by John C. Krull
Gun Week Production Manager
Another year has gone by, and we are again at the happiest time of year for many of us—the Christmas holiday season.
In the next few pages, I’ll give you my idea of some really nice Christmas gifts for your friends and family who enjoy the out-of-doors. Here goes!
5.11
Several months ago I got a press release for some new boots from 5.11 Tactical (4300 Spyres Way, Dept. GWK, Modesto, CA 95356; phone: 866-451-1726; on-line: www.511tactical.com). I requested a pair of the boots along with some of the 5.11 socks. The boots are their Atac 8-inch Zip Boot. They had just introduced the new color of coyote in this style.
I like several things about the boots, especially that they are lightweight. 5.11 says that their users wanted something that was like an athletic shoe. They are very comfortable and can be worn all day and night without the usual tiredness that I have gotten from some boots because of their weight. The Atac has a non-metallic construction—the uppers are suede and nylon. They have 5.11’s moisture-wicking lining and the Shock Mitigation System for comfort. The soles are non-marking and very quiet to walk in. I often get accused of sneaking up on people, and justifiably so. My wife says that I give her near heart-attacks!
I have always been just a little prejudiced against boots with zippers. I didn’t really figure that they could provide the support that I need in a high boot. But, I was wrong. Once you have laced the boots and tied them well, so they won’t come undone, they will stay that way for months. The zipper is installed on the inside of each boot and actually makes my life much easier every morning with just having to zip up rather than lace up and tie. I have become sort of spoiled by them. The retail prices start at $79.99 for the Atacs. For a while they were offering a free pair of socks with the Atacs but I can’t confirm if this promo is still on.
5.11 also sent several pairs of 9-inch socks. The only socks I have worn for years are the Gold Toe black socks; no others. It was a different experience to try something new for a change. The 5.11 come in both black and coyote, in high sock and also low sock lengths. I’m one of those guys who even during the summer wears socks with my moccasins and quite often get hassled about it. Now, I wear the low socks that barely come above my shoes and don’t get the hassle. All of the socks were comfortable and hold their shape after several washings. A three-pack of the 9-inch socks go for $14.99 and the 6-inch ankle socks are $12.99 for a three-pack.
Whitetailopoly
Last year at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, I came upon a booth that had a game that looked like Monopoly®. It was very similar to that ever-popular board game. Whitetailopoly is the brain child of Darin Overholser (Huntertainment, Darin Overholser, Dept. GWK, PO Box 1731, Newport, KY 41072; phone: 859-466-3946; on-line: www.whitetailopoly.com). The difference being that the places like Boardwalk is now a hunting camp like Falkland Farms. The utilities are gone, but there are taxidermists like Bill Yox Taxidermy and companies like Thompson/Center Arms. All of the 22 places and companies really do exist, and their web addresses are found on their cards.
Money is distributed just like Monopoly. You buy properties just like Monopoly. There are cards that are called “Take a Shot” and “Sportman’s Club” where you have to do what the card says.
I remember as a kid that sometimes Monopoly games went on for hours, and eventually, we just gave up and proclaimed the one with the most money the winner. Here, game play time is limited to one hour. At that time all properties are mortgaged and money counted to see who the winner is. The retail price is $29.99.
There really is no age limit if kids are old enough to grasp and enjoy the principles of the game.
Knives
Next up we have a selection of knives. What would Christmas be without a new knife? Recently John Anthon from Timberline Knives (665 Hertel Ave., Dept. GWK, Buffalo, NY 14207; phone: 800-LIV-SHARP; on-line: www.timberlineknives.com) gave me a call and we set up an appointment to meet at GATCO (which owns Timberline), not far from the Gun Week office. We looked at some knives and then went to the Grand Island Rod & Gun Club’s rifle range to do some shooting with his daughter’s pink Barbie Doll AR-15.
The first knife is the Work Horse. I already liked it just because its name suggests what a good knife is supposed to be. This one is made of 440 stainless steel with G-10 handles and a pocket clip. The blade length is 3.25 inches; overall opened length is 7.75 inches. It is available in either a straight blade or one that is partly serrated. I like the plain blade best. This blade weighs 4.8 ounces. The retail price of Work Horse is: $39.99.
The next one is an assisted-opening knife from the Vallotton Signature collection. This Butch Vallotton design has a 3-inch blade and has an overall length of 7 inches when open. It weighs just 4 ounces and is very easy to open one-handed. It sports G-10 grips and a sturdy pocket clip. I really like its satin finished clip type blade. This is a locking liner-type knife. Retail price of the Vallotton Signature knife is: $39.99.
New to the Timberline line is the 18 Delta. This knife isn’t even in their catalog yet, but you should still be able to get it. The Delta is a really heavy-duty tactical knife. The textured G-10 grips not only look good, but make for sure handling. The pocket clip is reversible for those who need to change it. The blade, which is a semi-tanto design, is milled from 440 stainless steel and is 3/16 inches thick where it meets the handle. The liners are solid titanium and the blade and the moving parts are coated with titanium nitride. This knife is meant to do a job and be reliable while doing it. The retail price of the 18 Delta is $140.
Bushnell
Years ago, I got my first range finder. It was a Bushnell, (Bushnell Outdoor Products, 9200 Cody, Dept. GWK, Overland Park, KS 66214; phone: 800-423-3537; on-line: www.bushnell.com) and while it did its job just fine, it had several drawbacks compared to the quality of the units that are out today. Barb Skinner agreed to send me one of their newer models to try out to see how I liked it. What I received was a Bushnell Yardage Pro.
First of all, my old range finder would only range out to 400 yards. While I might not have a desire to take a shot at that range, it would be nice to know that your quarry is 520 yards away so that you can advance 120 yards to take a 400 yard shot it you want to.
Another issue was not only the size but the weight. From the picture you can see the big difference in size. If I overlay my old unit with the new unit, I can center it in either of the lenses, making it twice as wide as the new unit. The height is not quite but almost double the height of the new model. When it comes to weight 17 ounces might not sound like a lot, but, when you are carrying all your gear, it adds up quick. The new unit at 8 ounces is less than half the weight of the old unit. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that my old rangefinder wasn’t a good unit. It was and still is. I ranged several items with both units and they both came up with the same answer every time. Unfortunately, I can only do any ranging out to 176 yards in my yard but each reading was the same.
The old unit takes a regular 9-volt battery. The newer Yardage Pro uses a CR2 Lithium battery. I did have to change the battery in my old unit today to do the testing. I haven’t used it in a couple of years.
It has been suggested to me that golfers are also great users of rangefinders. I don’t do golf so I wouldn’t know. So, if that person on your list both golfs and hunts or shoots, it would be of dual use to them. The Bushnell Yardage Pro ranges a deer out to 450 yards, or a reflective object, such as a house, out to 930 yards. At Cabela’s you can get the Yardage Pro for about $250.
Sheffield
There is one last item I want to tell you about. This is really a gift type item. It is from Sheffield Tools (PO Box 3, Dept. GWK, Mineola, NY 11501; phone: 800-457-0600; on-line: www.sheffield-tools.com). These guys make all those great inexpensive tools and knives. The products is called the Deer Camp Kit.
You get six really useful items in this kit. There is a compass that comes on a carabineer to attach to your belt loop or whatever is handy. You get a folding saw along with a Sheffield knife. Great LITE contributes an AA aluminum flashlight to the kit. And for hours of gaming, you get a Sheffield deck of playing cards and 5 dice with a dice cup.
You should be able to find this along with other Sheffield products in stores like Home Depot. The retail price of the Deer Camp Kit is $29.99
That wraps it up for this year. When contacting any of the manufacturers in this article be sure to tell them that John at Gun Week sent and you all have a Merry Christmas and happy holidays.
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