Photo: Marco Bottigelli (Getty Images)
Spring is just around the corner and that means adventure awaits. Whether you are camping with friends or going for a high altitude mega-hike, survival is always in the front of your mind. Like any savvy outdoorsman, you are more comfortable with an axe in your hand than a cell phone. You enter the great outdoors with an appetite more ferocious than an Icelandic strongman before breakfast. While others are catching colds, you are catching wild game — either with your bare hands or the spear that you just fashioned out of wild reeds and a branch.
As an outdoorsman, you are always striving for the perfect survival pack. Forget Boy Scouts. You are a Man Scout. Charge into the wild prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at you with the most essential gear for your adventure arsenal.
When the outdoorsman goes indoors: 6 New Gadgets For Your Man Den
Dress for the weather: All the Outwear You Need To Help Battle Climate Change
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Survival Man
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The North Face FutureLight
No one knows how the wacky Polar Vortex will behave in the future. That’s why it’s always good to be ready for a sudden cold snap with the ludicrously light, soon-to-be-released proprietary material from the shepherds of outdoor textiles. Claiming to have mastered nano-spun weaving technology, this new adventure garment promises to be the most insulated and breathable waterproof shell ever conceived.
Photo: The North Face
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ESEE 6P-B Survival Knife
Cut the crap. Every outdoorsman knows that one of the most crucial survival tools for foraging, chopping, slicing, can-opening, cutting, severing, and self-defense is a knife. Why settle for an ordinary one when you can have the ESEE 6P-B Survival Knife?
This drop point woodland shank has a razor sharp edge that holds, a durable comfort Micarta handle, and extended tang (the steel goes down the full length of the handle and then some, acting as a hammer at the bottom). This jack-of-all-trades tool will definitely come in handy and have you looking sharp as you whittle a canoe from the trunk of a weeping Alaskan cedar.
Photo: ESEE Edge
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ZipStitch
Danger abounds. The last thing you want is to be a million miles from home and go down from a cut, gash, or other puke-inspiring laceration. Now you can seal up your shark bite with the only over-the-counter, surgical-quality, non-invasive, anytime gash fastener on the market.
When it comes to open wounds, shut up with ZipStitch. It will make that last 12 miles down the mountain a lot easier.
Photo: ZipStitch
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Gruezi Biopod DownWool Nature Sleeping Bag
Sleep like a worm and emerge in the morning a husky butterfly from this all-natural, insanely cozy sleeping bag that fits snugger than a bug sac. Designed with a water repellent cotton shell and DownWool interior, this German-designed bag is made with nature as its muse, and has several adjustable options to suit your size. It will feel like the god of camping is cradling you in her arms.
Photo: Gruezl
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MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe
It sounds like a sex toy, but we assure you that this is the lightweight, small-footprint, durable cooking stove you’ll want to have by your side when you need to cook fresh venison shank in a reduced sage and red wine glaze in the middle of the Canadian wilderness before the approaching ice storm centers over your position. We’ve all been there.
MSR’s first foray into the push ignition system is a winner. With a recessed burner to stay lit in high winds, pressure regulator to work in extreme cold or at lofty altitudes, this is hands down the most satisfying pocket rocket to date.
Photo: MSR
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MSR Guardian Water Purifier
Nothing is more life affirming than taking a nice big swig of clean water. We all get thirsty, but in our travels there isn’t always potable water handy. Flip the script with the best water purifier on the market.
MSR nails it again with this 17 ounce chamber that protects against bacteria, Protozoa, and viruses. This triple threat can handle 10,000 liters over its life. The price tag looks steep, but it’s less expensive than a helicopter trip to the ER.
Photo: MSR
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Coleman Quad LED Lantern
One of the greatest impediments to outdoor progress is the onslaught of night. Whether you are still on the move when the sun goes down, or looking to build shelter, light is an essential survival tool for half your outdoor day (more in wintry Sweden).
Try the new Coleman Quad LED Lantern for all your illumination needs. With four separate light panels that detach from the base, you and a group of friends can now do some sketchy treasure hunting in the middle of the night.
Photo: Coleman
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Tesla Coil Lighter
Start your next fire like Thor, god of lightning, with the Tesla Coil lighter. Okay, it may not be as impressive as a 10,000 megawatt bolt hammering down from the sky, but it’s waterproof, windproof, fully rechargeable (up to 100-300 lights per charge), and comes in a nifty little gun metal grey casing. And with no fuel needed, you’ll save the planet one blaze at a time. Elon Musk won’t make a penny from it, but the fire you just lit will warm you up inside all the same.
Photo: Tesla-Coil Lighters
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SE Military Compass
Spiritually, psychologically, professionally, and physically — it’s good to know where you stand in the world. You may not always need it, but if your GPS goes down for any reason when you happen to be 40 miles from the nearest highway, you’ll be glad you brought this along.
With a thermo-elastic-liquid-filled capsule, adjustable diopter sighting lens, a tripod ready base hole, and army tough design, this compass will get you were you’re going faster than a sneeze at a pepper mill. Plus, at a weight of 3.7 ounces and a price tag under $7, the SE Military Sighting CC4580 Compass may just save your life.
Photo: SE
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Black Diamond Eldorado Tent
For those who can’t find a moose or other warm creature to sleep in, or prefer not to cozy up in a giant carcass a la Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant, there is the Eldorado sleeping tent by Black Diamond. This lightweight, highly waterproof, steep-sloped shelter boasts a spacious 30.8 square feet. Easy two-pole setup, and PTFE wall coating makes this one of the most winter-ready tents on earth. Go on, just thinking about standing atop a mountain peak makes you want to pitch a tent.
Photo: Black Diamond
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Sea to Summit Etherlight XT Insulated Pad
Let’s be honest: if you want to wrestle a bear, you’re not going to want to do it with a sore back. Kinks be damned with this ultralight, superior comfort pad, with quiet inflation and additional thickness for keeping your ass off the ground. Retailing for less than $200, your spine will thank you for every “airsprung cell.” And so will the forest babes.
Photo: Sea to Summit
