Offering holiday gift suggestions is a guilt-free way of giving without incurring a January credit card bill. It's nice to think about the item, about it being unwrapped and about how much pleasure it will bring in the field or on the water.
The question is always how much debt to encourage. It would be easy to reel off a bunch of $500 trolling motors or $1,500 shotguns as must-haves, but that might leave little room for that Sunday Sun subscription, if you know what I mean.
So here, in no particular order of importance, are a few of my favorite things this year.
Take a jacket. Take a shell. Or take both. That's always the problem when trying to cut weight in a backpack. Instead of trying to cram your entire foul-weather wardrobe into your pack for hiking, cross-country skiing or any other winter aerobic activity, take REI's One Jacket ($185 for women; $198 for men). It's even good for spring or early-fall fishing trips. Polartec Power Shield combines a layer of fleece with a stretchy rain- and wind-resistant outer layer. It isn't cheap, but it seems indestructible. The jacket is sleek and black, so you can actually wear it to a restaurant and not look like a dork.
Go ahead and snicker - I did. But Fox River Socks for Women ($12-$15) are just what the doctor ordered if you've got medium-size feet and are tired of coping with men's hiking socks that leave a wad of wool bunched inside your shoe. The Fox socks (sounds like another doctor - Seuss) are knit with a wicking material that keeps feet dry. They come in a variety of thicknesses for activities from walking to backpacking.
Ever gotten up in the middle of the night in camp or cabin and stubbed your toe or taken a spill while trying to find the facilities. Yeah, me neither. But if you ever have, Phoenix Lantern by CMG Equipment ($40) is the answer. The light is about the size of a soda can and has a motion detector that activates the light when you arise.
Black Diamond Ion headlamp ($25) weighs less than an ounce, fits in a shirt pocket and burns 15 hours on a single 6-volt battery. It has an adjustable headband that fits over a wool stocking hat or a baseball cap, making it the perfect companion for early-morning fishing trips, climbing into a tree stand and chores that require both hands.
If there's a woman on the gift list who is interested in learning to hunt, try these two items. The National Rifle Association's award-winning video, "Hunting," answers a lot of questions in about a half hour ($19.99; call: 1-800-336-7402). Fill in the bare spots with Burdette Elaine Zastrow's "Woman's Guide to Hunting" ($19.95) and you might have yourself a new source of venison.
Come in out of the fog with UVEX F1 Racer ($50) goggles. Side, top and bottom vents make these babies air-o-dynamic. With their 18-layer, mirror-coated polycarbonate lenses, they look cool and give you a good look at where you're going. They're marketed for skiers and snowboarders, but also are perfect for snowshoers.
Speaking of snowshoes: There are few outdoors activities more fun - and that burn more calories - than snowshoeing. Tubbs Snowshoes have come out with the Discovery series, a snowshoe kit that includes a set of high-tech snowshoes, poles and a CD-ROM with instructions and a list of places to take a winter walk. (Catoctin Mountain, Savage River and Green Ridge state parks are good spots). The kits cost $49-$189, depending on the weight of the wearer.
Know-it-all, overpaid, big-city newspaper writer learns about life through hunting. No, I didn't write a book. But Walt Harrington did, and "The Everlasting Stream," ($23) is a beauty. Harrington, formerly of The Washington Post, is a white reporter who learns about race, life, death and family while hunting rabbits with his black father-in-law and the older man's lifelong buddies.
Mike Sawyer, outdoors editor of The Cumberland Times-News, has written a graceful volume, "Native Queen." Subtitled, "A Celebration of the Hunting and Fishing Life," the book is a compilation of 31 tales that Sawyer swears are true, "almost true" or "certainly possible." Copies are $10.95, plus $3 shipping and handling from the author, P.O. Box 326, Rawlings, Md. 21557.
Buy "Baits, Rigs and Tackle" and "Sport Fish of Freshwater," by Vic Dunaway (each $16.95), and "Lefty's Little Fly-Fishing Tips," by Lefty Kreh ($14.95), and you'll have about a billion years of experience in your hands. Throw in three-time B.A.S.S Angler of the Year Kevin Van Dam's "Secrets of a Champion," ($16.95, plus $5 shipping and handling, 1-800-544-9343) and the fish will practically surrender to you.
"Wild Wings: Poems for Young People," by Jane Rolen with photographs by Jason Stemple ($17.95), is a winner in the National Outdoor Book Awards. In a lovely volume for youngsters 10 to12, Rolen and her son capture all that's wonderful about birds.
Think of Strike King 3-X and Outdoor Innovations' SnapBack worms, lizards and grubs as weapons of bass destruction. These soft plastic baits, made with a polymer called Cyber Flexxx, stretch more than Bill Clinton's version of the truth. The amount of give in these suckers means they don't break as quickly as conventional plastics. They're a tad more expensive, about $5 for a pack of five, but they last longer.
The National Park Service Golden Eagle Passport ($65) is good at all parks. With daily entrance fees creeping upward, the annual pass is a bargain if you plan a summer outing with the family. Pick one up at Fort McHenry or go on line at www.nps.gov. Ditto the Maryland Forest and Park Service All Season Pass ($60). It's good for day-use entry for everyone in the vehicle to Maryland's 47 state forests and parks. It covers boat launching and gives you a 10 percent discount on state-operated concessions and boat rentals. Call 410-260-8186 or 1-800-830-3974.
Finally, if all the commercialism of the holidays is getting you down, how about making a donation to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry? The Hagerstown-based group pays butchers to process deer into ground venison for food pantries and soup kitchens around Maryland. This past season, 45 tons of venison were distributed. Make a contribution to 216 North Cleveland Ave., 21740, or call 1-866-438-3434 or go online at www.fhfh.org.