For dads, this coming Sunday can be like Christmas in June.
Well, speaking for dads, we're not necessarily that materialistic when it comes to Father's Day, but it certainly is nice when welcome gifts come along that will aid us or update us in our avocations.
If your dad is an outdoors dad, be it hunting, fishing, camping, hiking or just a nature lover, there are millions of items that he'd be happy to receive as a gift on Father's Day, and the majority of them don't have to cost an arm and a leg.
Before you head out to the retail store of your choice such as Nestor's in Whitehall, L.L. Bean in Center Valley, Cabela's in Hamburg or even your local Dick's, K-Mart or other store that carries sporting goods, we're giving you our second Father's Day gift guide for the outdoors dad.
We've got a lengthy list of items on the Lehigh Valley Wild blog entry for this story, and the items range from under $10 to about $200, and that's without having to go to the high end of items that are available, items such as Swarovski optics or rifles and shotguns.
One of the coolest items promoted by manufacturers this spring is the WaveSpin reel. The reasonably priced spin reel is designed for trout and smallmouth bass targeting, but carries a special tangle-free guarantee. If you incur a tangling problem, you can place a call to the company's warranty department and it will try to resolve your issues. If it can't after two contacts, you will receive a refund minus the shipping fee, the company says.
Every spin reel is subject to bird nesting because of the twist that incurs as the reel winds the line, but the four-year-old WaveSpin reel is designed to eliminate the "looping" as much as possible. The Wave Spin has received a "Best of the Best in Value" from both Field & Stream and FLW Outdoor Magazine.
Another neat item, again under $100, is Bushnell's new Hunt FXi weather forecaster. It provides a seven-day weather forecast, sunrise and sunset times, wind speed and direction, barometric readings, the moon phase and even includes an alarm clock. About the only outdoor weather function it doesn't predict is lightning proximity.
And every outdoors dad can use another knife. SOG Specialty Knives and Tools is featuring a Father's Day Gift box that includes a multi-tool, two knives and an SOG logo T-shirt at more than half off its regular retail price.
Finding dear old dad a less expensive item isn't a problem. Coghlan's is one of the slickest portable gadget companies in North America, and it is always retooling great ideas to make them portable, lightweight and fun.
Some of Coghlan's items include a key-chain lantern flashlight that's no bigger than a 2-inch rubber ball. Coghlan's also has the Flint Striker, a magnesium fire starter that will start a fire at any altitude and in any weather condition. It also sells a small block of magnesium to shave and strike to start a fire.
For the camping and hiking dad, there are countless manufacturers of items ranging from tents to sleeping bags, and all kinds of base mattresses to place the sleeping bag on at night. Special bug-repellant clothing also is available, and welcome!
Footwear is another good choice, and there is a variety of lightweight hiking boots both breathable and waterproof for use in all types of weather. Even something as nonassuming as a sandal can provide a nice level of relief after a hard day on the trails.
