A sturdy-looking, lime-green whistle on a keychain on the left and a red canister of bear deterrent spray on the right.

Whistles for Life™ Tri-Power Whistle ($5)

“When I go hiking or camping, I keep a whistle hooked to my backpack. It’s an easier, louder way than shouting to alert passersby if I get lost or injured. I also pack a can of Counter Assault® Bear Deterrent Spray ($48). It makes me feel a little safer if I run into any black bears.”

– Laura Miller
2018 Outback 
Johnston, IA 

A headlamp with a speckled black strap that has a Black Diamond logo on the side

Black Diamond® Spot 350 Headlamp ($40)

“I’m a documentary filmmaker, and when I’m camping on a shoot, my Black Diamond headlamp comes in handy for doing anything at night. One time on an expedition I was filming in Angola, I wandered away from camp to use the bathroom and got a bit lost. The only reason I found my way back to my tent was the headlamp’s light hitting the reflector of my tent.”

– Neil Gelinas
2020 Forester
Wolf Point, MT

A closeup of a hood balaclava that covers the top of the head and lower half of the face. The primary color is white, but it has a floral pattern featuring the colors pink, light blue and black.

BlackStrap® Hood Balaclava ($38)

“I love my BlackStrap Hood Balaclava for skiing on freezing cold days in Maine. Everyone in my family has one to keep warm on the chairlift while the wind is whipping around. They come in all sorts of super-cool designs.”

– Rachel Klein-Ash
2016 Outback
Milton, MA

A DAJO Shark folding knife is shown both open and closed.

DAJO Shark folding knife ($35)

“As a historical nonfiction author, sometimes I travel to retrace the steps of characters in my books, such as when I hiked the high knob from which Daniel Boone first spotted the Kentucky Bluegrass region. I always bring my folding knife on these trips. I clip it to my belt because who knows what I might have to cut? But over all these years, I haven’t had to use it for much more than cutting berries. It’s more for peace of mind.”

– Bob Drury
2021 Forester
Manasquan, NJ

A round tin with a pink label. Around the edge of the tin it says, The Natural Way to Ease a Queasy Stomach! The brand name, Queasy Drops, is prominently displayed in the center. Underneath the brand name is the flavor, natural sour raspberry.

Queasy Drops® ($7.50)

“I keep sour raspberry-flavored Queasy Drops in a little medical kit in my car. They’re lifesavers for nausea, be it from motion sickness, altitude or food. I recently got hit with nausea from a migraine at the worst time, right when my partner and I were visiting Grand Teton National Park to hike. These drops saved the day.”

– Vanessa Gutierrez
2007 Outback L.L. Bean Edition
San Francisco, CA

Submit your product picks at Dear Subaru with the story title “Subaru Drive Picks.”