Here are a few unique gift offerings that are sure to hit the bullseye with the outdoors person in your life this holiday season.
In a nation where some 60 million Americans still hunt and fish, most of us have a family member or friend or two who show up to holiday gatherings with a fresh batch of iPhone photos of fish, game or fowl taken over the previous seasons. These top-of-the-food-chainers often aren’t the easiest to buy for when it comes to holiday shopping, for they spend nearly all their disposable income at a Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s megastore, viewing a visit to one of the retail mecca’s the way an art collector anticipates a trip to the Louvre. The late Dick Cabela, one of the chain’s founding brothers, once told me, “We don’t sell much that people really need, but boy do we sell a lot of things people really want.” For budding entrepreneurs, take a lesson.
Thus, if you have someone in your family whose fashion trends toward wax cotton or camouflage, maybe someone who might have missed his daughter’s wedding because it fell on opening day of quail season, or who drives a flats boat more than a car, here are a few unique offerings that are sure to hit the bullseye.
Madison Creek Sedona Waxed Goat Suede Jacket
Pay attention to Madison Creek; it’s quickly becoming the rage of the sophisticated outdoor lover who wants to look sharp but do so in exceptional comfort. This boutique Georgia company has been around for 40 years, quietly designing and making some of the coolest leather and natural fiber jackets, vests and shirts that fit in whether you’re at a lodge in Aspen or a quail plantation in south Georgia to a film premiere at Sundance. The Sedona jacket is made of lightweight but stylish goat suede with a waxed finish with a removable shearling collar. It is, in a word, stunning. Retail: $875, www.madisoncreekoutfitters.com.
COURTESY OF MADISON CREEK OUTFITTERS
Wren & Ivy Timeless 1817 Backpack
This is another company making exceptional products that were inspired by the founder’s love of hunting and fishing but that have become everyday products for discerning adventurers and those who crave a distinctive style blended with premium functionality. The Timeless 1817 Backpack is a handsomely crafted bridle leather and twill canvas creation that is accented with solid brass hardware. I’ve been using—and marveling—at Wren & Ivy gear for a couple of years now and their assorted collection of bags and gun cases forever catches the attention of others who ask for the brand and where they can get it. Retail $315, www.wrenandivy.com.
JOHN MACGILLIVRAY, DORSEY PICTURES
JOHN MACGILLIVRAY, DORSEY PICTURES
Chama Vaquero Chair
These cleverly designed and extraordinarily comfortable chairs are favs among outdoor lovers everywhere. These are the chairs that always seem to come with a view—simply open them up and plunk yourself in your favorite wild environment…with your family, friends and dogs. If you liked the campaign chairs of yesteryear, you’ll love the Vaquero that draws from the sensibilities of campaign furniture with its own ingenious flare for function and form. It folds up easily and is ideal for any set up from a forest campfire to a football tailgate party. But it’s just as comfortable—and stylish—indoors as it is outdoors. Retail $149.95, www.chamachairs.com.
JOHN MACGILLIVRAY, DORSEY PICTURES
Sea Run Fly Rod Cases
It’s about time someone created a case that can store multiple fly rods—often costing thousands of dollars each—along with reels and other ancillary fishing gear in one, tough, lightweight and lockable case. Thanks to Sea Run Case, from the family tree of the famous Italian-made Negrini Gun Case line, comes the world’s best fly rod carrier. Each case is hand made exquisitely by Italian craftsmen and will house up to five, 9-foot to 10-foot rods and six reels with extra room for tackle. The outer shell consists of a patented ultralight, double wall composite technology and the combination locks are made of steel and are TSA compliant for ease of travel. The cases are offered in either standard or luxury, with custom finishes available upon request. Retail starting at $499, www.searuncases.com.
JOHN MACGILLIVRAY, DORSEY PICTURES
JOHN MACGILLIVRAY, DORSEY PICTURES
Sporting Classics Magazine
Here’s a chance to give eight gifts at once. An annual subscription to Sporting Classics magazine reminds the recipient of your thoughtful generosity each time a magazine arrives—eight times a year. This magazine has been celebrating and showcasing the planet’s greatest hunting and fishing destinations, timeless stories, and the best outdoor gear for nearly 40 years. The large format magazine with stunning photography, art and award winning writing has made it the standard for the sportsman in the know. Give it as a gift and you’ll be sharing the best of the sporting life. Retail $26.95, $48.95/2 years, www.sportingclassicsstore.com
COURTESY OF SPORTING CLASSICS
The Meateater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival
Steven Rinella could have survived in just about any era—or epoch—from the Pleistocene to the pioneers. When it comes to the locavore movement—hunting, fishing, gathering and generally sourcing your food where you live—Rinella sits atop the food chain. He helped ignite a fringe activity into a mainstream movement and the deer and antelope no longer play when he shows up. If you want to know how to make it in the back country when you’re looking for a deer, elk or sheep to fill the freezer, this book is for you…then check out his other works that celebrate this enduring, sustainable lifestyle. Retail $25, www.themeateater.com.
COURTESY OF THE MEATEATER STORE
Steiner Adventure Binoculars
German optics are legendary for both their construction and performance, exacting and precise specifications, and Steiner holds true to the reputation. Their adventure line of binoculars fit just about any outdoor activity ranging from adding to your bird watching life list to getting up close with a lion on the African veld. What strikes you when you first peer through a pair of Steiner binoculars—any model—is the nearly surreal clarity and light-gathering capabilities. Combine that with durability and ergonomics and you have a winner. My personal favorite in the line is the HX 10×56. Retail $1,172.99, www.steiner-optics.com.
COURTESY OF STEINER OPTICS
Walther CCP M2 9mm
The Walther brand was made famous by James Bond and the Walther CCP M2 would undoubtedly be the favorite of the ‘Bond girls’ if they carried. This compact, easy to rack semi-auto 9mm has become a favorite of the burgeoning number of women who are getting licensed to conceal-carry. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, some 40 percent of gun buyers this year were women…roughly 7.5 million of them. For many, nothing says ‘I love you’ like thinking of their personal security with a firearm and gift certificate to receive professional shooting and safety instruction. Log-on to www.wheretoshoot.org to find a qualified instructor in your area. Retail $469, www.waltherarms.com.
COURTESY OF WALTHER ARMS
Umarex Hammer Air Rifle
This isn’t your granddad’s air gun. Thanks to significant technological advancements, Umarex has created one of the buzziest new products in the outdoor market with the launch of the Hammer Air Rifle. These .50 caliber air rifles (propelling a 550-grain lead slug at 790 feet per second) have been used to take 2,000-pound Cape buffalo and are now legal for hunting in more than 20 states and that total is growing rapidly. The Hammer will shoot a 350-grain slug accurately out to 100 yards and is a great choice for many hunters whether looking to find a whitetail buck on the fringe of the suburbs or defend the bird feeder from marauding squirrels and vermin. Retail $850, umarexairguns.com
JOHN MACGILLIVRAY, DORSEY PICTURES
This article originally appeared in Forbes. Follow Sporting Classics TV host Chris Dorsey at Forbes.
Casting Call is a celebration of both fly fishing and the great outdoors. But Chris Dorsey has done more than simply share the joy of fishing. He has also worked to preserve the world’s great fishing waters. This concern for conservation is woven throughout but perhaps expressed most clearly in a chapter about the wonders of fishing Montana’s Big Hole, and how it’s slowly changed over time. The unrelenting use of the river’s waters has had a devastating impact on the fish that make the Big Hole their home. This, in turn, has negatively impacted the many people whose livelihoods depend on the fishermen who come to ply these waters.
And that isn’t the only area that is being negatively impacted. The Caribbean, too, is experiencing its own losses. After describing the wonders of fishing the Caribbean flats for bonefish, Dorsey asks, “Who knows, maybe you’ll one day wade these same flats, and wouldn’t it be nice if the fish were still here?” The book closes with Dorsey’s pleasure in seeing his sons experience the joys of fishing for themselves.Pre-Order Now
