$69.99

AMERISTEP ONE-MAN CHAIR BLIND

Why it's cool: This thing has a built-in chair and is perfect for the lone duck hunter. You can fit a dog in the front. There's no assembly; it just folds up and down. It's perfect for the duck hunter who thinks he or she has everything.

Seen at: Cabela's

$10 TO $35

HIKER FIRST AID KIT

Why it's cool: Some outdoors folks don't take first aid kits seriously, and if you give your loved one a kit it might make a difference in an emergency. You can get a two-person, one- to three-day kit that only weighs 12 ounces.

Seen at: REI

$39

GOLITE SNOWHARE FANNY PACK

Why it's cool: It only weighs 15 ounces, but has capacity for 250 cubic inches of stuff. It has six compression straps and an insulated hydration system pocket. You have to supply the one-liter reservoir. It's great for hikers, strollers and bicyclists who like to go lightweight and on spontaneous treks.

Seen at: Sierra Trading Post

$12.99

THE SPEEDY STITCHER SEWING AWL

Why it's cool: This little tool can repair lots of things - from pack straps to wader straps. You can sew a patch on a tent and do other odd jobs or make emergency fixes on the trail.

Seen at: Cabela's

$100

NITE RIDER MINEWT-MINI

Why it's cool: This bike light puts out 110 lumens and only weighs 175 grams. Give your bicyclist one of these to keep him or her safe on the city streets after dark. It is rechargeable, too.

Seen at: Idaho Mountain Touring

FRUGAL FUN

STUFFED CRITTERS FOR CONSERVATION

Why it's cool: Many of the outdoor conservation organizations have gift shops with stuffed animals and other wildlife-oriented gifts like these stuffed birds that make their actual calls. Try shopping at the gift shops at the MK Nature Center or the World Center for Birds of Prey. The money you spend at these places has an extra meaning. It goes to help the conservation organization. Prices start at about $8.

ABOUT $100

I/O BIO MERINO WOOL CLOTHING

Why it's cool: It's soft, warm and comfortable. All you have to do is touch it to appreciate it. Outdoor folks will love this stuff next to their skin, whether you get them the briefs, long johns or this hoodie.Wool is naturally antimicrobial and antibacterial, so you don't get the perspiration odor as with other types of performance long underwear. It's also a Boise company.

Seen at: The Benchmark

$125

VIBRAM FIVE FINGERS

Why it's cool: If you know people who run or hike barefoot and get their toes banged up, give them Vibram Five Fingers Trek footwear. It'll give them the exhilarating feel of going barefoot without leaving their feet exposed. Some customers tell the company that they feel more connected to the Earth and more in tune with their bodies.

Seen at: The Benchmark

$80

WRSI KAYAK HELMET

Why it's cool: It's one of the top safety helmets on the market with a multi-impact design, comfortable ergonomics and a rigid and durable shell. Do your favorite kayaker or rafter a favor and keep them safe.

Seen at: Idaho River Sports

$6

SMITH'S 2-STEP KNIFE SHARPENER

Why it's cool: It only takes 10 seconds to put an edge on a knife with this sharpener. It has a carbide strip to set the edge and a ceramic strip to finish the edge. It's perfect for backpacking, in the tackle box or in a daypack.

Seen at : REI

FRUGAL FUN

GIVE A FRAMED PHOTO

Why it's cool: No doubt you have been on some treks with the person you are holiday shopping for, so why not give them a photo of the outing. Frame it nicely. It will be a long-remembered and appreciated gift. Check out photo stores for processing and frames or use photo-quality paper and print it from your home computer.

$100

IDAHO RIVER SPORTS CUSTOM RESCUE KIT

Why it's cool: Don't go shopping around for all the gear. Idaho River Sports has put together a river rescue kit that includes a 75-foot NRS rescue rope, Gerber River Shorty knife and a book about rescue techniques.

Seen at: Idaho River Sports

$63.95

BACKPACKERS' CACHE

Why it's cool: Bears won't get into your backpacking food. The bear-resistant container is 8.8 inches in diameter, 12 inches long and weighs 2.7 pounds. It holds six person-days of food. This is the sort of thing backpackers don't buy for themselves, but they'll love it. You might fill it with dehydrated meals or other goodies.

Seen at: Sierra Trading Post

$26.95 Sigg Custom Design Water Bottle

Why it's cool: You won't misplace this brightly colored water bottle or have someone else walk off with it. The design is wild. Everyone can use an extra water bottle, and it's the ideal gift.

Seen at: Idaho Mountain Touring

$79

MAMMUT TX1 HEADLAMP

Why it's cool: Mammut employs Lucido lighting technology, which makes this a really bright and concentrated light for skiing, biking and climbing. The Total Reflex Optics lens (looks like a bug's eye) focuses light efficiently and evenly across your field of vision for excellent peripheral vision. A HiFlux 1-watt LED in the center blasts a bright beam in front of you and two super-bright LEDs provide floodlight performance. It's definitely a high-performance light, but you can get 180 hours out of the batteries.

Seen at: The Benchmark

$25

TEXSPORT NIAGARA LANTERN

Why it's cool: This light is rugged, water- resistant and designed to take the rigors of camping and transporting between trips. It has a hard, plastic frame to protect the lens from being crushed and a remote control that snaps into the top so you don't have to get out of your sleeping bag to turn it on. Use it to light up your tent or save the batteries on your RV. It runs on four D batteries.

Seen at: Boise Army/Navy

$55

CORE CONCEPTS "CADENCE" HOODY

Why it's cool: This women's base layer looks so good that it doesn't have to be hidden under layers. It's a piece of performance clothing that is warm, breathable and moisture-wicking. Features include a ponytail pull-through hole, thumb loops and a custom print on the front hip and back shoulder. You're not just giving a great piece of gear, you're supporting a Boise family-run business.

Seen at: www.corelayers.com or Idaho Mountain Touring, Greenwoods, EveryWear and The Benchmark

$50 (ON SALE)

BRUNTON TWO-BURNER STOVE

Why it's cool: Has the venerable Coleman stove met its match? This two-burner propane camp stove looks like it could give the Coleman a run for its money. The Brunton is light and compact and has two 12,000 BTU burners and three wind guards. It's made with stainless steel with a removable grate for easy cleaning. Propane stoves are reliable and durable, so it could be the last one your favorite camper ever needs. And it's reasonably priced.

Seen at: The Sports Authority

$6

COGHLAN'S MAGNESIUM FIRE STARTER

Why it's cool: It is lightweight, compact, inexpensive and durable. Use your pocket knife to shave a small pile of magnesium off the block, run the back of your knife blade across the built-in striker bar, and the magnesium ignites and burns at 5,400 degrees. It's cheap insurance if you really need to get a fire going.

Seen at: Most local sporting goods stores, or go to www.coghlans.com.

$24.95 EACH / $44.95 SET

BOONE AND CROCKETT BOOKS

Why they're cool: These two new books show the biggest mule deer and elk taken in North America and includearticles about hunts, photos and charts of which counties in each state produced the most trophy animals. The mule deer book is 504 pages and includes 4,500 listings of record deer. The elk book is 312 pages and includes 1,600 listings for Rocky Mountain, Roosevelt and tule elk from. If you're a trophy hunter, there's valuable information about where to find big animals. If you're not, it's still fun to see photos and read about them.

Seen at: Check bookstores and sporting goods stores or go to www.boone-crockett.org/

$40

C&F DESIGN FLY BOX

Why it's cool: This compact box can store a whopping 540 flies (if they're small and you really pack them in). You probably won't, but with space for six rows per side and four different sides, you can load up a lot of flies into a small space and leave some of your big, bulky boxes behind without having to leave your favorite flies behind.

Seen at: Anglers

$26.95

LOON OUTDOORS NECKVEST LANYARD

Why it's cool: If you like to keep your fly fishing tackle handy, butalso like to go fast and light, a neck lanyard is a great tool. Loon takes the concept one step further by supplying you with all the basic tools you need and room to add others. This a handy item for boat fishing or when you want to keep it light when hiking. You can also do without a vest or chest pack during hot weather.

Seen at: www.loonoutdoors.com

$35

MTM CASE GUARD SPORTSMAN'S PLUS DRY BOX

Why it's cool: It's rugged, it's big enough to stow a day's worth of food and gear you want to keep dry, and it's a lot cheaper than dry boxes designed for whitewater. It's not designed to be submerged, but it will take plenty of rain, splashing and weather. It's a versatile, four-season box. Use it for food storage on summer campouts, as a place to keep sensitive items dry on boating trips, or to keep a spare set of clothes for winter duck hunts.

Seen at: The Sportsman's Warehouse

$55

GIRO RIFT BIKE HELMET

Why it's cool: Helmets should be periodically replaced even if you haven't suffered a crash. But forking out top dollar for one every few years gets old fast. The Giro Rift is a lightweight, well-ventilated helmet with a thumb-wheel adjuster for a custom fit. It sports high-end features for a competitive price.

Seen at: Bob's Bicycles

$33.50 COMBO

HUNTING/FISHING LICENSE

Why it's cool: If you're worried about whether this gift will get used, don't be. The hunter or angler in your life will appreciate getting a license as a gift and will put it to good use. Don't think of a license as a piece of paper, think of it as a year's worth of great outdoor adventures and experiences that you just delivered. You can get a hunting license for $12.75, a fishing license for $25.75, a combo for $33.50, or spring for a "sportsman's pack" that covers almost every license and tag for $117.25.

Seen at: Go to any Idaho Fish and Game office to buy a gift certificate. Then the recipient will have to go back to an office to redeem it.

Pete Zimowsky: 377-6445 • Roger Phillips 377-6615