By FE Staff
When it comes to Christmas gifts, we know what will be appreciated and not regifted or lost to time in the depths of a storage container in the garage. So, this year, give a gift that’s worth giving. Here are our recommendations.
Kuiu Proximity Insulated Vest: $100
What can we say that you don’t know here? What dude doesn’t like a high-quality vest? Kuiu’s Proximity fleece vest is quiet yet warm without making you feel like you’re in a straight jacket. You can wear it hunting or to work. Right now it’s half off.
Fiocchi Flyway Shotgun Shells: $20 per box of 25
Have to bring a gift to a holiday social? We suggest a box of ammo. If it turns out the receiver of the gift is anti-gun or something, at worst it will make for a laughable moment; at best it will get you ejected from the lame-ass party. But like any gift, don’t go cheap by bringing some American Eagle .223 bullshit. Rather, go classy with something like Fiochhi’s Flyway No. 2 steel. In the world in which real men dwell, it’s currency.
Nighthawk Custom 1911: $5,000
Diamonds are to women as guns are to men. In other words, you can’t go wrong with a gun of any kind, but if you have the cash and really want to erase all your bad deeds from his memory, get him a Nighthawk Custom 1911, one of the finest handguns in the world. If he’s more of a modern type, consider the Agent 2 model; if he’s more of a classical guy, go with the Predator. But honestly the model really doesn’t matter.
Aimpoint ACRO P-2 Tiger Stripe: $675
If we know one thing it is this: Men desire peace, quiet, and great optics. But we hate paying top dollar for those optics. So other than celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, this is what Christmas is all about: Buying good stuff for people who wouldn’t ordinarily buy it for themselves. This is a long-winded way to say that if he’s a gun guy with plenty of rifles, AR-15s and handguns, gift him an ACRO P-2, now in a Tiger Stripe finish. Unfortunately our Rhodesian Brushstroke model is sold out, but this one is almost as cool. It’s the most versatile, toughest and best mini-red dot on the market; he’ll look upon it like a first-born son.
Leupold: BX-4 Pro Guide Gen 2 Binos: $550
We are amazed at the sheer number of well-to-do folks who need high-quality optics but don’t know it. Just study the press booth of an NFL football game sometime; you’ll see Wal-Mart-quality Bushnells and Tascos—stuff right out of a Naked Gun movie—being used by people who absolutely need them. On the other hand, sportsmen know the value of great optics, but many hesitate to spend the money. The point is, nearly everyone—pilots, sports fans, bird watchers, beach voyeurs, hunters, infantry men and high rollers—will appreciate a quality binocular that’ll instantly let them know what they’ve been missing. Leupold has come a long way in its binocular department, and its new BX-4 Gen 2 8X42 model is the perfect size and of great quality, yet isn’t too expensive.
Field Ethos Merch
In case you’ve forgotten, we offer cool shit that nearly everyone likes except those hopeless souls with no taste and strong morals. Here are three quick picks: The Schoby is a traveling bar packed inside a bulletproof Condition One case for partying on the fly. $300. Our Safety Third hat is a reminder not to take ourselves or our hobbies so damn seriously all the time. $30. And finally, our print journal is the best magazine in the world that doesn’t often show tits. $15 per issue.
Outrider Trips
Even though most of us are into expensive cars, watches, guns, houses, and stuff that’s supposed to enrich our lives, most of it doesn’t. The one thing that does? Memories. And for those, there’s FE’s Outrider program that offers fully vetted and curated adventures across the globe. Go to the website, pick something, pull out your American Express and go. No doubt it will be the ultimate Christmas gift. From $5,000 to as much as that American Express can muster.
Chicken Cock Red Stave: $175
If you’re going to gift a bottle of booze, at least buy a good bottle and something unique. For that, there’s Chicken Cock. It’s great bourbon from a company who was unafraid to partner with us. Try its new Red Stave. We could add all kinds of adjectives like walnutty finish with curling whisps of hangover, but we’ll spare you the melodrama and just state the facts: It’s fucking delicious.
Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical: $1,281
Mossberg used to be known as the American blue-collar pump shotgun company, but not anymore. Its 940 platform was revamped from the gas system up, and now its Pro Tactical version is the best home-defense shotgun for around $1,000 available.
Yamaha Sidewinder SRX LE EPS Snowmobile: $21,500
If you’re in the East or Midwest you need a side-by-side, if you’re in the south you need a mule and if you’re in the north you need a snowmobile. It’s just the way it is. Since we cover ATVs and mules frequently, here’s a little Christmas gift for the whole family: A 1000CC snow sleigh, Yamaha’s flagship sled. While most of the FE Team would be too scared to ride the damn thing (Pete Correale might be an exception), we trust you, the experts, on this ripper.
Revic Accura BLR10b Bino: $1,600 (Special offer until Christmas)
Earlier we mentioned the Leupold BX-4—a great, compact binocular for anyone with working eyeballs and a desire to see things in more detail. But for hardcore long-range shooters, the most advanced bino in the world right now comes from Gunwerks’ sister company, Revic. We’ve tested this laser-rangefinding unit extensively, and it’s simply amazing in the way its sensors read the atmospheric data in real time, combine it with your load data and the range to the target, then links to Revic’s ballistic app to compute the exact dope needed to make the shot. At around $2,600 we thought it was worth it, but for Christmas the company is dropping the price considerably to $1,600
