I was recently thinking how a multi-tool and flashlight would be a great gift for most people. For most people a micra/squirt and photon light would be a great gift or a bit more expensive a wave/juice/ect and a Mag-light/Innova X5/Streamlight Scorpion/ect would be great. The giving of such an item could be used to start a conversation. With the recent increase in terrorist type activities most people will listen if you say something like "keep this photon light on your bag in case there is a power falure or you need to find your way at night in a parking lot, ect" I even have my mother carrying a photon on her key ring and she has admitted it has come in quite handy. I was thinking of using Leatherman Sideclips as gifts for guys. $25, Simple, good amount of function, thin, and the clip makes it more likely it will be carried. For gals an S4 Squirt seems to work well; $25, small, usefull scissors. Include with that some kind of light and if the person shows interest in your gifts then you now know not only what to get them from now on, but that they will be better prepared. What do you think?

(P.S. I used Leatherman as an example since I am quite fond of their tools and reccomend them, it is always best to give what you are most comfortable with using. Keep that in mind. <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />)

Gift of equipment is always welcomed. It shows others that you care and worry about them. I try to stay away from equipment that requires expensive maintenance (ex cr123s). I know where to get batteries for a $1 but my friends are not so savvy and pay $9.99 retail for them. I try to stick to Leatherman Squirts, ARC AA or Inova X1. Small first aid kits in Otter boxes are great idea as well. Last xmas I had as much fun putting gifts together and thinking what my friends need as I had giving the actual gifts. Don't let your friends treating gifts like crap discourage you. One of my friends is a progressive work of 4 years. First year he got a multi tool, next year a Spyderco knife, than flash light and strobe light etc etc... All this stuff is all over his room, used very rarely and I'm kind of angry when he still asks me to use my light or tool. But my other friends are using my gifts a lot. I was especially proud of when last Thursday we were putting computer together and one of my guys just reached into his pocket and pulled X1 to light the inside of the case up (mission accomplished). Same thing for my other friend, who works for NYC subway system was raving how he was able to cut thru tons of duct tape with knife he got for xmas.

So few above examples show that gifts work. As long as you present the gift in the right way. My ex girlfriend was always telling me that she doesn't need anything since she has me. As much as I took it ac a complement it pissed me off when I had to wait for my spork and my knife was always lubed with pb and jelly. I never managed to get her a knife but I slowly started getting her a vacuum cup, spork and light. I think she liked the idea of having same stuff as me. I liked idea of eating faster even if it meant that now I had double washing to do and carry twice as many spares.

Matt

I have found that LED lights that run of of AA or AAA bateries work better than Photon 2s , I got mine a Wal-MArt for around $5, extremely bright.

Would that be the Dorcy International single LED with AAA battery? I swapped out my "other" PSK flashlight for one of those because of the bulb and weight advantages of an LED. And yes, I got mine on sale as well! <img src="images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I gave leatherman sqirt P4's to each of the guys in my family and an S4's to my wife and her mother wants one now too. Gave different colors to the people close to each other so they could tell them apart. Bought one of each (P4,S4,EL) for myself also <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Great idea about the color-coding! I agree the best way to ease someone into emergency prep is to give them something they could also use in a "normal" situation. I strongly recommend at least a keychain LED flashlight, but I think the Leatherman Squirt would also be a good start if the person doesn't have an SAK or similar item.

On the other hand, would guys -- other than habitues of this site and other than students with backpacks -- really be willing to add a flashlight & mini-tool to their keychains, just for the sake of preparedness? (Most women, including myself, normally carry bags that would easily accommodate a keychain that's got a couple of extra items attached.)