Attention camping gearheads who ask for REI gift certificates at holiday time: Your dream device is here! The Life + Gear LifeLight is a multitasking lantern that works on crank power (or batteries) and fits easily in a rucksack. The LifeLight combines a 15-LED lantern with an AM/FM radio, emergency siren, night light, and even an external speaker to play music from an MP3 player. There's even a compass on top. The LifeLight is also lightweight.

As far as the crank power goes, the company says that one minute of cranking at 120 rpms will get you 45 minutes of light from 3 LEDs, 10 minutes of radio, and 20 minutes of siren, if you can stand it that long. The LifeLight is available from the Life + Gear Web site or at Wal-Mart for $69.95.