from Escape To The Outdoors
If your holiday shopping list includes someone who loves the Great Outdoors, we have some great gift ideas for you. We searched high and low for gift ideas that will fit any budget. Most of these gifts can be found in retail sporting goods stores or on the Internet. Approximate prices and toll-free numbers are listed where available.
Gifts for under $25
Free secrets to cooking wild game – For many sportsmen, holidays are a special time to prepare wild game for their families. Experienced cooks rely on Lawry’s marinades and spices to enhance the flavors of these holiday feasts. Choose from 10 flavors, including old favorites like Teriyaki, Herb & Garlic, Mesquite and Lemon Pepper. But also try some of the new intriguing marinades like Tequila Lime, Caribbean Jerk, Dijon & Honey or Mediterranean. All are great stocking stuffers and are now available at most supermarkets. Lawry’s is offering a free recipe booklet with wild game recipes for jerky, venison, duck, trout, quail, pheasant and others. For a free copy, write to: Lawry’s Game Recipes, c/o the Walker Agency, P.O. Box 14390, Scottsdale, AZ 85267-4390.
Bring the outdoors indoors – Two new PC hunting simulation games – Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 4 and Cabela’s Grand Slam Hunting: North American 29 – offer the virtual hunt of a lifetime. Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 4 offers players hunting options in such locales as the Michigan Forests, Pennsylvania Foothills, Sierra Nevada Deserts & Highlands and Labrador Tundra. With a choice of 21 firearms and bows, special attachments, hunting calls, attractant scents and cover scents, hunters stalk nine game species – bear, elk, moose, mule deer, turkey, pronghorn, whitetail, caribou and bighorn sheep.
Players can hunt with rifles, shotguns, handguns, muzzleloaders or bows as well as 22 grades of ammunition selected from the pages of the latest Cabela’s catalog. Over 70 usable items are available to help hunters bag their game including gear such as movable decoys, a monopod, wind floaters, binoculars and rangefinders.
Cabela’s Grand Slam Hunting: North American 29 is a true-to-life simulation that features eight unique 3D environments and challenges players to hunt the 29 animals that comprise Safari Club International’s famous North American Grand Slam.
By incorporating 3D technology and sophisticated artificial intelligence, the game’s terrain, environment, weather and animal behavior patterns fully immerse the player in the thrill of the hunt. Throughout the expedition, gamers encounter animals that react authentically to sound, scent, weather and time of day. Weather effects add to the terrain’s realism with rain, wind, snow, lightning or fog affecting the players’ hunting strategies.
Players choose from both first-person and third-person viewpoints and can navigate the 9-square-mile maps by foot or by truck, ATV, snowmobile and boat. Other game features include an interactive target range, a player trophy room and the ability to compete with other players around the world to post the high scores at www.cabelasgames.com. About $19.95 each.
Gifts for around $100 or less
Santa wishes he wore Wrangler Rugged Wear – Outdoorsmen have long appreciated this clothing line for its comfort and durability. And they’ll be looking for more of it this holiday season. Look for the Rugged Wear collection of camouflage apparel in men’s, women’s and boy’s styles, featuring Bill Jordan’s original Advantage Classic, Advantage Timber and Hardwoods by Realtree patterns. Another favorite is the Wrangler Rugged Wear Field Pant which offers protection in the field with Cordura nylon panels in a comfortable relaxed-fit jean. For cold weather outdoor activities, put in your request for the Rugged Wear Thermal Jean, lined with Thinsulate Insulation, or the fleece Jean featuring a warm fleece lining. Rugged Wear also offers functional shorts, classic shirts and casual pants. This holiday season wouldn’t be complete without a Wrangler Rugged Wear gift – if you don’t see it under your tree, go buy it for yourself. To find the nearest Rugged Wear dealer, call (888) 4-WRANGLER. About $49 each.
The People magazine of pro fishing – If you have a family member or friend who is an aspiring bass pro or simply a fan of the national bass scene, we have a unique gift idea for you. Tim Tucker’s Pro Angling Insider: Your Guide to the Business Side of Fishing is a bi-monthly, eight-page publication that is like nothing else. One reviewer called it the “People Magazine of pro fishing.” Longtime BASSMASTER Magazine Senior Writer Tim Tucker, the one writer who has investigated and reported on the money side of the sport, takes the reader behind the scenes where they have always wanted to go.
In addition, this award-winning publication provides subscribers with invaluable insight into working with the media to gain exposure and attract sponsors. A one-year subscription is $39.95 – less than the cost of a decent bass rod. And it is the type of gift that your fishing fan will appreciate throughout the year. To subscribe, call (800) 252-FISH.
Don’t know what to get? Get them an electronic gift certificate – With nearly 50,000 outdoor recreation products for sale on-line -everything from rods, reels and riflescopes to boots, backpacks and bilge pumps – in a single Internet location, the beOutdoors.com on-line retail store is sure to have something for everyone. A one-stop shop for fishing, hunting, camping, boating and other outdoor gear, beOutdoors offers detailed product information and photos, a wide product selection from well-known manufacturers, ready product availability and great prices. A stringent privacy policy, credit card security and a 30-day return guarantee makes shopping at beOutdoors a risk-free proposition as well. The beOutdoors cyberstore is organized into seven storefronts, including Boating, Camping, Fishing, Flying, Hunting, On-Target, and Gifts & Cutlery. With the “e-tailer’s” electronic gift certificate, you can e-mail your gifts to the sports enthusiasts on your list and let them browse the cyberstore to their heart’s content.
Performance sunglasses for serious outdoorsmen – Serengeti has the perfect gift idea for the serious fisherman on your list. The H2Optix Marine Vision System is engineered and tested to protect against extreme marine conditions. These high-performance polarized lenses eliminate water glare and offer virtually 100 percent UV protection. Don’t worry about your glasses falling overboard, an adjustable floating strap keeps them close at hand. The lightweight glasses are designed with the FLEX-GRIP system that grips the contours of the face, comfortably keeping the frames in place. All frames come with your choice of three lens options – dark grey, amber and sienna. They’ll cut glare to improve fishing success while protecting your eyes. About $100.
Gifts for over $100
Distance yourself – Most sportsman and golfers have one thing in common. They both have trouble estimating distances over 20 yards. For hunters, knowing the exact distance to a trophy deer can greatly increase the odds of success. Golfers on your holiday list will also benefit from knowing the distance from the fairway to the green. No matter what their favorite hobby is, Bushnell’s Yardage Pro Compact 600 laser rangefinder instantly and accurately measures distances from 16 out to 600 yards with incredible accuracy of +/- one yard. Simply punch a button and the distance in yards (or meters) appears on an LCD display viewed through a 4X PermaFocus monocular eyepiece. Unlike many laser rangefinders, this model will fit easily in a jacket pocket or pack. About $329.
Saving and savoring wild game – The FoodSaver Professional II, the ultimate tool for vacuum packaging fish and game, is the perfect gift for those who want the meal to be their trophy. A powerful machine with the capacity to bag an 800-pound elk in meal-sized portions, the FoodSaver Professional II stores fish and game in patented bags that keep food fresh three to five times longer than conventional storage methods. It also eliminates freezer burn and flavor degradation. The FoodSaver Professional II creates a commercial-quality vacuum, so it keeps fish fresh and burn-free in the freezer up to two years. Meat stays as fresh as the day you bagged it for up to three years. This easy-to-use countertop appliance has a suggested retail of $319.99. For more information, call (800) 777-5452.
For the sportsman who needs some direction – Magellan’s MAP 330 is the perfect gift. The only receiver in its class with 16MB of built-in memory, Magellan’s MAP 330 provides the most detailed database of street maps for the entire United States available on the market. Its built-in database contains worldwide political boundaries, U.S. cities, highways, major roads, national parks, waterways and railways. The MAP 330 has a wraparound rubber grip and weatherproof housing that is suited for all outdoor conditions, and it even floats. Among its many features are the sunrise and sunset calculator and the best hunting and fishing time calculator. You can also download additional map detail with the optional MapSend Streets CD-ROM. For a limited time, each MAP 330 includes a coupon for free software redeemable from Magellan. From the car to the boat to the trailhead – across town or crosscountry – the MAP 330 is the ideal navigation solution for outdoorsmen and mobile professionals. About $280.
Gifts in the Palm of your hand – For the organized person in your life, Magellan’s new GPS Companion for Palm V is a compact, lightweight GPS receiver that easily attaches, without cables, to the Palm V and Palm Vx handheld computers as well as the IBM Workpad. Pocket-sized and weighing less than 4 ounces, GPS Companion is the perfect go-anywhere navigation device for everyday use by mobile professionals, tourists and outdoor enthusiasts, such as hikers. With the accompanying free MAP Companion and NAV Companion software, the GPS Companion provides satellite navigation information and detailed street maps of the entire U.S. for customers traveling in the city or exploring the great outdoors. About $169.
For the outdoorsman who has everything… The little engine that could…and did – The ultimate gift for boaters and anglers this year is Yamaha’s F4 four-stroke outboard, which holds the Guinness World Record for fuel economy in an outboard-powered boat – an amazing 67.27 miles per gallon. This small 4hp motor delivers all the power, reliability and fuel economy needed for a wide variety of boats. The F4 already meets the Federal EPA 2006 emission requirements. Plus, Yamaha has a special financing promotion good now through Dec. 31. Upon approved credit, there’s zero down, zero interest and zero payment for six months on the F4 and all Yamaha small outboards from 2 hp to 25 hp. Ask any participating full-line dealer for complete details. Available in 15- and 20-inch shaft lengths, the F4 weighs in at a portable 49 lbs. so it can go anywhere, anytime. Plus, Yamaha’s industry-leading Factory Limited Warranty protects you for three years at no extra cost. For more information on Yamaha Outboards. For the location of your nearest Yamaha Outboard dealer, call toll-free (800) 88-YAMAHA. Approximate retail price of the F4 is $1,200.
Bigger wakes for wakeboarders – Today’s wakeboarders don’t want a skiboat that glides wakeless over the water; they want a boat that hunches down and makes a huge wake. Wakeboarding is the fastest growing segment of boating and is a great way for families to enjoy time on the water. Toyota wants to help you make the most of that time with its new Epic SX. With a 300 hp 4.0-liter V-8 and ballast system, the SX makes the ideal choice for a wakeboarding boat. The ballast system uses a high-speed fill and discharge system so it can be quickly filled for wakeboarding or just as quickly drained for waterskiing or tubing. An aluminum tower allows for more air on jumps and makes for handy mounting of speakers and storage racks.
Over the river and through the woods – ShoreLand’r designed its BK 1000U single-axle Utility Trailer to better meet the needs of today’s consumer who is looking to transport an ATV and then attach the trailer to it for greater off-road capabilities. With a 1,000-lb. capacity, this all-steel trailer is rugged enough to carry an ATV and versatile enough to handle a wide range of cargo from lumber and tools to hunting gear and camping equipment. One of the best features of the ShoreLand’r BK 1000U is the tilt bed that allows you to drive your ATV or other equipment onto the bed of the trailer. The BK 1000U Utility Trailer makes hauling any cargo fun and easy. See dealer for pricing.
