Best

__ Best __ - Great stuff - tested and approved in our Y2K-compliant labs.

TIME CAPSULES

__ First Class: __
__ Future Packaging Freedom __
Team designed with an aerospace engineer specializing in corrosion and materials testing, this monster-size stainless steel box defines long-term storage. Just send your timeless treasures to Future Packaging, and they'll fill your box, condition the air inside, and weld the whole thing shut. But make sure you follow the marking instructions in the How to Bury manual, or construction bots of the future might unintentionally bulldoze your gift to posterity.

__ Freedom (18" x 18" x 30"): $2,150. Future Packaging & Preservation: (800) 786 6627, +1 (626) 966 1955, futurepkg.home.mindspring.com. __

__ Business Class: __
__ Barrtek Time Capsule 2000 __
The metal cap on this 1/4-inch-thick aluminum cylinder seals with 24 screws and comes in a choice of colors. As for contents, Barrtek clients have ranged from 3Com to the Singapore Department of Education to The Young and the Restless, so there's room to stash a Palm, a cane, or Brash & Sassy perfume. Plus, you may trick Y3K party dudes into thinking they've unearthed a vintage can of beer.

__ Time Capsule 2000 (36" x 12", largest size): $750. Barrtek: +1 (408) 779 2345, www.barrtek.com. __

__ Coach: __
__ Future Archaeology Time Capsule __
Made from clear, high-grade polymer PVC and sealed with plastic end caps, this minimalist time capsule looks like it was yanked from an underground plumbing system. Little surprise: As every plumber knows, plastic pipes resist corrosion well. The Future Archaeology cylinder has no metal or rubber parts to deteriorate and let moisture seep in, so your priceless (or worthless) booty will stay safe and dry.

__ Time Capsule (24" x 4", largest size): $69.95. Future Archaeology: +1 (212) 877 4310, www.futurearchaeology.com. __

PORTABLE GAS GENERATORS

__ First Class: __
__ Robin RGV12000 __
With an output rated at 10,000 watts, this 310-pound portable has enough juice to power up all of your home essentials - refrigerator, freezer, furnace, stove, computer - at the same time. There's even wattage to spare for a nonessential or two. (ER, anyone?) The 22-horsepower engine runs for 8.8 hours on a full 11-gallon tank of gas and meets stringent EPA and California emissions standards. An electric starter gets things going, and an automatic idle control lowers the engine speed when there's no demand.

__ RGV12000: $3,929. Robin America: (800) 277 6246, +1 (630) 350 8200, www.robinamerica.com. __

__ Business Class: __
__ Honda EM5000SXK1 __
Honda brings its reputation for engine efficiency to this 11-horsepower, single-cylinder generator. A 4.5-gallon tank of gas puts out 5.6 hours of 4,500-watt power - plenty to keep your food cold and your family warm. The generator automatically shuts down when the oil level drops too low. And the four-wheeled frame makes transporting this 193-pound power plant a cinch.

__ Coach: __
__ Robin RGV2800 __
The 103-pound Robin puts a lot in a compact package - but its rated output of 2,300 watts means you may have to pick and choose what you run and when you run it. Still, the air-cooled, overhead-valve, 6-horsepower engine uses its fuel quite effectively: A 3-gallon tank of gas lasts for 9 hours. The extra-large muffler ensures whisper-quiet operation, and the easy-pull recoil starter and electronic ignition make this low-maintenance generator virtually hassle-free.

__ RGV2800: $960. Robin America: (800) 277 6246, +1 (630) 350 8200, www.robinamerica.com. __

MULTITOOLS

__ First Class: __
__ Leatherman Wave __
This stainless steel wizard shows how pliers distinguish a top multitool from the knockoffs. The Wave's solid needle-nose/standard pliers head up a 17-tool combination - from wire cutters to a wood saw - that adds up to the most versatile switcheroo around. The locking blades can be opened with one hand - essential for ladder use - and the many snippers and screwdrivers let you take care of business on the road or in the server room. Ergonomic bonus: Beveled handles eliminate those palm-flesh railroad tracks left by earlier Leatherman models.

__ Wave: $98. Leatherman Tool Group: (800) 847 8665, +1 (503) 253 7826, www.leatherman.com. __

__ Business Class: __
__ Gerber Multi-Plier Compact Sport __
The Compact Sport's needle-nose pliers unsheathe at the flick of a wrist - like a butterfly knife, but this one's legal. The unit has nine other multitool essentials - including scissors, knife, and Phillips and slot screwdrivers - and each one locks open, so you'll never mash a finger, not even one of those less-useful ones.

__ Multi-Plier Compact Sport: $72.50. Gerber Legendary Blades: (800) 950 6161, +1 (503) 684 7008, www.gerberblades.com. __

__ Coach: __
__ SOG Pocket PowerPlier __
SOG is all about torque. Sure, safety and simplicity are driving forces behind this combo tool set, but the key is a system of gears that amplifies the smallest amount of pressure into vise-tight compound leverage. The Pocket PowerPlier opens one-handed and packs six multifunction tools into its handles, including three screwdrivers, a bottle opener, and a serrated blade. Rulers in both centimeters and inches make life easier for transatlantic tinkerers.

__ Pocket PowerPlier: $52.95. SOG Specialty Knives: (888) 764 2378, +1 (425) 771 6230, www.sogknives.com. __