If you’re looking for some last minute items for the outdoors person in your life, these are pieces of gear I used a lot this season, and was very impressed with.
Whether hunting, fishing or camping, the most versatile tool I’ve used in the outdoors is the LoopRope (www.looprope.com). The ultimate tie down is durable, versatile and can be used in many ways. I take them on every outing and always have a couple in my truck; my wife takes one on her mountain bike, on hikes and has a couple in her truck to handle every day chores. At a mere $20, you can’t go wrong here, and believe me, you will find multiple uses for these gems.
The best gas can I’ve ever used is the SureCan. A flexible, rotating spout directs fuel into the receiving tank. This results in no more tipping, slipping or spilling. In a gravity-fed manner, a thumb-activated trigger in front of the grip releases the flow of fuel. It self-vents, so airlock is nonexistent, meaning there’s no chugging and splashing. Fully depress the trigger for a fast flow, letting up to slow the flow. You can actually control the flow to the final drop. When done, the trigger will return to its upright position and there will be no drips. Since the spout can be rotated into a position directly below the can, you can use your entire outstretched arm, even your body, for support when filling tanks below your waist. This means lifting and emptying a 5-gallon fuel can is easy. The specially constructed walls of the SureCan are so thick, you can park a truck on it without damage. Drop it, throw it, hit it and slide it; the SureCan still won’t leak. Available in 5 and 2+ gallon cans for gasoline, 5 gallon for diesel and 5 gallon for kerosene, the SureCan is approved in most states, including California, which has strict fuel can regulations. Learn more and see these 100% made in the USA cans in action at www.surecanusa.com
I love shooting sticks for optimizing accurate shooting. I’ve never really been a huge fan of bipods that attach to my rifles, mainly because I don’t hunt in terrain conducive of laying that low to the ground. Enter Bog Pods Rapid Shooting Rest Tripod (www.boggear.com). This rest is sturdy, fast to setup, and offers ample range of height adjustments. I carry it in my pack, in case I’m in a situation where I can lay prone, and get a solid rest. If not, I shoot from my go-to Red Legged Devil tripod shooting stick. Between these two tripods, every shooting situation is covered when it comes to achieving a solid rest.
I’m a big fan of quality trail cameras–especially when it comes to video–and the Stealth Cam DS4K is the best I’ve used. The quality of both day and nighttime video this camera captures, is flawless. It’s the world’s first 4K digital trail camera, and the NoGlo infrared flash range is 100-feet. The fast trigger speed means you’ll not miss capturing high quality still shots, either. I’ve had great success with the DS4K for tracking deer, elk, bears, turkeys and a range of predators. www.stealthcam.com
Headlamps are an important part of my gear, and this year the 250 Lumen Cyclops Conductive Touch Headlamp instantly caught my attention. The light never turned on while in my pack, and it’s bright, direct beam worked great in the duck blind, in the woods, and when hiking along foggy rivers. The on/off touch pad is silent and the unit runs on three AAA batteries which last 2.5 hours on the high setting, up to 10 hours on the 100 lumen white COB LED setting, or 25 hours on the green COB LED setting. It’s shock and weather resistant housing held up on all of my outings. www.gsmoutdoors.com