Distracting myself from the earthquake cleanup with Christmas gift ideas

Like many residents of the Valley, we continue to clean up from the earthquake. My wife has focused her efforts on the upstairs while I’m working on the downstairs. Each day, we make some progress, but it’s a slow process. So far, as best as I can tell, we’ve only lost stuff. I feel for those folks whose homes were damaged enough to render them uninhabitable. I pray they can get some help and relief in this trying time.

To help get back into a more normal routine, let’s look at Christmas gift ideas for that outdoor person on your list. Depending on what damage you may have suffered to your stuff, very basic items may need to be replaced. Outdoor clothing and footwear would make an excellent gift, even if everything you already have is still fine.

If you don’t already have a pair or can’t find them in the cleanup, let me suggest a good pair of ice cleats for your outside boots. We have a lot of icy patches in our driveway and around the house. I’ve been using mine for the last several days when moving around outside. I can’t afford a fall (who can?) so safe and secure footing is at a premium right now.

While you’re out and about with your daily routine, especially in this darkest time of the year, a good flashlight or head-lamp would make a useful gift. I like the types using LED technology because they throw as much or more light than the older incandescent bulb versions, with little drain on the batteries, and will last almost indefinitely

A warm pair of gloves is always appreciated. I’m not the littlest guy around and finding a good belt for my hunting pants last time I went sales shopping was a find. I also found a fleece jacket which works as either a heavy shirt, a light jacket, or a layer in dressing for real cold. Finding this stuff on sale made the purchases even better.

If you’re like me, receiving clothing as a Christmas gift is appreciated but not real exciting. I’m a gadget guy, so getting items which function as accessories for stuff I routinely use outdoors is great. I needed to replace a cartridge carrier which fits on my belt and a double-bit ax leather sheath, both of which I found just before the earthquake, are things I like to get.

I haven’t been out to my storage building yet, but I’m thinking my fishing rods and reels probably all survived. I had built a rack/bin to hold the various types of rods and reels and, while they undoubtedly rattled around, should not have fallen over. I suspect the shelving I had the fishing tackle boxes stacked on is probably cleared, but I wouldn’t expect too many broken parts. Pick up will come when the house is secure and getting back to normal.

However, if you lost some fishing equipment or have just been pining away for that new rod or high-tech reel, getting it as a gift (even if it’s from yourself) will help brighten the season. There’s a ton of stuff one could give related to fishing, so check and see what your potential recipient might like or could use.

I love fishing, but I’m a hunter at heart. Since I dabble in all kinds of shooting-related activities, finding a gadget for me is easy. A tin of pellets for my favorite PCP air rifle or a powder measure for one of my muzzleloaders is a nice gift.

On my last trip into Anchorage before the earthquake, I bought a supply of 22 long-rifle rimfire ammunition which, with the mail-in rebate, brought the cost down to a little over two cents per round. I saw a couple of guys with their cart full to the maximum they could buy and when I asked about all the ammo, the reply was, “Makes a great Christmas present!” Some Valley stores ran the same promotion a few days afterward, so you didn’t need to go to Anchorage to get a good deal.

If you own an ATV with a winch on the front, put a gadget on the winch cable just behind the hook. That “snubber” will keep the hook from being pulled into the cable on the winch reel and makes things easier when working with the winch.

As always, a gift card to the nimrod’s favorite outdoor store is a great way to let them pick out their perfect gift.