There’s a lot to love about the Coghlan’s company and I’ve been a fan for a long time. Their items are a great value, they make useful stuff that does what it’s supposed to do, and they don’t make you cut through a bunch of blister packs and plastic to unwrap the goods. Practical gear with environmentally conscious packaging—right up our alley!

Coghlan’s makes all kinds of cool gadgets and accessories and if you’ve browsed through the camping section at your local independent retailer or REI store, you’ve doubtless seen at least a dozen things of theirs that made you think, “Hmmm, I could really use one of those…” I’ve been trying out a few of these items lately to see if they are worth packing.

Cooler Light

The first is a simple object that solves a simple problem. When you’re campsite camping and you’ve got a cooler full of drinks and food, how do you grab what you need in the dark? You can carry a flashlight or, better yet, use this cooler light. You secure this to the lid of any cooler with the double-sized tape, then whenever you open the cooler it comes on to light up the contents. Basically when the light is parallel to the ground it’s closed, when it’s perpendicular it lights up. If you don’t close the lid completely, no worries—the cooler light shuts off after 20 seconds. See a video demo here.

At a list price of $10, it’s cheaper than a 12-pack. The only drawback is it uses three little LR44 batteries. At your local Wal-mart or target, the replacement batteries cost nearly as much as this light does. But if you’re not getting a beer every five minutes they should last a while. Get the Cooler Light at Campmor.com

5-in-1 Survival Aid

This is something I’ve been carrying around on hikes in the woods, one of those “just in case” things that’s light enough to not be dead weight. It’s got a compass in case you get lost, a whistle to call for help, a tiny mirror that in theory could allow you to signal for help, a waterproof compartment for carrying matches, and a flint bar to start a fire (you’ll need steel or a knife) in case that doesn’t work.

It all fits together and hangs around your neck with a lanyard. And it’s four bucks—really! Too bad it’s not stocking stuffer season. Get the 5-in-1 Survival Aid

LED Micro Lantern

I reviewed this cool little LED micro lantern a year and a half ago, but I’ve used it on a couple camping trips since then and like it a lot. As you can see from the photo of me holding it, the thing is so small it fits between two fingers. It gives off a surprising amount of light though—enough to light up a tent. It’s water-resistant, weighs less than an ounce (24 grams), and retails between $7 and $10 usually, including at Amazon.

Supposedly the two CR2032 coin-style batteries keep it going for 25 hours before they need to be replaced or if you’re lost in the woods, they’ll flash for 50 hours. That’s assuming there’s no leakage of energy during periods of inactivity though: I had to replace the batteries after having it lit about half that time. Removing the batteries when it’s not in use would probably help.

We’re going to give away some of these Coghlan’s LED micro lanterns in May, right before prime summer camping season, so subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter to be sure you don’t miss it.

This is just a sampling of the gear and gadgets this company puts out and a huge number of them retail for $10 or less. If you go crazy with impulse purchases at the store, you won’t be out much money afterwards and you’ll be a safer and more comfortable traveler, hiker, or camper. See the whole line at Coghlans.com.

See all Coghlan’s products at Campmor or search at REI.com.