Promising to add "a bit of civilization to the wild," the Light My Fire Titanium Spork is a unique spoon-fork-knife utensil that gives eaters most all the necessary elements to scoop, stab, cut, and lift virtually all forms of food you might encounter during a trip outdoors.

I have used the Titanium Spork for a couple years now, and its stout, balanced design not only gets the job done, but its swooped handle and ergonomic contours feel balanced and capable in the hand.

I am apparently not the only one taken with the design. Distributed by Industrial Revolution of Redmond, Wash., the ti spork has been on sale since 2005. It's been a successful product for the company, which reportedly sold nearly 1 million in its first couple years of production (plastic and titanium versions).

The design is unique. Normal sporks offer a semi-usable spoon-with-stubby-tines design. The Light My Fire model has the requisite "spork parts" -- spoon and fork tines -- but unlike a traditional spork, it puts one utensil head on either end, granting full utensil usage as you can switch hit during a meal.

Bonus: The ti spork has a small serrated edge on the outside fork tine. You can cut food into manageable bites with this edge, adding perhaps a rare flare of civility to a backcountry feast.

The titanium used to make this spork is touted by the company to have "high biocompatibility." That means it is non-toxic, hypoallergenic, non-corrosive, and non-magnetic.

The ti spork costs $12 on Amazon.com and other online stores. It is short, stout, and durable, though more than capable for most any culinary challenge. Best part: The spork weighs a scant 17 grams, causing even the most crusty ultra-lighters (like me!) to consider "hauling" a spork along on a trip next time instead of going caveman as usual and eating with bare hands.

--Stephen Regenold writes about outdoors gear at www.gearjunkie.com.