Rope.

That’s something you should always have because you can find at least 10 uses for it.  Duh moment! Have our shoelaces double as emergency rope, check.  Support something simple in order to help a small domestic manufacturer, check.  As a personal testimonial, the weather proofing from the wax really held up when we went winter mountaineering atop the Catskills.  Frozen laces are a no-no.