Folding knives are considered essential tools for camping and fishing excursions, but they also play a crucial role closer to home. Personal safety should be a serious priority for anyone who lives in an urban environment, especially women. With so many strangers living and operating in close proximity, an altercation is practically unavoidable. It becomes a question of who can gain the upper hand.

Cold steel knives can be folded up and kept discreetly in a pocket or even a handbag. When an assailant attempts to strike, women can use the element of surprise to stun and stupefy the criminal into submission. There’s no reason to live in fear once you leave the security of your own home, but it’s always best to be prepared. A knife can add that extra element of security that provides some peace of mind.

Founded by Sal Glesser, Spyderco was first established in 1978. The company is currently located in Golden, Colorado. They are exclusively known for their various knives and knife sharpeners. The company began with this latter product and released their first knife in 1981.

Creating a trademark look and style from the onset, Spyderco knives are known for the round hole in each blade. This allows for the quickest, easiest, one-handed opening possible. They also claim to be the first manufacturers that utilized the clothing clip on the handle. Spyderco is responsible for many different kinds of knives, including fixed blades, folding blades, and locked blades.

One of the most frustrating parts about camping is getting stuck in the rain. Camping can definitely be a fun and rewarding experience, but if you spend the entire time sopping wet, it certainly has a way of putting a damper on the experience. And if it’s too wet, something as essential to camping as starting a fire can be extremely difficult. But savvy campers know that there are tricks to getting around even the foulest weather.

If you’re determined to have a fire, but the wind is howling and the rain is driving, just take a reliable fire starter. These are prepackaged packets that you can place on top of your stacked wood. You just have to light one corner with a match, and the packet will burn hot and slow, ensuring that your firewood catches. While some avid outdoorsmen might scoff at the use of this aid, it’s a great safeguard to have in case you’re actually stuck and need a quick and easy fire source.

Anyone who is interested in tools is probably familiar with the brand of Paladin. Specifically, they specialize in tools designed for wire and cable preparation, testing, and termination. The parent company has been around for over thirty years, but they had a major expansion in 2001. In that year, Paladin tools expanded considerably into the do-it-yourself market.

In 2005, they underwent yet another expansion with a series of multi-tools. These tools were designed with electricians in mind, whether those electricians were private users or professionals. The last major change to the company came in late 2007. In December of that year, Greenlee Textron Inc. acquired Paladin. Greenlee also specializes in professional tools, thus expanding that segment of the Paladin market.

For more than a decade, MagLite has been the premier manufacturer of flashlights for tactical, military, professional, sport, and practical use.  MagLite flashlights are renowned for their durable frames and their long lasting bulbs.  Because of their metal frame, MagLite flashlights can take a lot more trauma and often last longer than the standard flashlight made of plastic or rubber.  In addition, MagLite flashlights have a certain heft and are often preferred by law enforcement.  No matter what the application, these flashlights are the solution for lighting.  The MagLite brand has been no slouch with technological advancements in flashlights either, as the manufacturer innovates to create flashlights that last longer and have better efficiency with batteries. 

Chances are you will lose a MagLite before you ever need to repair it or screw in one of the MagLite replacement bulbs, but should you do, the simple design of the flashlight makes it easy to repair or change out a bulb if needed.  These flashlights are also great for kids!

We’ve all seen business people wearing the classic laptop bag that looks like an oversized purse, and while this bag is quite common, it’s not the best way to carry a laptop.  The standard laptop bag jostles around while it’s carried at the side, which in turn causes the laptop to jostle around inside.  In addition, laptop bags are often uncomfortable for the wearer because the strap chafes and scratches against the skin, and can also cause a shirt or suit to wrinkle.  The best way to carry a laptop is with a computer backpack.  Backpacks place the weight on your shoulders and back, instead of on one shoulder.  In addition, with a backpack, provided no running occurs, the laptop inside will suffer minimal jostling.  Professionals might think that computer backpacks are something that college students wear, but in truth, they’re the most practical way to carry a laptop for business, school, or entertainment. 

You can find computer backpacks at both retailers of luggage or computer supplies.  The computer backpacks intended for use as such aren’t always the best.  Sometimes a backpack with a designated pocket for a laptop is much better than the computer backpacks made by the companies who design laptop peripherals.

You should always carry around a small flashlight in your bag or pocket.  It can be a great help when you are in the dark and need some light.  There is a LED microlight that is very small and compact but produces a powerful light.

It comes in a black body and has different colored led lights.  You can find a blue, green, red and white led light.  It has four light functions: high power, low power, strobe and signal mode.  And the signal visibility is up to 1 mile.  It is very easy to replace the batteries in these lights as well.  You can easily clip it in your pocket, belt, bag or anywhere that is very accessible because of the stainless steel universal clip.