Two weeks from Christmas

This is the second of a three-part series about Christmas gifts for outdoor-minded people.

At this point, two weeks from Christmas, the planning for gifts for the outdoor-minded people in your life begins to narrow. There is, however, plenty of time to secure a useful, lifesaving and proper Christmas gift.

GPS and be prepared

Yes, many outdoor gifts are lifesaving in nature, such as a GPS or a fire starter. Useful gifts include a binocular and proper gifts include gloves.

Facing a life threatening situation is not on the mind of hunters, hikers, bird watchers, geocachers or campers when they head into the Great Outdoors. However, a simple adventure, such as a short, three-mile Columbia Basin hike has the capability of becoming life threatening in nature.

Example: Two hikers plan an hour hike around the lower end of Lake Lenore in early October. They leave the vehicle 90 minutes before dusk, feeling they have plenty of time for the hike.

A slip on wet rocks results in a broken leg for one when they are on the west side of the lake and behind one of the rock plateaus. The sun is down and darkness is fast approaching.

The temperature is forecast to drop below freezing during the night. Cell phone service is not available and, besides, both cell phones are out of battery power.

Of course the able person must hike out for a rescue, while the one with the broken leg must wait as the temperature drops. There is a reason the Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared."

A space blanket will keep the person warm while waiting. Finding fuel and starting a fire would also help. If there is no blanket or fire starting implement, the person will suffer in the cold, perhaps to a life-threatening degree. A GPS would have provided the exact coordinates for the rescue party, possibility a helicopter.

This situation is not as critical as having the hikers five-miles deep into the mountains with three inches of snow on the ground. A snowshoeing trip into the Cascades a few years ago comes to mind.

Three people went on a short hike. The woman separated from the other two and became lost trying to find the vehicle. She spent two nights in the cold. She should have stopped and, established camp and started a fire.

A GPS would have taken her directly to the vehicle and she would not have become lost. Consider this item as a necessary gift for any outdoor-minded person in your family.

Hunting GPS Maps

There is a relatively new aspect to using a GPS; a card or chip for Garmin GPS units, which indicates land ownership boundaries. The company is Hunting GPS Maps (www.huntinggpsmaps.com) and the chip enhances the GPS into a more useful tool.

The hunter is able to study ahead of time and determine the boundary lines to a property in the hunt area, but who owns the property on the other side of the fence. Hunting GPS Maps has the answer, there on the Garmin GPS the hunter is holding.

This card is so precise, the property my wife, Garnet, and I own in Moses Lake is indicated by displaying our names. Your hunter will find this card valuable to hunting and other outdoor experiences.

Two-way radios

My hunting buddies and I carry Motorola two-way radios when hunting. They are used anytime assistance is needed, such as when an animal is down, but also when there is an emergency.

These radios have become stronger in distance and less expensive in price. Therefore there is no reason every person, young or old, should not have a radio when in the outdoors. Cell phones have become commonplace these days, but many times, when in the mountains, service is nonexistent.

A family of four, two adults and two youngsters are on a hike around Swan Lake. The 7- and 8-year-olds run ahead for 50 yards and almost out of sight. A quick message sent over the radio will stop them from disappearing.

The radios are also useful at the campsite, when the kids want to play in the surrounding area.

Riflescope

Most rifles are fitted with a scope these days and most are variable power scopes.

Last year a KonusPro M-30 was placed on top of my Winchester Model 70 .30-06. The power is variable from 8.5 to 32. It has an illuminated reticle, meaning the reticle will glow red or blue, shooter's choice, and at varying degrees of brightness.

I'm still learning about the scope, but so far this scope has helped me drop two deer and two elk. The scope has yet to be used in the glowing-reticle mode, but this feature will be helpful in low-light situations.

This scope is a keeper for my rifle.

Next week: Last minute Christmas shopping for the outdoor-minded person in your life.