Father's Day Gift Ideas

With Father's Day coming soon, we are taking a break from our budget stretching series to focus on gifts for Dad this week. Here are a few options we love. We hope you will love them too! 

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OUTDOOR/PREPPER ITEMS FOR DAD

Grill/Smoker

There are so many options here that it is probably best to consult your guy to get the exact brand and model he wants. Perhaps the most utilitarian is a grill and smoker combination. This keeps you from having to purchase two separate pieces, thus potentially saving both money and storage space. From a preparedness standpoint, it makes sense to get one that does not rely on electricity or propane. Since this really isn’t my area of expertise, I will only share a bit about the two brands I have heard mentioned the most.

Traeger Grill/Smoker – A number of guys we know love their Traeger grills. Traegers are pellet grills that can grill, smoke, BBQ, braise, roast, and bake, thus offering a great deal of versatility. The grill starts at the press of a button, igniting the pellets via a hot rod. The temperature control regulates the quantity of pellets that are fed from the hopper to the fire pot and an integrated fan helps to circulate both heat and smoke throughout the grill. The only downside would be finding pellets in the event of a survival scenario. There are many models and sizes, some of which are equipped with WiFi connectivity to allow you to monitor and control the Traeger from your phone.

Egg Style Grills/Smoker – The men that love this one seem to love it for its durability, versatility, and superior heat retention. It can act as a smoker, grill, roaster, BBQ, or outdoor oven. The ceramic ones are reported to be the best and most efficient, but they do have some more affordable models that are not ceramic. The Green Egg is by far the brand I have heard mentioned the most, though there are other brands out there with similar shape and qualities.

Grill Accessory Kit

If you don’t know which smoker/BBQ to get, or if your guy already has one, you can always get a grill accessory kit. We love this one because it is heavy duty stainless steel and comes with a variety of accessories, including an extra brush head.

 

UST Blast Match

We carried these fire starters back in the day when we had the sporting goods store. We saw the demo for this product at the annual trade show and it was impressive. The Blast Match is meant to be used one-handed, leaving your other hand free to help block a breeze or carefully add more fuel. The link above is a 2-pack – one for his camping gear and one for his vehicle emergency bag. You can get a complete fire-starting set by adding the Wetfire fire starting tinder. The 12-pack of tinder will start multiple campfires in even the dampest conditions. The demonstration on the Wetfire tinder was pretty impressive - they lit the tinder while it was floating in a bowl of water!


 Coolers

Who couldn’t use another durable cooler? These are great for backyard barbecues, picnics, camping trips, fishing trips, and more. Those of us who live in the country usually pack coolers in the back of the car for grocery trips to town. Best of all, they double as a storage tote. When our coolers are not in use, we often store extra camping or pantry items in them. Here are a couple of high quality cooler options that will last for years to come:

Yeti Tundra 65 Cooler – There is a reason these coolers have become popular. They have gained a fabulous reputation due to their durability and their ability to keep items cold for an extended period of time. The Tundra 65 is 30 ½ inches long by 17 ½ inches wide by 16 inches high. It weighs 29 lbs. empty making it not too big and not too small.

 


Yeti Tundra Haul – Here is an even better option: a cooler on wheels! The Tundra Haul features the same durability and extra thick walls with permafrost insulation that give you the long-lasting cold of Yeti coolers while being more mobile. The cooler features puncture resistant never-flat wheels, meaning you won’t have to air up the tires. The foldable handle makes moving the cooler easy as pie!


PERSONAL ITEMS FOR DAD

Wallet – It took some searching, but we found two leather wallet options that are made in the USA.

Mainstreet Forge has a bifold full grain leather wallet with a lifetime warranty. They have seven color options with fun names such a bootlegger brown, charred oak, and tobacco snakebite brown. They also offer a leather trifold wallet with the same color options.


Allett has an ID wallet with a leather exterior and a nylon interior. It includes RFID blocking technology and is made in the USA. The ID style holds 4-12 cards, cash, and ID.


Watch – Now is a great time to keep preparedness in mind. Forget about the worry of finding the right battery for your watch and get your guy a self-winding watch. The Seiko 5 Automatic Watch offers a variety of styles in a self-winding, water-resistant watch with 41 hours of reserve power. No need to purchase batteries again. 



HOMEMADE GIFTS FOR DAD

Sometimes homemade gifts are the best. They are a token of both our time and talent (or at least our efforts!). What can you (or the kids) make that Dad or Grandpa might enjoy? Try gifting him with one of the following:

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Homemade Muscle Rub

Homemade Granola

Homemade Glazed Nuts


However you choose to celebrate Father's Day, we hope you all have a great day!  

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