Do you remember the television show, MacGyver, where star Richard Dean Anderson was a mastermind at getting himself out of tight spots by using whatever was at hand?

It seemed that he could do anything as long as he had a Swiss Army knife and some duct tape.

A reader letter in my latest issue of Mother Earth magazine, which is a great magazine, mentioned the contents of a do it yourself traveler’s tool kit that I thought is a great idea to take while camping.

Plus, the kit is compact. Everything listed below will fit into a zippered pencil pouch.

TRAVELER’S TOOL KIT
- Swiss Army knife or Leatherman tool (a MacGyver must-have)
- Mini roll of duct tape wrapped around a permanent marker (another MacGyver must-have)
- Baggie ties
- Tube of contact cement
- Hank of string
- Jeweler’s screwdriver or eyeglass repair kit
- A couple of spring type clothespins
- Needle and thread (I save those small sewing kits that some hotels provide)
- Several rubber bands in different sizes
- Tweezers
- Small LED flashlight

A kit like this will help a person be prepared for almost anything. A couple of examples:
- Duct tape is a great emergency patch on torn tent or camper canvas or window screens.

- Clothespins not only secure wet clothing and towels while drying but are useful for closing partially used bags of food like frozen vegetables and chips or for securing hanging lights at the campsite. They also hold curtains securely closed at night for complete privacy inside a camper.

- Baggie twist ties can be used to close bags of all sorts, secure hanging lights, and work as a shoe lace replacement in a pinch. The twist tie material is available on a small spool with its own cutter for just a few dollars so the ties can be cut to the desired length.

- Rubber bands, besides being handy for securing groups of objects or keeping things closed, can be used to plug small leaks on an emergency basis because they are naturally waterproof, and are handy pony tail holders.