No, no, no, they’re not groovy condoms, they’re little packets of Sugru, which just may be the most useful stuff on the planet and certainly something us campers should never be without. So what is this super amazing stuff you should already own? Sugru (derived from the Gaelic word for ‘play’)  is self-setting rubber that can be formed by hand. It moulds like play dough, bonds to almost anything and turns into a strong, flexible silicone rubber overnight.

Basically it means you can fix almost anything rather than tossing it and buying new stuff. And you can modify your equipment to make it work better. And look cooler.

“I knew that, by tapping into people’s innate creativity, all kinds of products could be transformed and improved,” says creator Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh (below). “I knew that we could adapt and improve almost anything mass produced and [it’s our] mission to get the world fixing again.”

Developed by a team of product designers and material scientists, Sugru’s patented technology is unique. It feels like modelling clay, and it’s that easy to use too. Once cured, its durable properties mean it’s comfortable in extreme environments from the dishwasher to the ocean in Antarctica. One customer trekked to the North Pole with pole grips modified with Sugru. Another, with no fingers on her left hand, was able to complete a 700km canoe race up the Yukon River with a paddle especially shaped with Sugru.

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And it’s so cost effective, it could even have been included in my Thrifty Thursday posts: 8 mini packets cost £11. It’s also made round the corner from me in East London which I just love.

TIME Magazine listed Sugru alongside the iPad as one of the top 50 inventions of 2010. The iPad was number 34, Sugru was number 22. It’s that good. Order it from here. Immediately.