I remember as a kid giving a 2-inch tall porcelain skunk to my dad and telling him I wanted to give him something but I didn’t want to spend much. It cost $.25.
I wasn’t very smart or tactful I guess? But cut me a little slack, I was only 4-6 yrs. old. But regardless, we don’t want to be that kind of gift giver, especially for Father’s Day! (Since my wife or daughter may be reading this article).
As you can imagine, being an outdoor writer I get to test a ton of gear every year. For AmmolandShootingSportsNews alone I test and write Product Reviews on 52 knives/yr. So with that said, here are some items I think the dad in your life may enjoy. Everyone is on a budget so I’ve tried to list items to fit everyone’s budget.
FISHING
• Ask him specifically which lure(s) he wants.
• flydealflies.com, you can buy quality flies cheap here.
• Ammo. I’ve been testing some CCI & Federal .22, .22 mag and .17 HMR ammo. All three are great for whistle pig hunting.
• Buy him a couple of passes to the upcoming GREAT NORTHWEST OUTDOOR EXPO in Nampa. Buy two and maybe he’ll take you with him! Devious but a smart move!. http://www.ictickets.com/events/the-great-northwest-outdoor-expo-1
• Otis gun cleaning gear.
• Quaker Boy calls
• Walker hearing enhanced ear muffs
BACKPACKING
• Adventure Medical kits. I love their foot care items.
• Aquimira water filters. They have straws, bottles and pumps.
• XGO base layers.
• Irish Setter boots. They have many options but check out their Drifter or Ravine models.
• Small ditty bags for segregating items. Campmor has some nice ones.
• Backpack
• Backpacking meals
• Browning hiking socks
CAMPING
• Alps Mountaineering tents, sleeping bags and pads.
• Lodge Dutch ovens and black skillets.
• Tarps
• Lantern
• ASP XT-DF flashlight
• Cooler
• To hold down his four-wheelers check out SHOCK STRAP. www.shockstrap.com
GOLFING
No, bad gift buyer. Do not buy them anything golf related! This is not an outdoors sport. This is something made up to pass time for people that don’t fish & hunt.
GRAND SLAM GIFTS
• Here’s an item you could really impress him with. A Henry’s lever action .22 mag. or a .22. They are some super cool rifles. In fact, it might even be a cool Mother’s Day gift because Katy is trying to steal mine.
• A fishing trip to the historic Plummer’s Lodge in the Northwest Territory. My daughter and I are going up there in July. It is a premier fishing spot. (204) 774-5775 • 1-800-665-0240 U.S.
If he is just flat out hard to shop for have him pick 10 items out of his favorite Outdoor catalog.
That way when you pick one or two of the items it will be what he wants but still be a surprise. Or what about a gift card at his favorite outdoor store? Not as personal as an actual item but he could use it to buy exactly what he wants.
And if you flat out don’t have any money for a gift, I bet if you hug him and tell him you love him and how appreciative you are that he always works so hard to take care of the family, I bet that will mean more to him than any gift in the world. Happy Father’s Day to all of you guys out there.
Tom Claycomb is an outdoor enthusiast and writes a bi-monthly column for the Humboldt Sun.
