Decorated Cub Scout or not, there are several things you should always remember to take camping.
A knife, firestarter, flashlight and a bottle opener are four of them.
Oh, and bring a belt. In fact, just bring the belt. The Survival Belt, a nifty new piece of gear from SoCal concern Slide Belts that puts all the above into one tidy, waist-cinching package.
These guys got started making ratchet belts, which use a dual-action ratchet buckle that connects to ridges in the belt’s tongue instead of holes, saving it from routine wear and tear. Their Survival Belt uses that same technology but adds a titanium stainless steel blade, LED flashlight, bottle opener and a ferrocerium rod firestarter in the buckle.
The ratchet-style release makes it easy to remove and use, while the durable, washable synthetic belt doubles as a strap that can be used for gathering firewood, tying down a tarp or, God forbid, tourniquetting an injury after a bearfight.
And if you’re worried that your pants may drop once you remove your belt, consider that all of those heavy items that you normally keep in your pockets won’t be there to drag them down.
Then again, it’s camping. Who cares if you’re wearing pants?
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