Introduction
Christmas is tomorrow and currently I am sitting in a creaky rocking chair, typing away while trying to imagine what gifts I will be receiving tomorrow and how others will react to the gifts I got them. Christmas can be a stressful time for those who are doing some last minute shopping and don’t know what to get their friend, partner, or relative. While I may not have all of the answers in regards to what exactly the person you are shopping for wants, I do have an idea of what I would want currently.
I will say that if you aren’t trying to break the bank and splurge on a specific item, the best option is probably some type of gift card to a place you know your gift recipient would personally spend their money. I try to avoid spending money on gift cards as it feels as though it is almost just better to give money as a gift, but that is just my personal opinion.
The overall purpose of this blog is not to fill your mind with all these cheap snazzy amazon gift ideas geared towards the outdoors niche, but to give you some creative ideas on what to give someone who enjoys spending time outside. I by no means am an expert and the choices you make will vary as there will be a little leeway depending on the outdoor recreation that your recipient takes part in. I will also take this time to say that I have no brand affiliation or sponsors if I mention any in the following paragraphs. Now that I have that off my chest, I will now list the 5 perfect gift ideas I think are fun or useful for any outdoor lover.
1. Binoculars
The first gift on my list is one that I would consider to be the most useful. A good pair of binoculars is super useful for those who choose to hunt, but also an amazing too for anyone who enjoys spending time just observing nature. I have relatives that enjoy watching birds and without the use of binoculars, the mission at hand is relatively more difficult for obvious reasons.
Now for those who are unaware of the brands and the magnification of binoculars a good magnification for general use is 10×42. I personally have a pair of 10×42 Vortex Diamondback HD binoculars that I always bring with me when out hunting for every game species. They run a little high (around $250 as of Dec, 2023) but they are accompanied with a lifetime warranty and usually are enough to suit the needs of an average hunter or bird watcher for their life. There are other brands that are also good, but I have little to no experience with any brand besides vortex. As I mentioned before I am not sponsored and receive no commission. Lastly, there is some difference in the price points as cheaper options have cheaper components which can impact the quality of the image at various distances.
The customer service of Vortex is amazing and that alone is worth a few extra dollars. They also come with their own lens covers and carrying case/pack for your chest.
2. Magnifying Glass
Now this gift is kind of a wild card. I had to reflect back on some of my favorite memories from my childhood. My grandmother used to let me use one of her magnifying glasses to look at various plants/leaves and insects close up. I also recall doing what many other kids do and using the magnifying glass to start small, controlled fires on the driveway and may have burned a few ants along the way… Despite all this, having some sort of magnifying glass is super useful in any field of science.
I recall one of my friends from college showing me their little pocket sized magnifying glass that they used to identify various mushrooms and such when foraging. The idea was cool and it makes sense. I know that people don’t often pick up animals and observe them, but when I was in college I recall there being certain species of snakes or toads that had super tedious features that were used to differentiate them from a similar looking species. Usually they had you counting scales on their head or looking for some small feature, which could have been made easier in the field had I held a magnifying glass of some degree within my day pack.
I don’t have any specific brand of magnifying glass that I could recommend, but I am sure a quick google search would give you a decent idea of what brands are good enough and which aren’t. This gift is would be deeply appreciate by children due to their natural curiosity and inclination to figure out what stuff is in the world around them. It would also be a good gift for any person who is into foraging or identifying various plants/animals while out and about.
3. A Multi-Tool
Another item I would genuinely appreciate on a lot of my outdoor adventures would be a good multi-tool. You can never guess how many times you need a certain tool in the field until you actually need it. When I go fishing or hunting it would be nice to know that I can reduce weight in my pack by bringing a versatile item rather than an item that really only does one job. Sure I subscribe to the general phrase of “two is better than one” but in this case I would be willing to break said generality.
Myself, and many men, love to browse the line of multi-tools offered by Leatherman and it is easy to see various debates in comment sections and online forums as to which variation/era of the Leatherman models are better than the other(s) and why. Typically these comments are deeply opinionate and really depend on what a person needs the multi-tool for and how they plan to carry it. I have done an extensive amount of research on the subject and could give a pretty extensive comparison between their three most popular models, but I will save that for a later day.
A lot of those Leatherman brands aren’t super cheap and usually run between $90-150+ depending on the model. There are other brands of multi-tools that are a bit cheaper and do a similar job though they may be a bit stiffer and not as nice to open up/use if you plan on using them every day for work. A Gerber multi-tool from Walmart can often be good enough to keep a man or woman content if they just want something inexpensive to throw into their fishing or camping bag instead of having to take a handful of tools on their trip.
I haven’t owned a multi-tool yet, but it is definitely on my buy soon list. Despite not owning a multi-tool I have been able to use one of the Gerber ones as well as the Leatherman Wave and they both did well for what I needed them to do. If I had to pick right now though I would consider getting the Leatherman Surge for big trips into the back country or for work, but if I was planning on carrying one of these tools every day I would look into the Leatherman Wave + and the Free P4.
4. Farrow Rod
On one of my favorite TV series, Alone, a majority of the contestants bring with them a mulit-tool, axe, saw, and a farrow rod as part of the 10 items that they are allowed to bring. A farrow rod is composed of a variety of mischmetal and iron. When struck/scraped with something harder than the rod such as steel or possibly even a rock of some sort, a spark is formed, allowing for an easier, quicker way to start a fire than by hand if one doesn’t have access to a lighter or matches. I would argue that a farrow rod may last longer than both of those other options depending on the quantity of fuel and matches.
I bought a farrow rod or two off of Amazon after watching some earlier seasons from the show I previously mentioned and was shocked by the amount of sparks that came off of a single strike. With dry tinder and perfect conditions this tool is very effective at creating a fire and can be used even when completely wet/soaked, unlike matches or regular lighters. It is definitely something to throw in your bag or have in your house for peace of mind in case you need to make a fire quick to dry out your clothes or stay warm in the winter. For how inexpensive they are, I think they are worth it, especially if you plan on spending an extended amount of time out in the backcountry and don’t know how to make a fire using a hand or bow drill method.
5. Breathable Long Sleeve Shirts
If making a fire isn’t an issue for your gift recipient, and they spend a lot of time out on the water or hiking in the summer/fall months then you may want to consider looking into some breathable long sleeve shirts. These types of shirts usually save me in the summer from being eaten alive by ticks and mosquitos, but they also do a good job of protecting my skin from the sun. The wind is often still able to get through the fabric of my shirt, cooling me, thus making me feel more comfortable when temperatures approach the triple digits.
I personally like to keep these shirts/flannels a bit baggy as to allow for some room for air to travel thorough. It is a plus if these shirts are lighter in color and also have an extra UV rating. IF you spend a lot of time in high elevation areas fishing, hiking, or hunting, don’t underestimate the sun and its ability to humble your skin. I have felt the consequences of too much UV exposure time and time again, whether it be sun burnt eyes, to sun burnt hands and lips. Let me note that I never usually get burnt because of my natural melanin, but sometimes in prolonged cases in different states I do get humbled.
I usually buy some cheap wrangler button up shirts and they get the job done. They are usually made out of thin polyester like material or mixture. You can usually find them online or at local farm and ranch stores.
Conclusion
There are so many great gifts out there for those who enjoy spending their free time outside with the natural world. Obviously you could just gift someone a gift card, but I wanted to promote gifts that most people would actually appreciate and hold onto. You don’t have to break the bank to give someone an interesting gift or one that they would use. I tried to list items that I have used or would like to possess in the future. I tried to be creative and not talk about too many features or brands as I don’t think that is the point of this week’s blog.
I will end this blog by stating that if you cannot afford ot buy any material gift then I encourage you to think outside of the box and offer an experience or something you can craft. There are many useful things that can be made with things available for free or out of “scrap” or “refuse”, you just have to be creative.