, so you don't hurt or feel exhausted after a workout; you just feel the afterglow of a good generalized energy output.

You also look both weirder and cooler on a Trikke than a penguin on skis, so if you don't like the idea of getting double-takes (and questions) from almost everyone you pass, that might be a reason not to ride one of these.

Trikke-Tech makes models with air tires and solid polyurethane wheels. For an adult, in normal city environments, I'd say air is the only way to go because of its natural shock-absorption. I have the sporty T-8 Convertible, the smallest adult-sized Trikke with optional air tires. The $500 T-12 is, apparently, the Cadillac of the line; according to Trikke obsessives, it gives the cushiest ride and is best for long cruises. Nevertheless, I've found the cheaper T-8 to be fast on its "feet" and very responsive, and it folds up into a package that fits into almost any car trunk.

-- Craig Umanoff

Trikke
$500
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Trikke Tech, Inc.

We have removed a number of pet ticks with this lasso and every one has come out complete and without effort, even a tiny tick. Because the lasso varies in size, it fits every tick perfectly. Last year we had big tick problems, and we did in fact try out a tick hook, which is basically a mini-crowbar. If your patient is not completely still, I've found the hook impossible! In the end, we started taking our pets to the vet, but this got expensive. As an engineer, I liked the look of the lasso idea and bought one. Some real thought has gone into the design and how to get into small, awkward places, like ears. As with all removers, you do need to use them as instructed to avoid tick damage.

-- Dave Peters

Trix Tick Remover
$11
Available from Ultimate Pet Products
(US only*)

Manufactured by InnoTech
(*see here for non-US orders)

I have been working in IT networking for 12 years, and I avoided making cables for the first 11. Since I bought the EZ-RJ45 a year ago, I now look forward to it. There are eight wires to connect with UTP cables, and it is important to get the wires in the same order at both ends; otherwise, your computer could be listening for signal on conductor 1 but the signal is actually on conductor 8. With most standard RJ45 crimps you have to cut the wires to about 3/8 inch long and stuff them in the crimp, hoping they stay in the correct order. Since the wires have to lay next to each other in a particular order, that 3/8 inch means you have very little to hang on to, so the wires almost always get mixed up and you have to try again.

What's great about the EZ-RJ45 is that the crimps allow the wires to pass all the way through them and stick out the front. That means you can cut the wires as long as you like and the wires protruding from the front of plug are easy to inspect to make sure they are in the correct order before crimping. The EZ-RJ45 crimps work in the three other crimping tools I have (2 different versions of the Ideal Telemaster, and 1 cheap NoName); but the EZ-RJ45 crimper also has an extra blade that cuts the wires flush with the front of the plug when you crimp it. With the other crimpers you would have to take the additional step of cutting the wires after crimping the plug. With normal connectors I end up wasting a third to half of my crimps. With the EZ-RJ45 I have no waste, and the crimps are right every time.

-- David McGregor

EZ-RJ45 Crimp Tool
$57
Available from Smart Home

Or $70 from Amazon

Manufactured by Sullstar Technologies, Inc.

While a standard red rear safety flasher is indispensable for twilight rides, it's both helpful and amusing to make your bike even more luminous, especially in the city. These little lights screw into Schrader valves (Presta adaptors cost a buck) and create a pleasing glow as you ride (they're motion sensitive and turn off after about ten seconds). They're not going to last a lifetime and they're not nearly as fancy or as practical as the Pedalites. They're also not as elaborate as the larger, multi-colored spoke fixtures you can go crazy with (i.e. Hokey Spokes). However, what's great about these is they're inexpensive, quick to install and tiny -- so much so that I now keep a set in the bag I take cycling. It's nice to bring the option along for the ride (I unscrew them and disconnect the battery to keep them from flashing). The bike shop I frequent sells a case of these every year in the weeks leading up to Burning Man, but really, why wait?

-- Steven Leckart

Tire Sparx
$8
Available from Amazon
(green)

Also eBay offers a wider color selection

Manufactured by Buzztronics, Inc.

Home gardeners often need to dig small, deep, precise holes. Because the rabbiting spade is narrow and deep, it facilitates digging moderately-deep, steep-sided narrow holes that are optimal for planting perennials and shrubs without disturbing existing plantings. You want to be able to remove that misjudged rose that's too close to the agapanthus -- or, alternatively, you want to nestle one rose up to the agapanthus without disturbing its roots more than absolutely necessary.

The advantage of a rabbiting/poacher's spade over any hand tool is that you can use it in heavy soil, getting the full power of standing up. Using our previous rabbiting spade (no longer available from Smith & Hawken), my husband was able to dig me a foot-deep asparagus bed in New England clay laced with glacial debris. I wouldn't care to do that with a hand shovel or trowel. Also, a rabbiting spade has only a 10" blade, and thus is easier to maneuver than something like a drain spade, which has a 14" blade. When you're planting small perennials, like peonies or roses, a 14" blade is overkill. This spade is small, light, and easy to carry, while still being powerful enough to do the job.

This particular spade is not cheap, but it's durable and made by a long-standing British business (Mr. Spear co-founded Spear & Love in 1760). Spear & Jackson's spade has an epoxy coating, which means it won't rust and should continue to slip through soil easily, and it has a hammered socket rather than a tang, so the join between the handle and the spade should last over time. I expect this rabbiting spade to last me a lifetime.

-- Betsy Hanes Perry

Spear & Jackson Rabitting Spade
$80
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Spear & Jackson

Going with an ultralight pack like this is the easiest way to start reducing weight. This simple nylon sack pack weighs 4 ounces. There is no frame. You make a frame by first loading your tent in the bottom. You place your folded sleeping pad so it rests against your back and that gives structure to the pack. If you use folding tent poles, they are inserted inside the folds of the pad to give more structure. On top of the tent goes your sleeping bag. Then you add a couple of zip lock bags on top of that for your food and other belongings. I put my water containers in the outside flap. Then you simply roll the top a few turns and fix it with the velcro straps. There are no zippers, no heavy belts or straps, no compartments, pouches or other extras.

Most people are hooked on features. But, do you really need a separate compartment for your compass and a special web pocket for your water and a map case and three main compartments? I only need one compartment in my pack. Place your things in a few plastic bags. When you want something, pull out the bag you need. It is a relief, actually, to give up on all those compartments, pockets, zippers, thick padded straps, carbon frame and pounds of extras.

When you go the ultralight route your total pack weight will be less than 10 pounds and at that weight, you don't need hiking boots either. They were designed for the olden days when packs were 40 plus pounds. Ultralight trail running shoes are a pleasure to wear.

Take a look at some of the features of some of the best selling, traditional weekend packs: carbon fiber frame, 4 pockets plus main compartment, dual-density padded shoulder straps, load lifter straps, cranial cavity (to make room for your head!), front bungee, tool loops, twin side water bottle pockets, removable lid doubles as a lumbar pack, interchangeable hip belt with fit zone, adjustable sternum strap with integrated whistle. Total weight: 6 pounds 9 ounces. That is 7 ounces less than my pack when it is fully loaded for a two-day trip!

-- John Aebi-Magee

Whisper Uberlight Pack
$60
Available from and manufactured by Gossamer Gear

[For longer trips requiring more pack room, check out the G4, also by Gossamer; and see this book for a primer on how to Lighten Up! -- sl]

Nothing compliments a campfire like a harmonica, but if you're looking for a new and challenging pocket noisemaker, I highly recommend the jaw harp. Much like a didgeridoo, you can create trance-inducing vibrations that will annoy some and mesmerize others. On its own, your mouth can learn to make some pretty great sounds, but it's remarkable what can be accomplished with this little doohickey. Just the slightest change in breath and flickering of the tongue shapes the sound dramatically.

The history is part of the appeal. I purchased mine in rural Tennessee, but the harp's roots are deeper than American folk. Some say the instrument was born in Asia and migrated to Europe around the 13th century. Archaic versions of these twangers have been found everywhere from England to the Philippines and Siberia (there are several names, including the "mouth" or "jew" harp, which seemingly bears no connection to Judaism). Pluck and listen, and time travel while plucking some more. When you get light-headed -- and you will -- do take a breather.

-- Steven Leckart

Mouth Harp
$4
Available from Lehman's

Also $6 from the Wisconsin Historical Society
(I own this harp)

How-To Resource: Michael Wright's Tutorial

I too was struck by the mesmerising sound of the jaw harp when I heard Mike Seeger play one. I searched around and finally decided on the Whitlow. At $25, this is a really good buy. It is hand made in America by one guy who learned to make it from the Whitlow guy who originally made them. I also purchased the harp mentioned above, because it is so cheap. But the Whitlow is just so superior I couldn't stand the tinny vibrations and lack of resonance of the cheap one. The Whitlow plays like butter the first time you play it. It resonates for a long time and is really loud. Get the lowest key you can find. I have a low D. You can make some really haunting, low frequency sounds by breathing in and out while twanging.

-- Larry Albertelli

If you keep rigid, used 5 gallon spackle buckets with broken handles and cracked sides for odd jobs, you should recycle 'em and get these plastic buckets. They are molded in one piece with two integrated handles. The handles are large enough that they won't hurt your palms or break away. There are too many uses to list, but I got mine earlier this year and have mostly used them in the garden where I've moved a lot of dirt and mulch and some large plants. The units are strong enough to fill completely with dirt, at which point they are too heavy for me to carry alone. I was most impressed with the ease with which I moved a large rock, which required two of us to lift. Yet, the tubs, which wipe clean easy, are still flexible enough to form a pouring spout.

-- Jack Roosma

Tubtrug Buckets
$17-20
(14 or 26 liter-size, various colors)
Available from Amazon

Other sizes available from Faulks & Co.

Manufactured by Faulks & Co.

The Solaire Anywhere Portable Infrared Grill is a full-sized, no-compromises top-quality grill wrapped up in a super-portable package -- it even comes with its own carrying bag, and -- a very nice touch -- has flip locks that hold the lid closed when stowed. This grill is small in size but not cooking power, putting out 14,000 BTUs, or nearly twice what is typical for portable grills. The secret is that instead of conventional burners, it uses a ceramic infrared grid that heats in seconds (less than three minutes), cooks in a flash, and cools down fast (pack away in about 15 minutes) with no coals to dispose of. It uses 1-lb. propane bottles or a 20-lb. tank with optional adaptor, and can also be converted to use natural gas.

The surface area of the grill (155 sq inches) may seem small, but things cook so fast, it will handle a meal for four without any trouble. Proof of the Soliare Anywhere grill's no-compromises performance lies in the fact that its distributor, Rasmussen's, recommends that customers buy this small grill as an introduction if considering purchase of the larger Soliaire patio grills that cost thousands of dollars.

Best of all, the Solaire is elegantly designed and ruggedly built for a lifetime of use. The basic unit is commercial grade 304 stainless steel, but one can get a marine grade version in 316 stainless as well. And the unit is super easy to clean: the burner self-cleans simply by letting it run at high for a few minutes after everything is off the grill -- anything on the burner simply vaporizes. Both the grilling grate and burner easily lift out, allowing for easy wipe-down of the steel housing.

I never take my grill anywhere beyond our patio, but I wanted a high performance grill that I could set up in an instant and hide away in a closet, as I hate the look of those big grills that take up deck space (it is 21"W x 12"H x 13"D, including the carrying handles, and weighs 20 lbs. with the carry bag). The Solaire fits the bill perfectly, but it is really designed for Rv-ers, car-campers, tailgaters and boaters -- anyone who needs convenient, portable no-compromises grilling. It also has some nice accessories: car-campers will like the collapsible tripod base, while boaters should check out the gimbaled deck rail clamp.

The only hitch is cost -- at $285-$400 the Solaire is more expensive than other portable grills. But as our parents told us, sometimes spending a bit extra on quality saves money (and grief) in the long term. Cost kept me from buying the Solaire three years ago; instead, I purchased another brand name portable for $150. It was great at first, but it was hard to clean and started failing in the second season. I repaired it and donated it to a charity -- and then bought the Solaire.

-- Paul Saffo

Solaire Anywhere Portable Infrared Grill
$323
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Rasmussen Iron Works, Inc.

Cutting dovetails is an old art. Despite the availability of fancy (and expensive) mechanical jigs, it's hard to beat the satisfaction derived from using a marker and cutting the dovetails by hand with a backsaw. I've been using traditional dovetail markers like these for about 15 years. The actual ones I use were my grandfather's. Because he passed away before I was born, I don't know where they came from; but I've seen these markers in person and believe they're of the same excellent quality.

The nice thing about fixed, brass markers like these is that they will (unless you're really sloppy) be the same every time you trace with them. They're made of a stalwart material that can suffer the slings and arrows of most workshops. Cheaper versions will work fine and all, but there's more margin for error. Sliding bevels can be a precision tool -- in the right hands. Because there are moving parts, it's easy for things to go wrong (wing nuts are not the most secure mechanism). In my personal experience, I use the sliding bevel for non-precision work. Because you're having to match up precision cuts in two disparate pieces of wood, anything other than an exact mark (and cut) is a disaster: if the dovetails are off even just a little, so is the whole joint.

I've fixed/rebuilt my great-great-grandmother's 1860-something White Sewing Machine stand drawers using my grandfather's hand tools -- the dovetail markers, his planes, backsaw, etc. I couldn't have rebuilt the drawers w/out the dovetail markers, because the drawers are approximately 5 inches high and only about 3.5 inches wide. The dovetails had to be marked and cut very precisely or the whole job would have been botched. I also credit the markers with my zero wood waste on the project.

I find that cutting dovetails by hand (as opposed to using a joiner - a machine) is actually faster, but like anything, it requires practice. It won't be faster the first time. But if you take the care to do it correctly, it will always be better than a mechanical process. Honestly though, woodworking isn't about saving time. If you want to save time, go to Ikea. If you want to create something really, really cool and know that your grandchildren can be told that grandma/pa made that with her/his very own hands, then you use high quality tools like these and play with making stuff out of wood. Made correctly, your dovetails will be accurate and the joint will last 100+ years.

-- Christy Risser-Milne

Dovetail Markers
$36
Available from European Hand Tools*

*Orders must be placed via phone, fax or snail mail

Also available via PayPal from the manufacturer, Richard Kell

This unique chainsaw is especially good for sawing slender limbs that a traditional chainsaw tends to keep pushing away instead of cutting, a particularly frustrating and dangerous thing when perched on a ladder. It's small and light, and thanks to the scissors-like gripper one can easily manage fairly large limbs when up on a ladder. We have elms, a cottonwood, a pear tree, a crab apple, and a box elder, and I use mine generally one to two times a year unless wind damage or heavy snowfall breaks some limbs. Manual loppers are longer than the Alligator, so they have better reach. However, they require greater arm spread, too. The advantage of the Alligator is cutting speed, gripping-power, and its light weight and maneuverability.

-- Dirk Murcray

This lopper-on-steroids is also great for those of us with a touch of chainsaw-phobia, since the cutting chain is covered by the guards and you don't have to worry as much about kick-back and such. I had procrastinated for months about cutting a stand of saplings because I dislike chainsaws, but I breezed through them in a few hours with my trusty Alligator -- it was even kinda fun! If you dread using a chainsaw, but have to cut branches too big for your lopper, get one of these puppies. Cuts anything up to 4 inches in diameter. I've had mine for about 8 months and have since gotten a lot of yard clean-up done that I was putting off (anything too big for a standard lopper). One unforeseen problem: all my friends keep wanting to borrow it...and keep it. Get your own, guys!

-- Barbara Dace

Black & Decker Alligator Lopper Chainsaw
$100
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Black & Decker