The Outdoors

By Scott Rall, Outdoors Columnist

With less than 10 days before the big Christmas holiday, I supposed I should start to think about those on my Christmas list. I never fail in this department but I won’t fight the crowds on Black Friday or any weekend end day for the most part. I really try hard not to buy gift cards. Sure, they work and get the job done but they do show limited effort to match a gift to the recipient.

So, I made up a list for you if you have a few folks that really enjoy the outdoors. The first on my list is a heated vest. These vests run off of a rechargeable battery and allow the less hardy to spend more time outdoors. A friend of mine says there is no such thing as “too bad of weather” just too bad of clothing.  The offerings for high-end winter gear are enormous. A heated vest can be had from about $50 on the low end to about $200.

Second on the list is along the same line and that would be some heated socks or gloves. They run from $29-$95. In the older days, you would have to replace the batteries in these items and I think some of the Stone Age stuff is still available. I would only opt for the rechargeable items. Then you can toss the charger in the drawer with all of your other chargers and spend lazy afternoons trying to decipher which charger goes with which item. I always put some tape on the cord and write on that tape what that charger hooks up to. It might save you some time on another day.

For the older bird hunter in your family, a strap hunting vest is a nice Christmas gift. The basic difference between the run-of-the-mill hunting vest and a good-quality strap vest is where the weight is distributed. An ordinary vest, when it has birds in the game bag, puts the weight on your neck and shoulders. A strap vest has a belt with lumbar support that you tighten around your waist and it transfers the weight of the vest’s contents to your body core and not your shoulders. These are a ton more comfortable and don’t result in a neck or back ache after a day in the field. They run from about $69-$299. For my liking you need to get in the $125 range in order to get decent performance from a hunting vest of this nature. If my son is reading this column, then my secret is out for him.

For the recipient on your list who has a dog, a quality dog first aid kit is a pretty cool gift. They, like everything else, can be a basic model to a high-end package. The best part about a dog first aid kit is they work pretty well for a human first aid kit as well. I have one in the truck pretty much all the time and they have come in handy when you need one.  I hope you get one and never need it, but that is not the way my luck works. They run from about $40-$300. Carrying one of these is, in my opinion, getting more and more important. As rural area veterinarians start to retire, they are often not getting replaced. A dog injury on the weekend might put you on a 100-mile road trip to find one that does emergency after-hours calls. In my local area, they were told to drive 60 miles to the only one open on the weekend after hours.

I have always been of the mindset that gifts should be something the recipient can actually use. I don’t do “set this on a shelf and look at it until someone else throws it away after you die.” Another good gift is an item the person would spend their own money on if you did not get it for them. Take a membership to a conservation organization the person would join next year anyway for example. An annual membership to Pheasants Forever is $35. A lifetime membership is $1000. Regardless if it’s a one-year or longer membership to PF or any other one it supports their wishes and desires.

How about a lifetime hunting or fishing license? This really is a gift that lasts their entire lifetime. This gift is really cool for a child or grandchild. It’s still a great gift for you, your spouse, brother or sister. I can’t think of any outdoor person who wouldn’t like this under their Christmas tree. If you have any questions about these outdoor gifts or any others for your outdoors person, you can reach out to me at scottarall@gmail.com.

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a safe season doing whatever it is that you enjoy. My personal take is that whatever it is that you do, life is better spent outside!

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If you have any questions, reach out to me at scottarall@gmail.com.