Shopping for the shooter, hunter, or angler on your list isn’t easy. They may hate some of the items on this list. But they might love them too.
Anyone that hunts, fishes, or shoots can be pretty particular about their gear. Maybe they really appreciate getting new items, or maybe they hate it and just want the things they know they like. I can’t tell you which type of person you are shopping for, but I can tell you that I’ve put hands on all of these items, like them, and in many cases, have adopted them as gear I use frequently.
So, without further delay, here’s the Tag Soup shooting, hunting, fishing, and outdoor gift guide!
Falco D901 Shoulder Holster
This shoulder holster showed up just in time for my elk hunt and that’s where I broke it in. Since returning, it’s become the holster the I prefer to use when attire allows. If you’ve never carried in a shoulder holster, consider changing that. The D901 is special in that it isn’t purely a leather rig, the holster itself is Kydex, so there’s some extra security. Additionally, a snap retention is what locks it into the vertical position, when drawing that snap can be release, which allows the Kydex to rotate to a more horizontal position, making drawing easier, and less of a looping mess. The double mag pouch on the off side balances the load and ensures you aren’t concerned about rounds on hand.
Hybrid Roto Shoulder Holster with Double Mag Pouch | Falco (falcoholsters.com)
Rugged Road 85 V2
When I went to Colorado this year, I had two Rugged Road 85s in hand to bring home my venison. Luckily, they doubled as suitcases pretty well because I never closed the deal on an elk. What I did get was a really good idea of how well these coolers work. In a camp without electricity, coolers and ice was what kept us eating well, and man did these hold ice well. The crazy thing about Rugged Road coolers is how light they are. So much less cumbersome than the molded coolers you’re used to, and the performance doesn’t have a noticeable drop-off. They lock down tight, they hold ice, they don’t break your back to move around empty, which certainly helps when they are full. If you’ve been holding off on adding a quality cooler to your arsenal, stop it.
Rugged Road 85 – The Ultralight High Performance Cooler – Rugged Road Outdoors
Outdoor Edge Pivot with Wharncliffe blade
This thing just looks cool doesn’t it? I’m not a huge knife guy, I just happen to have a lot of needs for them. This caught my eye because it was, well, eye-catching. It just sits in the hand really well, and I like the blade style for something different. It is wicked sharp and seems to hold an edge pretty well. I’ll tell you the secret thing I really wanted this for, and it’s the first cut, or money cut when skinning raccoons or coyotes. You need that sharp point to make the initial incision so you can start to get to work. Even if you aren’t going to use it for trapping or skinning, you can’t resist, that’s just a good looking knife…
Coon Creek Outdoors Signature Cable Extensions
Shopping for a trapper? If they trap at all, they probably trap at least a few raccoons, and if they are, they’re probably using dogproof traps, or maybe some 1.5s. Regardless, these cable extensions are the easiest, most efficient way to get traps out, secure, and working for you. A simple fixed loop on one end let’s you attach the extension to your trap chain, and the other has an adjustable loop so you can quickly run it around a sapling or downed branch to use as a makeshift drag or toggle. Not driving anchors saves a whole lot of time! If you don’t know Stu at Coon Creek Outdoors, you should. I don’t think I can call him a friend, but I’ve talked to Stu a few times, and been a fan of his YouTube channel for a while. He’s a big part of why I started trapping. I like letting people know about good products. When good people are behind the good products, I like it even more. Stu and his extensions check both boxes.
COON CREEK “Signature” Series – North American Trapper
1791 Gunleather Gun Belt
Anyone that carries will tell you that a quality belt matters. A lot. There’s no questioning 1791 Gunleather’s quality, and this belt is no exception. I prefer the versatility of the vintage finish, but you can’t go wrong matching whatever you style happens to be. There’s no uber-tacticool-wannabe-operator vibe with this belt. It just looks stylish. I like that. I’m not trying to draw attention as a dime-store Rambo wannabe. It’s more than durable enough to hold up to EDC usage, and the rigid 1.5” design won’t fold over or bend, so you can carry and draw with confidence. Mine has been worn extensively in the last year or so, including a week in Arizona at Gunsite in July. It didn’t melt. What else can I say?
Altera Alpaca Socks
My feet get cold. The rest of me is fine, but my feet get cold. Man do these alpaca socks from Altera help keep them warm. They are comfortable, and do a better job insulating than anything else I’ve tried. Here’s weird part though, they don’t stink. I did six miles a day for almost a week in Colorado with the same pair of socks. I’ve worn them ten days straight without washing them (in the name of science) and they don’t stink. It’s insane. They wick, My feet never feel clammy or sweaty. I don’t know what kind of alpaca wizardry this is, but I love them.
Prevail Medium Weight 12″ OTC Sock – Altera Alpaca Store
It’s not a big list, but I didn’t want to put a bunch of stuff on a list that I haven’t actually used or don’t enjoy. These are all good products that I actually use and enjoy and I think anyone you might be shopping for would enjoy!
Happy shopping season!