I love my titanium spork.

Not because it’s made of a metallic element that is also used in artificial hips, dental implants, eyeglass frames, motorcycle parts, golf clubs, watches and aircraft.

Not because it’s one of the most technologically advanced metals because of its weight-to-strength ratio.

Not because it’s stable, heat-resistant and rust-proof.

Not even because this combo spoon/fork gives me more room in the cooking utensil compartment of my backpack.

No, I love my spork because of its frivolity; its way of letting people know I must have all the essential pieces of gear, because I own one of the most extraneous: a spork, and not just any spork, but a titanium one.

At a recent overnight at Barr Camp on Pikes Peak, a group of a dozen campers actually passed around my spork, commenting on its sleek design, feather weight and implied functionality.

No one even flinched when they asked the price and I told them $11.

In fact, the price is one of the reasons the titanium spork is so popular, says Peggy Borne, one of two U.S. representatives of Snow Peak, the Japan-based company that makes it, distributes it to outdoor stores throughout the United States and sells it on the Internet.

“It’s the kind of thing you can give the hiker who has everything. It’s a perfect gift.”

Borne says the spork is Snow Peak’s biggest seller, and although customers are always offering suggestions on how to improve it (make it longer, make it shorter), she says the best idea will soon be implemented.

“They’re coming out in different colors,” she says. “I’ve got four kids, and we all have our own spork. But when we camp, it’s hard to tell them apart.”