This week, we have resident gear expert and son extraordinaire Jeremy “The Deer Hunter”  Handel here to walk you through some of his can’t miss gift ideas for dad this Father’s Day.

 

With father’s day right around the corner, I am reminded of one very important thing. I have a father, and it is more than likely that most of you do as well. And if you are anything like me you have an overbearing, SOB of a father who is likely to disown you if you forget the most important of patriarchal holidays (just messing with you dad…not really). Now, we all know that it is just as easy to pretend you forgot to get him something, that you left it at home or it hasn’t arrived in the mail yet. This will buy you some time, but if you want him off your back until Christmas, his birthday or whichever comes first, you’ll eventually have to get him something.

 

 

My personal go-to is the mushy, sit-com, Beaver Cleaver styled gift in which no money is actually spent. You’ve seen it a hundred times, the personalized note, drawing, or macaroni necklace. This approach is really only successful if you’re under the age of 13, after which it ceases to be cute and may be seen as an issue worthy of a specialist. This type of gift is likely to swell a father’s pride and make him cry tears of joy, as his amazing son or daughter has done something incredibly thoughtful for him. This method may not work for those of you who have less emotional fathers. In which case, I have a backup plan for you.

 

 

The traditional father’s day gift will always be a hit. Nice looking watches, socks or ties are tried and true standards. But that’s too easy. Let’s have some fun and get your dad something he really wants.

 

 

For the technically inclined father, thermal night vision units… Now, this may not be the most practical gift for everyone, but I can all but guarantee your father will spend hours looking at inanimate objects, just for fun. I played with a FLIR Scout II 240 the other day for 5 minutes or so, and I was about ready to trade in my life savings just to see how warm (or, more likely, not warm) my friend’s brains are.

 

 

Also for the technically inclined padre, a GPS will easily alleviate any concern your mother may have about your father’s stubborn attitude towards stopping and asking for directions. Garmin GPS units are simple to operate, so you dad will definitely look like he knows what he’s doing. At the same time, your father will be saved the embarrassment of being yelled at by his wife when he’s “not lost”. It’s a win-win!

 

 

Now, I know that not every father in the world is a gadget fan. I call those dads, weirdos. Nah, just kidding dads out there…all of you are very, very weird.

 

 

If your dad is into the great outdoors, then I have a RealTreet for you (sorry, I couldn’t help myself). Whether hunting, camping or observing the breath-taking, beautiful scene that is the nature of the world, the ability to blend into your environment can make or break your trip. For instance, what father wouldn’t enjoy a camouflage binocular, backpack, riflescope or jacket? Well…mine for starters, but that doesn’t count, since his favorite pass-time is television. A Leupold Cascades 10×42 Binocular is a reasonably priced option that you dad is sure to get a ton of use from.

 

 

So, I am pretty positive that I’ve never met a man who has fathered children and also hates fishing. Since the beginning of time, any man who claims fatherhood has, in turn, forced their child to go fishing with them at 4:30 in the morning when “the fish are bitin’ like ants at a picnic”. A brand new fishing rod, reel, lure or line from Eagle Claw may not have him crying tears of joy, but maybe some water will splash on his face while you’re out fishing, and you can pretend that you’ve finally jarred some emotion loose.

 

 

If your father is a handgun shooter, then a holster, a pair of shooting glasses, a concealed carry shirt or a range bag is a surefire way to get off your dad’s hit list and onto his good side. For shooting glasses, I saw a video in which a pair of ESS Ice Sunglasses were forced to endure impact from a variety of sources without breaking. I was pretty impressed with their ability to take punishment, and since your dad probably hasn’t met your match for people and objects that are able to take punishment, he will definitely be impressed too.

 

 

For the papas out there whom are easily mesmerized by things that are shiny, sharp, and look like they are right out of a Philip K Dick novel, the multi-tools being produced today are insanely cool and more reminiscent of alien devices than they are of tools.  That said, with all the impressive multi-tool options out there today, I can pretty much guarantee that your dad will find any opportunity he can to use the one you give him. As an example, Leatherman MUT EOD multi-tools are some of the coolest I’ve seen in a while.

 

 

If your father is none of the above, then…ummm…how about a dry box? With a dry box the possibilities are limited only by your father’s imagination, however bizarre. No matter what your father is into he will definitely find a use for an o-ring sealed, empty box. Not only that, it will still look like you put in effort. Especially if you can tell him you got it for his collection of rare marbles, or whatever obscure practice your dad calls a hobby. For this option I recommend a Pelican 1170 or 1400. Both are incredibly versatile and surprisingly nice for what more or less equates to an empty box.

 

 

Now all you have to do is figure out which type of father you have, and you’ll be all set!

 

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