I always appreciate it when people I trust give me recommendations for gift ideas. This year, I asked Team WON, who easily make the “people-I-trust Christmas list” for gift suggestions. I asked them two things.
Here’s the first question: What is something outdoorsy on your Christmas list this year? That means, this writer/outdoorswoman desires something to make her life better, easier, more enjoyable.
The second question went like this: What would you recommend as a Christmas gift for an outdoorsy woman or girl? Think big or small.
Hopefully, their ideas will spur your ideas into fruition in time to purchase something similar for either yourself or someone else on your Christmas list.
1. On my list is an awning/tarp that breaks down small enough to fit in our SUV. When we’re out and about we like to either take food or heat something up on the camp stove, so we want to have shelter either from the hot sun or the rain. Looking at this one from Walmart.
2. A shoe I highly recommend is the Merrell Moab 3 Waterproof Hiking Shoe. I wore the previous version until it wore out and finally bought the 3 earlier this year. I pair them with sock liners and smart wool socks and my feet don’t get wet or cold. Recently we were at a metal detecting hunt and the grass was very wet and it drizzled off and on all day. While other people were complaining about their shoes being wet and their feet “squishing” when they walked, my feet were completely dry and comfortable.
1. A heated vest. Not sure if this one is great or not, but there aren’t many options for women, especially in the hunting world. But I don’t retain heat as well as I used to, so I have this on the list.
2. I would recommend a good first aid kit. I have run into quite a few instances this year where I needed to use one, not only for myself, but also, for others. A little bit of extra weight will go a long way.
1. This isn’t exciting, but I just told the boys I don’t need any material gifts. What I really want is a gift certificate to come over in the spring and help me get the yard ready for summer. This means cleaning the flower beds, getting out all my yard decor and the patio furniture.
2. A friend of mine has an outdoor bird feeder with a motion detector camera, similar to this one. She’s always sending me the cutest photos of bluebirds eating at the feeder. Any one, young or old, would love this for a Christmas gift. You’re giving Mother Nature a hand and getting some entertainment at the same time.
1. I LOVE SmartWool products. Their “Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Crew” is the bomb! All of their socks are amazing, but I am partial to ANY of their “Everyday Crew Socks.”
2. As you might know, we are LockedIn Grip. This is a very small item, but it makes a HUGE difference in your grip when in inclement weather or you just need a higher connection to your firearm.
1 I would LOVE to have the Prois Gunnison Parka and Bibs. I freeze and so I’m hesitant to chase waterfowl more than I do because of how painful the cold and wet is for me (Raynaud’s Syndrome). This would make it possible!
2. Would also LOVE to have new seat covers for when just a pup or two is traveling with me as they ride inside my truck instead of the dog box or trailer. These covers are amazing and even offer panels for the doors! Would be a great gift for someone who has an outdoorsy dog.
1. I’d like an auger for planting fall bulbs in my plant beds and garden.
2. For someone else, I’d say a burr paw! I can think of several times this last year that this little tool would’ve come in handy.
1 I am a bit of a boot snob, and if Santa thinks I’ve been good enough, I’d like a new pair of Dubarry Galway boots. I bought a pair about eight years ago when we were in England with the Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club, and would like a new pair. With seven colours (English spelling seems appropriate) available and with an Extrafit calf size for those of us blessed with gladiator calves, these knee-high boots are the ticket for my life here in the Ozarks – with scrabble on the ground and who knows what type of weather in the air. They’re warm and frankly, look hip.
MSRP: $479
2. As a gift for an outdoorsy girl or woman, I’d go with Merino wool. Period. From base layers to pullovers to dresses to tee shirts. I own them all, and travel with them all the time. I hunt in wool, hike in wool, fly in wool, tour in wool and like the fact that I can wear wool garments for longer periods before the stink sets in. Check out what WoolX, my favorite brand, has to offer. I also like the wick-away feature of wool, and even wear the thinner wool tees when hiking in the spring.
Start with a base layer or two. You’ll notice the difference. Prices vary and WoolX always runs sales.
1. At the top of my Christmas list is a suppressor for my new Springfield Armory Saint Victor in .556. I’d like to hang with the rest of the predator hunters, and take multiple shots without spooking the remaining hogs or coyotes with the rifle’s report. It would also be a gift to the accompanying hunters’ ears. I’ve seen the looks of disgust when your fellow hunters find out you’re not suppressed; well, I’d like to avoid that, too. Call it a selfless gift, right? Of course, someone would have to gift me the cash to get a supressor, since I’d have to go through the motions of fingerprints, forms, etc. with the ATF. It’s not something you can legally buy for someone else, after all.
SilencerCo Rifle Suppressor Line
2. If I was able to gift something to an outdoors woman it would be this rifle from Ruger. Within the last year I have added this one to my collection and it has accompanied me into the woods more than any of my other rifles, and I have a few. The Ruger American Gen II was my first experience with a .243. The first time I shot it, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I remember saying, this produces about the same recoil as my big bore airguns. Then I had to see if it performed in the field I needed it to, hunting. I have had so much success with this light, comfortable shooter, I would confidently gift it to another knowing she will love it!
1. I want a PHLster enigma for most of my conceal carry firearms.
2. For someone else, I’d recommend a training/informational course in whatever outdoor arena she prefers. Additional training is always beneficial, whether it be a pistol training course, bow, or gardening. You can never go wrong with a trauma first aid class and a IFAK .
1. This made me think! Are you looking for anything that fits into a certain category? For example, shooting or hunting? If not, something outdoorsy on my list is “Grow More Food: A Vegetable Gardener’s Guide to Getting the Biggest Harvest Possible from a Space of Any Size.”
2. As for a Christmas gift recommendation, I think I’d go with a Swiss Army knife. Dad gave one to all of us girls. They’re useful and they have our initials.
There you have it – several great suggestions and some that you can find at the last minute, I bet. Happy hunting for Christmas gifts. One last thing, don’t forget about all the wonderful non-profit outdoor organizations that can always use donations. This time of year, they offer incentives for joining as well.
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
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