I do a lot of outdoor stuff like fishing, hunting, diving, etc and when I leave my car I am always trying to figure out what to do with my keys. In the past I had three places I hid the keys but I never felt really comfortable about it. I never liked taking keys with me because I worried too much that I might lose them. I used to be able to take them diving, but now that most keys have electronics attached, it has made it impossible.

I recently discovered the HitchSafe, an attachment that slides into my tow hitch that has a compartment that can hold credit cards, drivers licenses, keys, etc. The hitch has four dials on the drawer allowing you to create a custom unlock combination. And it comes with a cover that conceals the HitchSafe.

I recently bought a second for my wife as she is always getting locked out of her car and so she now keeps her spare key in there. In the past she has tried those magnetic boxes that stick to the underside of the car, but they kept falling off and it was hard for her to find it, let alone reach underneath and grab it.

This is exactly the kind of tool I wish I had thought of.

After I bought my smart phone, I wanted to find the best way to play mp3 and navigate with the built-in GPS when I am driving. Since then I have been searching for the best car mount. There are two common types of phone mount on the market, suction cup that sticks to the wind shield or flimsy clips that clip on to the air ventilation. I have tried both and found them to be inadequate and imperfect solutions.

I did some research and came across a mount that uses the CD slot. This is especially useful as I no longer use the CD player, but it is possible to play CDs at the same time. I have found that it is the perfect place to mount my smart phone. The MK5000 phone mount is very sturdy, and it has an adjustable blade than I can slide inside the CD slot and lock it tight. The mount supports vertical and horizontal rotation for easy screen rotation. It is adjustable and fits devices of different size.

I have been using the mount for a couple of months and it works very well. Every day when I hop into my car, I place my smart phone onto the mount and it holds really well. The only downside I have found is that it is more expensive than some of the other mounts, but it is definitely worth it.

I’ve used CAA (AAA for those in the US) maps and TripTiks for long journeys in the past. In January I went on a greatly anticipated road trip on I-75 to Florida from Toronto, ON. Though I have a GPS in the car, iPhone, and iPad, my favourite directional aid was Along Interstate 75 by Dave Hunter.

Think of it as a TripTik on steroids. Dave and his wife are into the 16th printing of the guide. They’ve not only mapped the entire route from the border at Detroit/Windsor, to the Georgia/Florida border, but they’ve made remarks about the entire route. Remarks is even an understatement. The book has a page for each 25-mile segment of the highway. Each exit has details on the gas stations, restaurants, and accommodations available.

There’s also the usual stuff one finds on maps: place names with populations, and secondary roads. But there’s so much more. Photos of architectural or agricultural or historical interest. Hints on where to eat; where the locals eat, in many cases. Descriptions of tourist spots, what to miss, what to visit. He includes what he calls “hidden gems;” a food joint, or a historical home you might miss if you’re just driving through. Great places to shop, along with places to avoid. There is also loads of historical information about the communities you drive by or through, along with interesting facts about the highway. And in many stops including the tourist information centers, restaurants, or lodging, he includes the names of the people working there.

The book is easy to follow, and perhaps best used when there’s a navigator and a driver. It kept us amused for hours and hours on the journey. We looked forward to what Dave had to say as we rode the road. We missed the book a great deal when we took another route home.

You can find out more information about the book on Dave’s website www.i75online.com. He has also written a companion to the book for inside Florida called Along Florida’s Expressways. We weren’t quite as comfortable with it, but it did go up a notch in our own rating system when we figured out that he was the only one to mention the best manatee viewing station in Florida in Ft Myers at the Lee Co. Manatee Park. None of the big name travel guides we had did that.

[Note: Dave Hunter provides a free sample 14-page PDF that covers most of Kentucky. --OH]

My Cool Tool gift this year is the “Split Pea” Lighter from County Comm. It’s the “world’s smallest lighter,” a stainless steel tube 1.3″ high and 0.5″ in diameter. Unscrew the top, flick the flint wheel, and behold! Fire!

Now I don’t smoke, and rarely do I need to start fires here in Brooklyn. But the Split Pea appeals to my inner gearhead. It’s ridiculously small, well machined, and functions well. It’s sealed so that you can carry it in your bag, Every Day Carry kit, purse, etc. without worrying about fuel spills or spontaneous combustion. Plus, you never know when you might need fire, right?

I’ve carried a number of fire-starters in my EDC kit, and the Split Pea is the one I’ve settled on for durability, weight and size. I wouldn’t want to light 20 cigarettes a day with it — it’s almost *too* small — but for occasional or emergency use it’s perfect.

It’s a great gift because it’s useful, fairly cheap ($11.50), and universal in appeal. If you’re giving it to someone in person, it’s a good idea to fuel it up with liquid lighter fluid (from the hardware store) first, so they can try it out right away. (It’s probably a bad idea to send a fueled-up lighter through the mails, although apparently you can take it with you through TSA security as a carry-on item.)

Even people who don’t carry lighters will like the Split Pea.

The Iroda O-Grill is an exceptionally well thought out portable grill with “big grill” capability. It looks like a flying saucer when the top is closed and the legs swung up. It is very well finished, inside and out, with what looks like auto-quality paint. It has been easy to wipe clean, even after greasy meats have cooked. The grill plate is cast iron, and takes up probably half of the grill’s weight.

The O-Grill has a hole below the chromed burner and an outside drip catcher that is easy to remove. It uses Coleman-type camping gas canisters, but it seems threaded for other types of adapters (I haven’t checked).

When closed the grill sits upright with a sturdy handle available for carrying. I have found a minor problem with the handle latch. It is held by pressing the handles together and clicking the latch in place. I have had to learn not to press the handle together when carrying the grill. Not a big problem.

Oh yeah, it cooks like a charm. Good control, auto-lighter. Very well machined and built in China. Check out this sleeper if you like a capable, but portable, grill.

I’ve had a Red Oxx Aviator bag for a few years now. I have both the small and extra-small varieties. These bags are as plain as can be; no shoulder strap, no pockets, no lining of any kind, just tough-as-nails canvas, a good zipper, and strong handles.

My small bag has seen duty as a camping duffle getting kicked around in the dirt, as well as a carry-on for a week-long trip to Italy where it held its own, both as a carry-on (the small bag is almost the maximum legal carry-on size) and as checked luggage. These days I keep a sleeping bag and camp pillow in the extra small (!) and throw it in the car when I know I’ll end up sleeping outside or on someone’s floor. The bags zip all the way open allowing you to pack them sideways, like a suitcase, which is nice for laying out clothes and shoes. The zippers on these bags are nice, smooth, and non-catching; which is essential for stuffing my sleeping bag. The bags are guaranteed for life, and it is easy to see why; they are simple and well-done.

There are times I prefer traditional luggage but it is becoming more seldom. The aviator bags, make no mistake, are completely bare bones. This is what I like about them, but packing for a long trip might require you use some other bags inside to keep things apart. I typically use a small drawstring bag for a pair of shoes and stow an empty reusable shopping bag for dirty clothes. Some people use packing cubes. If you want compartments, a frame, straps, compression, organization, etc. built-in this isn’t the bag for you. Red Oxx makes well-reviewed complete bags but I have really come to prefer the aviator bags for their simplicity.

For the money, I can’t imagine a bag I’d rather use for stowing gear or packing on trips. I have some nicer luggage, but I end up using these bags more often and when I have any concern about durability.

These nylon zip-up packing cubes vastly simplify travel of all kinds. I’d used ziploc bags, net bags, and many other sub-containers, and couldn’t imagine why anyone would pay $10 or so for a nylon box with a mesh lid. Now I always use them.

They aren’t cube shaped, but more of a lunch-box flat rectangle shape. Because of their shape, you can cram lots into one, and still have a firm rectangular parcel. They come in various colors, and modular sizes–cube, half cube, double cube etc– so they stack efficiently. There is a convenient nylon-strap handle on one edge.

I traveled 6 weeks in the Middle East in winter, with just a carry-on backpack. Though it only opened at the top, I could unpack in minutes, pulling out the various parcels, to stack on a hostel bed or floor. Red was clothing, blue was first aid, green was food, black was bedding, and so on. None of the usual backpack chaos. When camping, I don’t have to deal with rummaging in a suitcase in the tent, just grab the parcel I want. Things stay neat.

Periodically, I treat myself to another one. I haven’t used the two-sided, padded or other fancier models, just the basic 1/4, 1/2, and double cube.

[Note: Multiple sizes (and features) are available but they vary in price. -- OH]

I don’t have a band, but if I did, I would use this book to guide me through the intricacies of touring. That’s the new economics of the music: a returning emphasis on live performance. This fat book is the best guidance I’ve seen for emerging musical artists. It is brutally honest, remarkably wise, and extremely helpful. Atkins is really good at extracting lessons. There are testimonies not just from many other musicians, but their roadies, agents, bus-drivers, managers, fans, and all the other folks you will need supporting you. This book is so good, in fact, anyone “touring,” including authors, dancers, filmmakers would find pats of it useful. In the new economy, your live presence is more valuable than copies of your past work. Here’s how to maximize your presence with the least hassles, and hopefully make a living do it.

Practicing what he preaches, author Martin Atkins offers live interactions, chats, lectures, performances, and email correspondence versions of his advice. Another kind of touring.

The Clean Bottle is a 22-oz sports water bottle with removable bottom. It is one of those products that seems like a no-brainer the instant you hear about it.

Many athletes put electrolyte/endurance/recovery drinks into their bottles. Some of those bottles inevitably get forgotten in the bottom of a bag, under a car seat, or in a closet where they develop lush colonies of mold and bacteria which are impossible to clean out completely, so the bottle gets tossed. With the Clean Bottle you just unscrew the bottom, scrub the pieces and you’re back in business; no moldy residue left to taint your drink.

I train 6-7 times a week, and while I haven’t forgotten a dirty bottle in my car, I did leave one there on purpose for a week. It molded up as expected but was a cinch to clean out. I’ve been using the bottles for about 3 weeks and so far I’m very happy with them, as are the friends I’ve recommended them too.

At $10.00 each they aren’t cheap, but the savings from not having to replace dirty bottles (as well as keeping that plastic out of landfills) offsets the price.

The bottles are BPA-free.