Twas the night before Christmas, and you didn’t even start shopping yet. Not to worry! There’s still just enough time to get a little something for the outdoorsy person in your life. Here are a few gift ideas that are relatively cheap, and able to be found at any number of recreation stores right here in Utah.
Wax on, wax off
Whether they are a boarder or a skier, nearly everyone appreciates a good bar of wax. It’s not fancy, but it is a way to tell someone “hey, I respect your high speed antics and want to assist you.” I promise you, even if your special someone already has four half-used bars laying around, a new one is always welcome. I’ve been using Beaver Wax for a couple seasons and for an all-temp wax, it can’t be beat. It shines on cold days and slushy ones alike. Also, it can be applied as a traditional melt-on or a rub-on. Very versatile stuff. No matter what brand you choose, your friend will appreciate you helping put a little speed back in their snow game.
Beat it, Jack Frost!
When the snow is stacking up and it’s time to head to the hills, the last thing anybody wants to do is scrape the frost off of their windshield. Not everyone has the luxury of parking in a garage, and the best way I’ve found to eliminate the task of scraping is to use a Frostblocker. It’s a big piece of rubbery-feeling material that attaches to your car or SUV mirrors and stretches across your windshield. Some of them even come with little mirror mittens. Just pull it off in the morning and you are good to go. It’s one of those inventions that makes you say “damn, why didn’t I come up with that?” It’s also one of those gifts that seems a little too practical to be cool, but might end up making you a Christmas hero in the long run. You can find these at almost any auto parts store, and even some of the big box retailers. The only downside is that you actually have to put it on your windshield for it to be effective, but that burden falls on the gift recipient.
Be basic
As in, get your friend a base layer garment. Even if the giftee isn’t a winter fanatic, a quality base layer or performance tee shirt is still a win. These items are useful for any season and for almost any activity one can do outside. My pick at the moment is the Trails at 50 Hiker Tee from American Backcountry. The shirt is constructed with Repreve polyester recycled blend, and is made right here in the USA (Union, SC to be exact). The Hiker Tee breathes nicely underneath a down layer, wicks away sweat and features a fun “hiker guy” graphic. The best part is that 10% of the sale price goes to both the PCT and ACT trail organizations. You’re giving a great gift and helping fund two of America’s most famous long trails. No matter what brand you choose, just remember that cotton kills, wool blends are great for less smells and high-output, and synthetic blends are the easiest to maintain.