Give the Gift of...Survival!
Even if you don’t really believe the Earth's going to explode in 2012, it never hurts to have a few survival tools on hand. Just in case.
While it's unlikely that civilization is going to collapse anytime soon, you just never know--which is why survival gear makes a great gift. It's compact, easy to carry, and easy to use, even when you're somewhere that civilization doesn't reach, and it tends to be fairly inexpensive.
More realistically, though, this stuff is ideal for hikers and campers, not to mention people who work out in the wilderness--forest rangers, archaeologists, geologists, and the like. Let's take a look at some examples of survival tools we recommend.
Handy things
One thing you'll always need is something to help you start a fire. Matches are all very well, and so are cigarette lighters, but what if they run out? What you really need is something self-contained. We're especially fond of this cool magnesium fire-starter, which last forever and lets you start a fire in just two steps.
http://www.preparednesschristmasgifts.com/domasufist.html
Scrape a few flakes of metal off with a rock or knife, use the built-in sparker, and voila! The magnesium catches fire, burning at 5,400 ºF--making sure your wood catches, too. This gizmo can start hundreds of fires, and don't worry; solid magnesium is perfectly safe. It only catches fire when reduced to tiny particles.
Sharp, pointy things
Here's a tool we're absolutely in love with. It's just as useful in your garden as out in the woods 50 miles from civilization, too. Light and compact, amazingly easy to use, this pocket chainsaw can cut down a three-inch tree in seconds. Hey, it's perfect if you ever need to build a raft to make it across a piranha-infested river!
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/pocketchainsaw.html
Be sure to watch the video.
Edible things
What's the ultimate preparedness gift? Why, emergency food, of course. With the possible exception of a few top fashion models, everyone has to eat. One of the most compact and useful forms of survival food is the military ration known as the MRE. It's not gourmet food, but it's calorific and not that bad-tasting.
http://www.thereadystore.com/mre-self-heating-emergency-meal-case-of-12-2060
MREs aren't just made for the military, but be sure to avoid the ones that were; it's illegal to own government property.
These rations are cool because you can also get heaters with them. Put your chicken a la king in a special pouch, pour in water, and a chemical reaction heats it right up in minutes. Talk about your ultimate in survival tools!