Of course, if your true need is for firestarting, the old dead-tree book might serve you better for dry tinder. The resource that an ebook reader such as the Kindle can give you access to, however, has such potential. I impulse-bought one last week, and have been loading up with guides and references. Some of these deal with the skills and references you may need in the wild, but some will help to pass time (although I never seem to have enough free time between enjoyable chores to get bored) on lazy afternoons or rainy days.

The battery life is great, and it’s now cheap enough (~$150) to put you more at ease about getting it smoky and dirty, and perhaps wet. I still wouldn’t want to smash it on a rock, but I’d drop that sucker faster than my iPhone.

I haven’t camped with it yet, but I plan to. The weight of it, and the amount of reference I can carry will surely change the resources I normally carry. No more worrying how heavy that “Hiking Light” hardcover book is.