Great Gift Items for Under $40 for the Beginning Explorer (Outdoors Person)

For those on your gift list who are interested in exploring the great outdoors, there are items specifically geared towards them. Industries produce a variety of items to help the beginning adventurer. Here is a list of some of the more popular ones.

Compass.
Every outdoors explorer needs a compass. Buy a quality basic one to begin with, since it will last awhile. And, as you progress in your outdoor exploring, you can always fall back on your first compass when others get lost or break for some reason.

A compass combined with a sighting mirror makes for a double great gift. When one gets lost, the mirror can reflect the sun and also provide a point of origin for searchers.

A good basic compass, which combines the sighting mirror with a waterproof base, is manufactured by Silva. Known as the Silva Guide Graphite 426 Compass, this compass retails at around $20.00. It is sold at most outdoors shops. At REI it is listed as Item #408185.

Visit REI at www.rei.com for more information on their online products. This online buying will save you time while giving you added convenience.

Orienteering Class
Sign your new explorer up for an orienteering class at your local outdoors store. Or, local hiking and outdoor activity clubs will usually offer this. Having your new explorer know how to maneuver in the wilderness can only help them. They need to learn how to read maps while using compasses to assure their safety in the wilderness.

REI has a popular class that sells for about $35. The Mountaineering Club, in Washington State, has one for that price, also. Visit www.rei.com and www.mountaineers.org for more information.

10 Essentials Pack
Every outdoors explorer needs to have a 10 Essentials Pack. This contains items that are needed to survive in the wilderness. From beginner to experienced, they are a necessity. You can buy a prepared pack, or make your own.

For convenience, many retail outlets sell prepackaged 10 Essentials Packs. For instance, REI does this - amongst other retail outlets. It retails on average for $30. Visit www.rei.com for more information on ordering online.

All Purpose Pocket Knife
Everyone is familiar with a Swiss Army knife. Known for their durability, they also come with a lifetime-limited warranty. The Swiss Army Knife is over 100 years old. In addition to its reputation as being durable, Swiss Army products are noted for being functional and versatile.

An excellent Swiss Army knife for beginning explorers and outdoors people is known as the Swiss Army Climber Knife. Made of all-steel construction, this pocket knife retails for about $40 at various retail outlets.

This knife includes the following:
· Weighs only 3.5 ounces, making it lightweight
· Corkscrew
· Two Screwdrivers,
· Long and short blade knives
· Can and bottle opener
· Scissors, Tweezers
· Toothpick
· Wire Stripper

Buy it online at www.swissarmy.com. Visit this website for other outdoor tools you can buy.

Hiking socks
Every beginning outdoor explorer will welcome receiving hiking socks. Hiking socks can be either lightweight or heavyweight, depending on the hiker's need. For summer time hiking, of course, the lightweight variety would work. For winter activities, the heavyweight would be fine.

For an efficient lightweight hiking sock, L.L. Bean offers an all-purpose sport sock for women that retails at $16.50. A good one for men is the wool-hiking sock that retails at about $14. Buy a couple pairs of these for your explorer. No one can ever have too many socks!

Visit L.L. Bean's website at www.llbean.com for more information. They are another retailer that offers online purchasing and shipping. During the busy holiday season, that is a definite plus!

Of course, you can simply go down to your local Wal-Mart, department store, or any outdoor store to purchase your explorer's hiking socks. It depends on your preference.

There you have it. You are now armed with a nice variety of suggestions for the beginning explorer (or..outdoors person.)