Fishing Travel Gifts to Protect Your Property and Your Person
It’s not too late to buy your loved ones a gift, or to buy yourself something nice. No matter who you’re trying to please it makes sense to get something that’s not only practical but also protective. Fishing and boating gear, as well as outdoor-oriented clothing, has become much more refined in recent years. It’s often more technologically-advanced and purpose-driven. Whether you’re trying to protect your skin, your valuables or your boat, there’s something good on the market, often for a surprisingly reasonable cost. Here are some of my favorites:
SCOTTeVEST Men’s Underwear
When headed to Africa on a trip that had luggage restrictions of 33 pounds per person, our friend Steve Yatomi told us about the SCOTTeVest, a vest that “doubles as a second carry-on.” The sucker has enough pockets that you can bring almost everything you need on your body. For years I’ve worn the Ex Officio Give N Go boxers for travel because they have an antimicrobial fabric and can be washed out in a hotel room sink. Now those two worlds collide. If your loved one is headed to a place where pickpocketers are rampant, consider these skivvies, which have pockets affixed to them to provide your valuables – keeping your family jewels and your “family jewels” safe.
I continue to be shocked at how many traveling anglers leave their boats on the trailers and unlocked when they leave a hotel or cabin to go somewhere. It would be remarkably easy for someone to back up a vehicle and drive off with your whole rig. That’s why I force myself to use this simple lock (in combination with the security system on my Bass Cat) whenever the boat is alone. In addition to being waterproof and coming with three keys (for those of us who tend to lose such things) it makes a banshee-like scream if someone tampers with it. That way, it’ll either scare away the potential thieves or alert others to their efforts.
For those of us who spend a lot of time in the sun, skin cancer is a real threat. Unfortunately, I don’t like excess fabric or items up against my body. For example, I don’t wear any jewelry or a watch, and the second I’m in the house I’m out of my work clothes and into a t-shirt and shorts. Despite having dozens of “buffs” I don’t really love wearing the low-end ones because I’m constantly aware of their presence. The Solido changed that. Not only is it superlightweight, but it has mesh breathing holes to prevent your glasses from fogging up. Not the cheapest of its kind, but more than worth it to prevent the Big C.
DD26 Hydraulic Steering Locks
I’m as guilty as anyone else of wanting to get home as soon as possible after I get the boat on the trailer. Sometimes I don’t wipe it down, but anything safety-related is a must. On my 1999 Bass Cat Pantera III, the 200 HP engine tended to sway and scoot a little bit side to side, even when secured with a motor toter. Sometimes the C-clamp would be on the far end of the lower roller when I got home. Ever since then I’ve feared the motor support coming loose and dragging down the highway, leaving a trail of sparks and potentially lower unit pieces. These steering clips are quick and easy to use, and they’ll prevent that possibility. If you know someone who tows long distances, these are a great idea.
If you know someone like my friend Aaron Rygas who has a tendency to leave a pair of expensive sunglasses on the bottom of just about every lake he fishes, check these out. They may appear a little bit bulky, but they weigh less than half an ounce. More importantly, they fit most sunglasses and will float anything up to 1.8 ounces. If he’d used them, they would have saved Aaron enough to buy me a nice gift.
