Tom Hutton Expedition WS4. Steripen
Drop a bit pricewise and perhaps look at a Steripen – the Adventurer is my personal favourite and actually just as useful for day walks as it is for trekking and backpacking. Look at it like this: it weighs just over 100g, that’s 100ml of water; yet by carrying it, you can set off with
half a usual
daily requirement – say 500ml – and then top up at lunch. There you have it, 1L of
water to drink, total weight at the start = 600g! The obvious one comes up next: the multitool. These come in all kinds of convenient shapes and sizes as well as special gift style box sets so there’s got to be something there. If they’ve already got something pretty full-on, then how about a Leatherman Squirt, or even the tiny Style, that
Gerber Crucial Gift Tin
what if it’s only a stocking filler required. To me, there’s a one word answer to this: Titanium. Everybody wants to own something made out of titanium, yet few of us are really affluent enough to just splash the cash when the stainless/alloy/plastic equivalent weighs just a few grams more and costs half as much. But
as a pressie… Decadence rules sometimes. Wenger Evowood
makes a useful tool and can be used as a key fob. If they haven’t yet reached for the multi-functional one tool to rule them all then now’s the time to help them. Perhaps the best bet this year is the Gerber Crucial Box Set, which features a functional yet light tool in a tasty tin, complete with a limited edition corkscrew to open that summit champers on boxing day. Swiss Army knives are bit like Raybans in that they never seem to go out of fashion. Check out the retro style, walnut cased, Wenger Evowood, available in three variations. This has got ‘Happy Christmas Darling’ written all over it. And did I mention sunnies? There’s a lot of choice out there but if you’re buying them for me, can I suggest the Flak Jackets? Preferably Plasma/Gold Iridium, but I’m not fussy. In this technology frenzied world, we don’t ever seem to go far from our phones, so there must be some kind of Outdoor App for the iPhone that has
Patagonia EvoGrip
Top of my list would be the wonderfully practical Light my Fire Titanium Spork. Not only is it mega practical, but it’s so curvy and good-looking I can’t help wondering why it doesn’t come with a stand to make an
Titanium Spork ornament when not in use! But there are stacks of other titanium treats out there: stoves, bowls, pots,
even mountain bikes if you really want to go to town – no, I thought not. Other small but perfectly formed outdoor artefacts include Karabiners – the new Wild Country Neon is a screw gate that weighs in at the same price as a snap gate. Increased security for no penalty in
weight – put me down for a couple please sis. And last but not least, I’m a map addict, and I know I’m not alone. Something like the British Mountain Map Lake District Map would be a welcome addition to any walker’s collection. Or Snowdonia. Or what about a shiny new waterproof version of the most faded and dog-eared one on the shelf? Extra brownie points here for being observant.
And if the recipient is a lady, how about changing her life
forever? A SheeWee Survival Box will instantaneously alter millions of years of evolution and have her lined up next to you behind a rock.
But if all this fails, then there’s always a last resort – charge them a couple of quid for a signed letter confirming that the shopper did actually come to the shop. After all, isn’t it the thought that counts?
16 SGB OUTDOOR NOVEMBER 2010
everything? What about OS mapping? With the addition of Viewranger or Memory Map software (check the operating system) the phone is suddenly a GPS too – that’s got to be worth a few extra kisses under the mistletoe. But
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