Dream Gifts: The Coolest Gear Money Can Buy
Have you been good this year? Like, really good? Well, then you may just deserve one of these dream gifts.
Santas making a list and checking it twice. And with so many cool gear gifts out there, we sure hope youre not on the naughty list. Here are some of the most drool-worthy mega gifts that will make the outdoorsmen and women in your life jump for joy come Christmas morning.
NordicTrack + iFit: Starting at $599
Interactive connected fitness comes built into NordicTrack incline trainers, treadmills, rowers, strength towers, ellipticals, and cycle machines. That means workouts are led by a coach onscreen, often set in epic destinations around the globe. The machines adjust speed, incline, and other factors to simulate treks, river rows, and mountain climbs.
We tested the Commercial 2950 treadmill this year with iFit virtual coaching and came away hooked. Lush scenes shot around the world display on the treadmills 22-inch screen. Budget one of these for a loved one and theyll be fit, coached, and engaged as New Year calories are burned, the miles roll by, and they get started for next years adventures.
REI Everest Base Camp Trek: $4,399
Anyone whos ever dreamed of visiting Mount Everestbut doesnt want to risk life and limb getting to the top will love this travel adventure.
Spend several days hiking to surrounding villages and see the fabled Khumbu Ice Fall and its towering seracs from a distance. Then hike to the summit of Kala Patar for an unobstructed view of Everests windblown summit. Its truly a bucket-list experience.
Casio Pro Trek WSD-F21HR: $499
The Pro Trek WSD-F21HR is Casios first model with a heart-rate monitor using optical sensors. It hasfull-color maps with built-in GPS, route importing, and original route creating.
It also offersnew apps for running and trail running with customizable interface to adjust priority of app functions. All activity information is saved in Google Calendar, and the watchssoft urethane band is flexible and durable.
Yeti Cycles SB140 Turq Mountain Bike Frame: $3,499
This bike is built to rip. For those not familiar with Yeti Cycles, the brand uses a mechanism that looks like a secondary shock built into the frame called the Switch Infinity. It makes Yeti suspension feel bottomless and also keeps the suspension from bobbing when you climb, even when its in the fully open position.The SB140 impressed our tester with its versatility and great manners in our review.
Hilleberg Allak 34-Season Tent: $1,160
Sleeping in a tent usually marks a noticeable downgrade from your actual home. But while the Allak is most certainly a camp tent, it most certainly is not like the tents youre used to. Like everything Hilleberg makes, the Allak 3 stands as a premium, beautifully designed structure.
In our camp gear test, our editor noted the special, tough-yet-breathable Kerlon 1200 outer fabric made it one of the few true four-season tents weve used. Add in carefully engineered (stronger) pole architecture and rain gutters for drier camping, and youve got a tent to make other campers jealous.
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YETI V SeriesVacuum-Insulated Cooler: $800
Honestly, any YETI would make someones dream gift list. But the V Series makes ours because its the most unique and high-performance cooler the brand has. Oh, and its $800.
But, when youre the first double-wall, vacuum-insulated stainless steel cooler on the consumer market (and your name is YETI), you can charge that much. In short, this is the cooler that other YETI owners envy.
The YETI V Series will be available for purchase starting Thursday, December 5, 2019.
Traeger Timberline 850 Pellet Grill: $1,800
Cook with Wi-Fi what more do we need to say? The Traeger wood-pellet grill allows you to control and monitor your steaks, burgers, and ribs while youre running errands. Your phone displays the temperature and all manner of barbecue wizardry. Just make sure youve loaded up the grill with plenty of wood pellets.
Weve had several testers try various models (here and here), and they agree: Traeger is great for slow-cooking delicious meals.
Ford RaptorPickup Truck: From $53,000
Car commercials always show people getting an automobile for Christmas, but it never happens! Well since no ones going to give us one anyway, we might as well ask for the most badass car we can think of: a Ford Raptor. We had the opportunity to test one for a a heartbreakingly short week and fell in love.
Its not green, its not practical, and, frankly, its not supposed to be. What muscle cars did for the streets, trucks like the Raptor with a nasty 450-horsepower EcoBoost V6 engine and FOX Live Valve Racing Shox suspension do for off-road adventures. But just because you wont get one doesnt mean you cant go online and configure one (just in case Santa is real).
Snow Peak Outdoor Kimono: $650-790
Dont let those facial expressions fool you, nothing makes you smile like wearing a kimono. At least, thats what wed guess; we havent actually tried it. But the Outdoor Kimono, available in waterproof-breathable (left) and fire-retardant (right), looks like the ultimate in adventure fashion or fashionable adventure.
Gunner Dog Kennel: $400-700
Think of Gunner as the YETI of dog kennels. The brand builds them with double-wall, rotomolded polyethylene just like those fancy coolers (except the YETI V Series above). Weve tested them: Theyre tough as nails, and the fit and finish are exceptional.
Assembling this kennel at home is a lesson in perfect machining, as each bolt fits just right. The lockable latch is heavy stainless steel. Made in the USA, itll keep your pooch safe, confined, and even insulated.
Vollebak Black Squid Color-Shifting Ski Jacket: $995
If youre shopping for a ski/snowboard shell and money really isnt an issue, then why not go for a jacket that no two people will ever see the same way?
Vollebaks Squid color-shifting jacket incorporates 2 billion tiny glass spheres that scatter and reflect light in almost infinite configurations. It also sports a helmet-compatible hood and three-layer windproof, waterproof construction in case you were wondering if it actuallydidanything.
Red Paddle Co. 96 Compact SUP: $1,899
This SUP is made for travelers who love to paddle or anyone with a maxed out gear closet. Its one of the most packable boards around, folding down to half the size of other boards. And best of all, its also a top-quality, fun-to-paddle board.
The 96 Compact packs down into an impressively small backpack. That little backpack also carries a high-capacity pump, durable fins, and a super-adjustable paddle.
Filson Weatherproof Duffle: $1,100
Some items on this list carry a high price just because of the brand name they carry or because fashion says so. Thats not the case with Filson. The Seattle-based purveyor of old-school, frontier-worthy gear uses tried-and-true materials and designs like waxed canvas, tin cloth, and, of course, leather.
This waterproof duffle uses vegetable-tanned leather, brass hardware, and wool felt it basically screams cowboy. And because its permanently waterproof and infinitely cool, this duffle is $1,100.
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Mammut IN Anorak: $799
Any time a brand describes its own product as shimmering and futuristic, it automatically enters the Dream Gifts conversation. The IN Anorak from Mammut is not meant for the mountaineering pursuits like its brand siblings are although it could be.
Part of the Delta X Collection, the IN Anorak is designed specifically for catching eyes around town and keeping its wearer as snug as they look. Made with 900-fill down inside an immodest, satiny poly shell, the IN comes in three metallic colors. But youd go with gold, because obviously.
Buy one of the unisex jackets for $799, or get two (his and hers) for about $1,600!
Palli Kristjnsson Knife: $240-10,000
When I walked intoPalli Kristjnssons store just outside of Reykjavik, I didnt know what to expect. And thats not just because the sign outside read simply Workshop. It was more because upon entering, I encountered all manner of industrial tools drills, presses, and saws along with a shocking variety of dead animals. A whale tooth here, a goat hoof there and oh, look, a human skull on that cabinet!
But it turns out that Kristjnsson is a master craftsman. Along with Sofia, his apprentice-turned-wife, the knifemaker fashions intricate, handmade pieces that are equal parts tool and art. Oh, and theyre really damn expensive. Read about my visit and learn more here.
BlackYak Watusi Down Suit: $3,000
How much would you pay to never be cold again? How about $3,000? BlackYaks Watusi suit (cough, onesie, cough) is built for multiday expeditions to 8,000m peaks. And its designed to keep its wearer warm at all times and vented when they need it. Its loaded with all sorts of tech, including Kevlar, CORDURA, magnets, even an integrated hydration-compatible vest. Want.
Flir Scion OTM Infrared Scope: $2,495-3,495
Even Batman needs gizmos to see in the night. And theres a good bet the FLIR Scion OTM scope is better than what hes got. Great for hunters, curious wildlife enthusiasts, and Dark Knights alike, the Scion records video and captures stills in six modes that reveal everything hiding in the dark.
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