I spent $15,000 on the Ultimate Survival Tech

A striking, sturdy inflatable tent that survived the night and would make the cut for an extreme trip.

Absurdly bright and overkill for nearly everyone, but it does what it claims and he wanted to keep it.

A simple, smooth thermal camera that easily found a hidden person in dark woods and was insanely fun to use.

A tiny multi-tool pump that does many things but is not powerful enough to inflate the tent, so he passed on it.

A smart, nearly smokeless fire pit with a built-in fan and power bank that he loved and would take with him despite its bulk.

Compact and clever, but too much of a gamble on sunlight and the food came out chewy, so it didn't make the inventory.

Shown briefly while buying, with a quip about just using the tap.

Mentioned as a product he tested before.

Removes about 98% of the mud from pond water; not perfectly clear, but he'd keep it as a potential lifesaver.

A watch with a built-in fishing reel that he mocked but did not test.

Genuinely keep feet dry and protected; pricey but a standout he called a lifesaver.

A better-thought-out portable satellite dish than expected, giving fast enough internet for HD Netflix in the middle of nowhere.

Generated so little power it couldn't even boot a dead iPhone, so he wouldn't rely on it.

Pedalling for 30 minutes failed to get a dead iPhone to boot, so he wouldn't keep it.

Claims 30 watts, but in the test it could not get a dead iPhone to boot and he would not keep it.

Cheap zip-tie stitches that close small wounds without skill and were kept for minor cuts.

Joked about for its huge number of tools but not tested.

Impressive and it works, but the use case is too niche for him to keep it.

The traditional lighter done right and the most reliable flame, but not nearly as good value as the plasma arc lighter.

A rechargeable plasma lighter with built-in fire-starting putty that he found the best lighter and kept over the matches.

A powerful, clean magic-wand fire starter that he liked, but it needs mains power and suits a home barbecue rather than an expedition.

Matches that stay lit when wet and are great for the price, though they were dropped in favour of the Pyro Putty lighter.

An interesting hybrid, but less convenient than a cheap lighter and awkward for starting a real fire.