1. Prudent Pack » PACSAFE's TREKSAFE 100 thwarts would-be thieves with unslashable panels and tamperproof zippers. Anchor it to something secure with its wire-reinforced shoulder strap. $80; pac-safe.com

2. Water Purification » The candy-bar-size STERIPEN ADVENTURER can treat 32 ounces in 90 seconds, killing viruses and other gut bugs with ultraviolet light. Battery-powered, with backup from the SOLAR CHARGING CASE. Pen, $130; Charging Case, $50; steripen.com

3. Portable Power » HIGHGEAR's hand-cranking SMARTDYNAMO recharges its own internal power supply to juice its AM/FM radio, bright LED flashlight, and sirenlike emergency alarm. It also includes adapters to power up many popular cell phones. $30; highgear.com

4. Flashlight » The palm-size, waterproof PRINCETON TEC GENESIS has a long-life, superbright three-watt LED. $85; princetontec.com

5. Pen » We love the TITANIUM INKA PEN because it performs upside down, underwater, and in extreme temps. It also has an integrated PDA stylus. $90; inkacorp.com

6. Multimedia » Don't be fooled by its size: JOBO's GIGA VU PRO EVOLUTION has 120GB of storage, enough for 100 hours of digital video and 20,000 of your favorite audio tracks. $895; jobo.com

7. Hammock » ENO's ultracompact and bombproof SINGLENES HAMMOCK fits into a stuffsack the size of a softball. The SLAPSTRAP allows you to rig it to two sturdy objects in seconds. Hammock, $50; Slapstrap, $20; eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com

8. Shoes » With its customizable footbeds, waterproof leather uppers, and rugged outsoles, TIMBERLAND's PRECISEFIT OXFORDS combine go-anywhere comfort with low-key style. $130; timberland.com

9. Travel Sheet » COCOON's RIPSTOP SILK TRAVEL SHEET won't take up too much space in your pack (it weighs just six ounces). And it's clutch cargo if your seaside hotel isn't as nice—and clean—as the guidebook promised. $65; cocoonusa.com

10. Knife » VICTORINOX SWISS ARMY's S.BEAT has the usual stuff—blade, scissors, and file—plus a 1GB digital audio player/recorder with an FM receiver and up to eight hours of battery life. $215; swissarmy.com