Outdoor Adventure USA

Last minute Best Christmas gifts for the outdoor enthusiasts

We plan to open up the net for everyone to throw out suggestions on gifts for the outdoors. If you have a ball park price or where to get it that is good too – Just remember no commercial business on the ham radio.

Maybe you will hear one or 2 ideas that will fit perfectly for a gift for someone you know. Maybe that is you!
We would like everyone to post up suggestions in this preview.
This can encompasses any outdoor topic. The net topic list for the past 12 months is a great way to start thinking about gifts.

Let me refresh your memory with some of the topics that come up on the OAUSA nets.
1. Ham Radio
2. 4-Wheeling
3. Dutch Oven cooking
4. Navigation (map, compass, GPS)
5. Astronomy
6. Camping (tents, sleeping bags)
7. Photography
8. Recovery gear
9. Firearms
10. Survival gear
11. Computers stuff
12. Tires
13. Wine
14. Books & maps
15. Other communication ( sat phone, cell PLB, spot)
16. Solar, wind, batteries
17. Fire extinguishers
18. First Aid kits, wilderness medicine, first aid courses

It is quite likely you will be able to find many of the gifts suggested tonight at one of these web sites.

Let's get this thing started. I'll open it up with my suggestions for the top 10 (or so) Christmas gifts for the outdoorsman (and women too).

1. Goal Zero's USB light

Using a computer in low light conditions can be difficult. This happens all the time, either camping or doing the nets, and having a convenient and efficient light source has really been a great addition to our gear bag. Goal Zero makes a LED light, on a flexible arm, that operates from any standard USB port. The unit is called the Luna LED and is priced just right at about $10.00. It draws very little power and produces enough light to illuminate an entire computer keyboard. It can also be used with Goal Zero's compact power source for night time use in the tent for reading, etc. Here is what Goal Zero has to say (http://www.goalzero.com/p/15/luna-led-light)

The Luna is a 1 watt USB stick light that is handy to illuminate anything from a keyboard to tent. The Luna's low power draw makes it a long lasting light solution. Powered from any USB port or perfect when used with Guide 10 Plus or Goal Zero Switch 8.

Here it is:
2. SureFire Titan Flashlight

Carrying a flashlight when you're on the trail or while camping is a must, but the need for a bright light isn't confined to just these activities. Think of how often you have put your cell phone to work as a flashlight and it should be obvious that the need for additional light occurs all the time, whether in the field or not.

Recently, the SureFire Company introduced the Titan flashlight, marketing it as an ultra durable, efficient and very compact "key-chain light" (see http://www.surefire.com/titan-a.html ). Among its many qualities, the Titan uese a AAA battery for power. While the light comes standard with a Ni MH AAA battery, it will also work with Alkaline and Lithium batteries. Here is run time for each (low power):

AAA Ni MH 8.5 hours
Alkaline 13 hours
Lithium 17 hours

Here it is (from the Surefire Website):
Features:

-Mil Spec hard anodized lightweight aerospace aluminum case
-Stainless steel key chain ring
-Regulated light output for constant light output
-2 power levels, low 15 lumens and high 125 lumens
-wide, even beam of light from a new reflector design
-ultra compact size
-lifetime warranty
-reasonably priced at about $50.00.

3. United States Concealed Carry Association

For those who choose to legally carry a concealed weapon, there are many benefits and many potential liabilities. Regardless of your state of residence (and particularly so in certain states) the exercise of your right to defend yourself, your family or others, may place you in a position where you will have to defend your actions, and sometimes, in a court of law. There is no getting around the fact that it is expensive to do so, especially when you need an attorney (trust me, I know).

The United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA, https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/ ) offers very reasonably priced liability insurance as well as a wealth of information to help keep you safe, legal and protected. Their magazine, published 8 times a year, is a wealth of helpful information on firearms, product reviews, self protection tips and legal updates on whats going on here in the US (https://www.concealedcarrymagazine.com/ ... MonthPromo ) Remember, buying and owning a gun Is simply not enough!!!!!

USCCA Magazines
4. A (Cold) Blast Form the Past - Dietz Lanterns

Sometimes it's just feels right to take a couple of steps back and appreciate some of the "old ways" we used to do things. Case in point - kerosene lanterns. Today, camp sites are lit with a huge variety of Coleman type lanterns as well as LED lanterns. They are so popular simply because they work so well.

For some however, the softer and quieter lanterns of yester-year, have an appeal that they are just now "re-discovering". No, they won't get the top prize for the most lumens, and they do have an aroma that makes them distinct, but they still have a place in many camps and in many homes as an emergency light. Interestingly, there are several companies that still make the original kerosene lanterns, many of which are the same as were manufactured over 100 years ago. The most famous of these is the Dietz company, who has been manufacturing lanterns since about 1840. An excellent history of the Dietz lantern business can be found here: http://www.lanternnet.com/history.htm.

These lanterns do have some nice benefits, including very low prices (around $30.00), significant run time (some as high as 75 hours), easy and inexpensive repair costs, a wonderful and pleasant yellow light, quiet operation, and greatest of all - terrific nostalgic value.

For those who like the look of these classic lanterns but don't want to mess with kerosene, you can purchase exact duplicates of the original lanterns, but with an electric light.

Here is an example of a Dietz kerosene lantern - the Jupiter Cold Blast Lantern #2500. It sells for about $26.00, has a run time of 75 hours, and costs about 6 cents an hour to run. More information can be obtained on this and many other lanterns at the W.T. Kirkman website (http://www.lanternnet.com/Merchant2/mer ... z-Lanterns). From the Antique Lamp Supply website (http://www.antiquelampsupply.com/produc ... ntern-blue)
5. Gunvault SpeedVault SV500 gun safe

Having a good gun safe is not just a smart idea, but it is also a necessity when it comes to protecting your firearms from thieves and others who should not have access. BUT, when the bad guys are in your house or business or are in the act of breaking into it, there is no way to hit "pause" while you go to your safe and retrieve your firearm. Solution: a quick access and secure gun safe. The Gun Vault SV %00 is one solution to this problem.
6. (Good) Wine on the Trail

Many things can contribute to a great day in the wilderness. A good bottle of wine with good friends and good food is hard to beat. A good bottle of wine does NOT need to break your wallet, and with all the wineries available these days, finding a great wine is easy. Visiting lots of wineries is not quite so easy (but it can be fun). There is one way we have discovered to get acquainted with new wineries - join a club that does the home work for you.

The California Wine Club is one such place (https://www.cawineclub.com/Premier-Wine-Club). Here is how they describe their business:

California is home to thousands of small family wineries handcrafting extraordinary wine in quantities too limited to be found in local stores or shops. Each month we explore all corners of California’s wine country seeking handcrafted, award-winning wine from small family wineries. We then share with you and your gift recipients these discoveries, along with the rich stories of each winery. Plus you can reorder your favorite wines at up to 50% off normal retail.

Every wine is hand-selected from a real-working winery and is backed by our 100% guarantee. If you’re not happy, you’re not stuck. As part of our exceptional customer service, you will have access to Personal Wine Consultants that will help serve as your guide to discovering fabulous wine. There are no membership fees; just pay as you go and cancel any time.

There are 5 levels of membership and orders can be monthly, quarterly or a month at a time. Several new wineries are featured each year and offered to members. Fom my personal experience, the wines have been sensational.

The currently Featured Wines are from Pedroncelli Winery in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. The featured wines are:

1. 2012 Mother Clone, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County Zinfandel
2. 2014 Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County Chardonnay.

The Vineyards (from the California Wine Club website)

I have one of those Goal Zero USB lights... they are awesome.

Microstart.


http://www.dirtyparts.com/store/detail. ... pid-157271

with Christmas just around the corner don't forget your 4x4 or camping friends family. every year I put a couple of these kits together for family friends or new members to our club here in Colorado. now you don't need to include all that I do or modify as needed this is just an ideas of some over looked items so here goes.
I start with a ammo can metal or plastic, and tailor to the person receiving
Ammo can
multi tool
sm firstaid kit
blast match and a mix I make of cotton petro jelly, or crumbled duraflame log in a pill bottle
light sticks
tire plugs
water filter straw
para cord 550 cord 100ft
flashlight
emergency blanket and tent
a book any book helps calms when lost or broken down and can burn if needed
h2o bottle
sunscreen and gatoraid mix also jello works great
rain ex
spare fuse kit
MREs type meals day or two worth
maps for area know to traveled
I have given several of these kits for xmas and twice had friends tell me with out these over looked items the trip might had turned out different. just a few ideas hope everyone has a great Christmas

Bolt Padlocks
The
BOLT Series of locks lets you set all your truck, trailer and equipment locks to work with one
key – your ignition key!
Simply insert the truck’s ignition key into the BOLT lock, turn it once and the lock
mechanically and permanently learns the key code.

Here goes my list of top 10 presents:

1. Surestrike Laser Cartridge ($150) / 2. LaserPET Electronic Target ($120)

https://www.laser-ammo.com/laser-training

Last Christmas I got the cartridge and this coming one I'm getting the target. Surestrike Laser Ammo is a little device that you place in the chamber of your firearm. It has an extension through the barrel so it fixes pretty tight. Every time the hammer hits the device a laser is shot and you can see the shot placement. I've been playing with it for a year now and it's very accurate. It's a great way to practice at home both drawing and dry fire drills, not only because you can see where you're shooting but it also adds a great layer of safety because since the device is in the chamber, no rounds can go in. It's not a substitute for range time tho.

Several cartridge adapters are available for different handgun, rifle and shotgun calibers.

The LaserPET Electronic Target has three shooting drills for you to practice. 1. Hit counter (counts the consecutive hits), 2. Shot timer/Fast draw, 3. Speed shooting: see how many times you can hit the target within 5 seconds.
2. Maglite RL1019 LED Rechargeable Flashlight System ($90)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GJJ ... o_pC_S_ttl

It has 643 lumens of power and it's rechargeable. It comes with a 120V converter and 12V cigarette lighter adapter. The charger mounts to the wall and the flashlight stays in very firmly. The bedside is a great location to have it mounted.
3. Casio Protrek Triple Sensor PRW-6000 watch ($430)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IK5YW0G/ref ... C2PADX3LB8

I don't own this watch but if anyone wants to give it to me as a present I promise I won't send it back

The triple sensor Casio watches give you temperature, barometric and compass readings. They are multiband atomic, which means that they get the exact time by radio waves 6 times a day. This particular model has sensors at the 11 and 1 o'clock and everytime any hand passes by it adjusts it correctly so hands are always perfectly aligned to the ticks. In addition, the glass is sapphire, which makes it really hard to break or scratch. If you buy it, make sure you're getting the v.3, which is a great improvement over the v.2 giving you much more readings precision.
4. Delorme inReach SE ($270)

http://inreachdelorme.com/product-info/inreachse.php

I've owned one for a couple of years and it gives me great peace of mind. This is a satellite communicator, which means that you can communicate with the world two ways. A radio is great but it doesn't let you communicate with people who don't have one available. The Delorme inReach lets you send SMS to cellphones around the world by connecting through the Iridium satellite network, one of the biggest and most reliable satellite networks. In an emergency, it has an SOS button that sends your GPS coordinates to their emergency center who coordinates your evacuation with the emergency personnel in your area. You can communicate two ways with the first responders so you can have a better idea of how long it will be before you're out.

I was a little hesitant to post this as a Christmas present because it needs a subscription plan, which the basic one costs $11.95/month and it lets you send/receive up to 10 messages. After that, each message costs 50c. I think it's a great safety platform. So if anyone decides to give this as a present, be mindful that it requires the purchase of a membership for it to work.
5. Compeed Anti Blister stick ($10)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MV ... 1_1&sr=8-1

This is the perfect present to your own feet if you enjoy hiking. My father recently discovered this product on a 500 mile hike in Spain. After he got one blister by the beginning of the hike, he used it every day and didn't get one more blister for the rest of it.
6. Mizu Insulated Titanium Mug ($35)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RH7 ... ge_o01_s00

This double wall titanium mug will prevent your coffee from getting cold too fast or your lips from getting burned.
7. Eberlestock X1A1 hunting back ($199)

http://www.eberlestock.com/introducing_ ... roject.htm

Eberlestock is known for their rugged bags. I've been using this bag for several years both for hunting and hiking. It's extremely comfortable, it has various pockets and let's you organize the interior very well. It has a slot for the rifle and one for the bow. I don't do archery, but I like that I can place other things in the bow's place if I want to. The size will let you go for one day, if you're thinking on taking a multi-day trip I'd look into a bigger bag.
8. Blackhawk Ammo Cans ($14-16) + Silica Gel Packs ($8)

http://www.glensoutdoors.com/blackhawk- ... n-new.html
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0025O ... ge_o08_s00

Ammo cans are a great way to store ammo, amongst other things. These ones are brand new and they don't smell. I like to add one silica gel pack inside of each can to protect the ammo from moisture.
9. ITTS (International Tactical Training Seminars) lesson ($400-500)

http://internationaltactical.com

Scott Reitz is sort of a celebrity amongst law enforcement, for his career in the LAPD SWAT and as an instructor. His school is called ITTS and teaches all four major weapon systems (handgun, shotgun, carbine and sniper rifle), and other specialized courses for active LEO. Each lesson takes a whole weekend, 16 hours, at a private range in the Angeles Shooting Ranges. Instructors are all active LAPD SWAT and Metro. I take a couple of his courses per year, every time I take one it's not only great education but also an extremely fun weekend.
10. All Inclusive Frontsight Diamond Life membership ($200-$500)

https://www.frontsight.com/Schedule.asp?View=List

Firearms training is valuable and a lot of fun, I can never have enough of it. I found this membership recently in a gunshow in Costa Mesa. I knew about the Frontsight shooting school, I didn't know these discounted memberships were available. I bought one for me and one for my girlfriend, for $250 each. Full price for the memberships are $15k each. Each lesson purchased individually costs $1k or 2k depending on what you're taking. Even if you just go once it's a great value. These greatly discounted memberships are available randomly in gun shows.

Frontsight is regarded as one of the top tier shooting schools in the country. It's based in Nevada. They have incredible facilities and they teach everything from basic handgun, to clearing rooms and houses, ropes & rappeling, edged weapons... etc. The diamond life membership lets you go to as many lessons as you want during all your life for free. All you have to pay is a $50 background check once a year if you take a lesson that year. If you don't go a particular year, you don't pay. Diamond members also have priority over people who pay full price for the lessons. It's a great value and a lot of fun.

Kitsbow
http://www.kitsbow.com

Yeah, they are mostly Mtn Bike related, though I wear their stuff off the bike as well. Great stuff.

Another Mountain Bikey product that can be used for other things.

And... just for Dave... made in USA.



Acre Hydration packs are made in the San Francisco Bay Area by Mission Workshop. So far, mine has proven to be good looking, comfortable, tough and very well thought out.

http://acre-supply.com/bags/hydration-b ... ER-14L.php

http://missionworkshop.com/about/american_made_bags.php

A selection of products that I use / enjoy and believe others would also appreciate, or would like to find under my own tree:

Streamlight Siege AA (note: works fine with rechargeables)
http://www.streamlight.com/en-us/produc ... ml?pid=312

Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA Low Discharge Rechargeable Batteries
http://panasonic.net/energy/battery/eneloop/lineup/

Renogy Solar Panel Kit
http://renogy.com/renogy-solar/solar-panel-kits/

Kenwood TH-D72A APRS Dual Band HT
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/Communication ... es/TH-D72A

Yaesu VX-3R Compact Dual Band HT
http://yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=Displa ... E1F02500D9

Mobilinkd APRS TNC
http://www.mobilinkd.com/tnc2/

3M Dual Lock Reclosable Fastener
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/e ... 7706&rt=r3
http://www.amazon.com/3M-Reclosable-Fas ... 00JHKTDMA/

Larger Capacity 18650 Batteries
http://www.batteryjunction.com/olight-1 ... 00mah.html

Nitecore Digicharger D4 Charger
http://charger.nitecore.com/product/digicharger-d4

Nitecore TM16
http://flashlight.nitecore.com/product/tm16

Kellam Bill Hook
http://www.kellamknives.com/index.php?m ... cts_id=810

Glock 43 (via PPT in CA)
https://us.glock.com/products/model/g43

Kershaw Siege Axe
http://kershaw.kaiusaltd.com/knives/knife/siege

Kershaw Leek, Black Blade
http://kershaw.kaiusaltd.com/knives/knife/black-leek

Garmin Montana 610
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/into-sp ... 23640.html

Garmin TOPO US 24K Maps
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/prod27610.html

Sylvania LED Night Light with Motion Sensor
http://www.lowes.com/pd_501869-3-72317_ ... d=50236097