Outdoorsmen always enjoy gift cards for the holidays

With Christmas just 10 days away, there is a chance you still need to purchase a gift or two for the outdoors person on your shopping list. I‘m sure I’m on a few people’s lists, though not necessarily their shopping list.

If I happened to be, however, I will give a few hints as to what I would like. Maybe they will help you in your last-minute shopping.

I will start out with something that seems mundane; some have even called it boring. It is a gift certificate. Run down to Grumpy’s, Hammer’s, or Fairbanks Outfitters or one of the other area retailers selling outdoor stuff, and grab a gift card or certificate. From a personal standpoint, I can tell you these are always well received.

Us grown-up hunters, fishers, campers and hikers are like kids in a toy store with a pocket full of money when we arrive at one of the outdoor stores with a gift card.

It is great fun knowing you can buy anything you want, and I always go for something I have wanted but never felt like I “needed.”

So there you go: Problem solved. That is, unless you are one of those buyers who still believes a gift certificate is too impersonal and you want to buy your outdoors person something really neat and special.

Okay. Here are a few other ideas.

If they don’t have a multi-tool, they need one. These are those fold-up devices that fit in a small scabbard that can be worn on a belt and have anywhere from 10 to 30 different tools neatly packed inside.

They fold out like needle-nosed pliers but in the handles they have tools of all kinds, from screwdrivers to saws. They are handier than a pocket on a shirt.

These multi-tools have been around for a long time, but just in the past few weeks I have been reminded how nice these tools are to have around. While hunting in Montana last month I stepped in some cactus that punctured my boot and stuck in my foot. I couldn’t have walked another step if my son Kyle hadn’t had his multi-tool on his hip to help me pull the cactus out.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, we were hunting birds in the Lower Valley. One of the guys shot a bird that fell into a pile of wire. The only way to get it was to cut some of the wire. Luckily, one of the guys had a multi-tool to cut the wire.

We’ve used them over the years to pluck porcupine quills out of dogs’ mouths, tighten scope mounts and handle many other chores. Oh, the tool also has a knife, which is always needed, it seems.

I have mentioned GPS units before as possible gift ideas, and I will mention them again. But there are some new twists on these handy little devices have saved many a hunter and hiker from getting lost.

As it has been with all other electronics, GPS units have gotten less expensive, and they are getting even more sophisticated.

Now you can buy a GPS handheld that is also a two-way radio. And the unit will not only let you talk to your hunting buddies, it will show you on the screen where they are in relationship to your location. So you can talk to them, and find them if needed. I don’t have one of these yet … but I want one.

There is also a small, less expensive GPS unit from Bushnell now on the market that basically will just get you from point A to point B without all of the bells and whistles of the more expensive units. Every person who spends time in the outdoors would benefit from one if they don’t already have a GPS. I do have one of these, and carry it whenever I am heading outdoors for a day of hunting or fishing.

Finally, on the list of potential gift items that “might save a life”, is the little SPOT personal satellite messaging unit. Anywhere in the world, cell phone service or no, the little device allows the user to send personal messages via satellite to let someone know they are OK, or in a worst-case scenario, that they need help. Equipped with GPS, the little unit is still priced less than $200 and offers some peace of mind to climbers, backpackers, hunters and others who work hard to get off the beaten path.

Finally, if you have a hunter or angler on your Christmas list, buying them a new hunting or fishing license is always appreciated. Go to most any retailer that sells outdoor gear and they can fix you up. Just make sure the license is for the upcoming year, which begins in April.

Good luck … and Merry Christmas.

• Rob Phillips is a freelance outdoor writer and partner in the advertising firm of Smith, Phillips & DiPietro. He can be reached at rwphillips@spdadvertising.com.