Tools -- difficult child has been ransacking our house and garage of tools for years. My husband gets so discouraged when the wall in the garage where the tools hung, is completely bare.
We have a fingerprint lock on the garage now -- just me and husband are able to open. I keep the all the sharp knives locked in there now because those are one of difficult child's very favorite tools.
Whenever he is asked (in some context or other) what is most near and dear to him in life, he says "My stuff."
I do think difficult child's "stuff" is inordinately important to him from my context as a non-Aspie. But I think he feels love and attachment lots differently from me, so I don't worry about it too much (learned this from AS husband and different ways that he shows love). I think talking to you so freely when he came home from camp is a big indicator or your difficult child's love, also that he fed the animals so promptly even in a time of transition shows love and attachment.
I think the "stuff" and the way our kids feel about us are two completely different ball games. I think they think in patterns and the stuff they take is somehow related to a pattern which is important to them. I have an article about patterns which really helped me my understand my husband and now my son, I hope it's OK to post links here at the forum without permission.
http://www.asandtheirpartners.org/
xxoo
