Parachute Cord

Paracord "Survival" Bracelets - pretty cool and easy to make - and you can actually make them for your dude. Or even get your guy interested in making them.

The deal behind these essentially macrame'd bracelets is that they contain about 20 feet of strong, lightweight "Parachute" cord which, in an emergency, can be unravelled and used to lash down your tent, hang food from a tree, and generally just be useful.

You can even make dog collars and leashes!