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Survival Sound An emergency radio this rad almost makes you hope for a natural disaster to test its mettle. Or you could just use the Porsche-designed P'9111 to listen to public and pirate signals while staying entirely off the grid. Turn the hand crank to charge the NiMH cell, then tune into any of the seven shortwave bands. In case of emergency, the LED flashlight illuminates your hideout, and the built-in cell phone charger helps keep you in contact with other members of the revolution. P'9111 $200, www.etoncorp.com
Fire God After the apocalypse, you won't have the luxury of hitting REI for propane to cook that fillet of zombie. You'll have to make do with what's available. There's only one stove that efficiently burns any liquid fuel, from butane to biodiesel, without requiring extra parts: the Brunton Vapor. Twist the top of the burner cap (with the flame off) to tweak its variable air intake; this alters the oxygen-tofuel ratio to ensure a hot blue flame. Oh, it's also useful for pre-Armageddon camping. Vapor $149, www.brunton.com
Quick on the Draw Smoke is billowing from under your hood, AAA claims it'll be there in an hour, and the manual says something like "drain engine coolant immediately." Newsflash: That multitool isn't gonna save you any time—or your engine any hurt—if it takes you an eternity to access each implement. That's why each of the Flik's tools is located outside the handles, and the major ones are accessible with one hand. In other words, Gerber knows what to do in an emergency. Do you? Flik $70, www.gerbergear.com
Barely Legal Professional racing bikes are all about efficiency, yet they have to weigh at least 15 pounds for durability. But what if engineers focused on technology and comfort — premium bearings, crankset, wheels — instead of weight? We tasked the bike builders at Independent Fabrication to assemble the ultimate ride. Total heft: 15.6 pounds. Total cost: $14,000.
1. Independent Fabrication built a version of its XS, which combines titanium lugs and carbon-fiber tubes for a ride that perfectly balances the strength of titanium with the comfort of carbon. www.ifbikes.com
2. The perfect wheel is light, aero dynamic, and strong. Mavic's Cosmic Carbone Ultimates weigh just 2.6 pounds a pair, but their carbon construction is tough enough to be ridden daily. www.mavic.com
3. Pro racers don't use speed or heart rate to measure their effort; they track how many watts they produce. SRM built strain gauges into its crank spider to measure how hard you're working. www.srm.de
4. Super-smooth ceramic bearings from Full Speed Ahead offer far lower resistance than standard steel ones, so your effort translates into motion rather than fighting friction. www.fullspeedahead.com
— Mark McClusky
Photographs by Nigel Cox
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