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Outside magazine, December 1999	Page: 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 5 \| 6 \| 7 \| 8
Holiday Gift Guide 1999 Electronics \| Camping Gear \| City Wear \| Beach Toys \| Y2K Provisions \| Bike Stuff \| Stocking Stuffers \| Books

Toblerone is nice. Just be sure to leave some room in that stocking.

The Victorinox Autotool is AAA in a belt-mounted holster. Alongside the knife-and-can-opener arsenal you expect from Swiss Army, this 14-implement glove-box behemoth comes with a flashlight bright enough to be useful in changing a flat at night, a fuse puller, and, coolest of all, a digital tire-pressure gauge. $90; 800-243-4045.

Craft your own cinematic horror project with the digital JVC MiniDV GR-DVM70 ($1,700; 800-252-5722), the world's smallest camcorder. View the unfolding action on its 2.5-inch flip-out screen, wire it to your PC and admire the results, and then be your own "film" editor using the accompanying software. It runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and weighs one pound three ounces.

The fleece Shred Alert Toaster ($29; 541-386-3148) earns its stripes from its fold-down Windbloc earflaps that keep your mug handles warm regardless of how stiff the breeze. Tuck them up and you're donning a fashionable skullcap.

With the Casio G-Shock G-Cool watch ($160; 888-294-7462) you can plug in the names and numbers of your 100 closest friends and then forget them, knowing that you can recall them alphabetically. Good to 200 meters, it has the brutal chic of a detonation device.

Twenty-two discs fit binder-style in the hard-shell steel case by cdProjects ($12; 800-676-8634), which comes in various colors (steer clear of the tacky wood-enamel finish). It'll stand up to an errant boot heel or even the impatient gnawing of a car-bound retriever.

Black Diamond is now making its ingenious protective climbing devices in four new, miniature sizes. The Micro Camalots ($60 apiece; 801-278-5533) work like syringes: Plunge the head to retract the teeth, slip the teeth into a crack, and release the head. Then be at peace with the fact that you've got reliable support— with the largest models, your spine will fail before your protection does.

Tired of mussing your ski-haus decor with wax-drippings and steam-iron burns? Zardoz Notwax Pocket Pak ($15; 888-466-8929) offers an alternative: Sprinkle the liquid Teflon lubricant on the felt applicator, rub down your ski or board bases, and let gravity do its thing.

Michael Kessler, a former editor at Outside, reviewed bike lights in the September issue.