There are plenty of options for buying local when you start Christmas shopping for the adventurers on your list. The choices we came across range from hands-on gear, accessories, reading material to experiences. Here are 12 ideas to get your started.
ONE BALL JAY BIOGREEN SOY BEAN WAX
$12.50, rei.com, Belfair
One Ball Jay has been at the forefront of the snowboard wax industry since 1986 when Jay Rota and Matt Cummins started the business. The company is named after Rota, who earned the nickname after a groin-crushing skateboarding accident. Among the many snowboard and surf waxes they offer, the Belfair company sells Biogreen Soy Bean Wax. The all-temperature wax is environmentally friendly. Even the packaging is made of cornstarch instead of plastic.
MOUNT RAINIER CLIMB
$970-$1,968, rmiguides.com, mountainguides.com, alpineascents.com, Ashford
International Mountain Guides and Rainier Mountainering Inc., both based in Ashford, and Seattle’s Alpine Ascents offer various guided climbs to the 14,411-foot summit of Mount Rainier. The trips typically start at three days and the companies offer various route options, even the easiest of which are challenging and potentially dangerous. This climb is at the top of many Northwesterners’ bucket lists and sells out early each year. Most slots are already sold out for 2012.
FISHING BOOK
$24.95, Wilderness Adventures Press, Anacortes
Few people have written more about fishing the West than Bob Mottram.
His 40-plus-year career included 24 years as the outdoors writer for The News Tribune. Earlier this year, Mottram came out with “Angler’s Guide to the West Coast: Salmon and Tuna.” The book opens with an in-depth look at the techniques and gear need for each style of fishing, and then delves into boats and electronics.
The heart of the book, however, are the fishing tips Mottram offers for locales from the South Sound down the California coast. He shares his hard-earned knowledge on where and when to fish, and what to use for many particular locations.
Knowing anglers like he does, Mottram also offers suggestions on places to eat and sleep near popular fishing spots. Mottram has come up with a good one-stop book for West Coast salmon and tuna anglers. In addition to local fishing and book stores, you can find the book at Amazon.com
SMALL BOAT
$1,195-$10,795, ghboats.com, Gig Harbor
When we last did this local list, we included Nordlund Boat Co., maker of custom yachts. Since the economy has taken a downturn since then, we thought few folks would be in the market for a $2.5 million-$14 million yacht.
So we, instead, bring you Gig Harbor Boatworks. In business since 1977, the family-run company builds nine different models of rowing and sailing boats, ranging in size from 8 feet to 17 feet. Dave Robertson founded the company and now serves as president and chief boat builder.
Their offerings include the 12-foot Point Defiance, a modern version of the small boats from the early 1900s used for salmon fishing off Point Defiance. The 17-foot Jersey Skiff can be used as a rowboat or a sailboat.
GEOCACHING MEMBERSHIP
$30, geocaching.com, Seattle
Geocaching, an outdoor game that uses GPS receivers to find hidden containers, is free but regular players say a $30 per year membership can make the game even more enjoyable.
“It’s so worth it if this what you are into,” said Mike Rogalinski, who has found more than 1,500 caches.
Extra features include detailed statistics about your finds, alerts when new caches are hidden, the ability to rate caches and access to members only hides. Expand the gift with a waterproof notepad to use as a log in their geocaches. Tacoma-based Rite in the Rain (riteintherain.com) pads start at $4.
FISHING NET
$100-$200, http://fisknat.com, Tacoma
Get your favorite angler a hand-crafted fishing net from Fisknat Landings Nets in Tacoma. These bentwood nets are practical and look great. They have solid or laminated wood handles.
Tacoma native Bob Nelson builds them. He produces almost 20 models ranging from small hand nets for stream anglers to long-handled nets for steelhead fishermen. They come with clear or black rubber bags that won’t get tangled on the fish, making for easy hands-free releases, or descale it as the fish thrashes. Prices range from $100-$200.
In the South Sound, you can find the nets at Puget Sound Fly Co. in Tacoma and Gig Harbor Fly Shop. You also can order directly from Nelson by sending an email to fisknats@aol.com.
TMR SURVIVAL KIT
$20, tmru.org, Tacoma
Tacoma Mountain Rescue formed in 1958 to help educate the public about mountaineering and assist in rescue. For many of those years the volunteer organization has used the sales of survival kits as it primary source of funding. The volunteers assemble the kits that are designed for backcountry travel.
The kits include a candle, bouillon, tea, sugar, salt, foil, knife, wire, tarp, cord, mirror, whistle, compass, paper and pencil. The kit is packaged in a tin container that can be used to heat water and is sealed with reusable tape. A survival brochure is included.
BIRD HUNTING VEST
$150, filson.com, Seattle
Filson has been make rugged outdoors clothing since 1897. The company’s factory is still in Seattle. Among their current offerings – almost 200 items for hunting, shooting sports and fly fishing – is the shelter cloth upland hunting vest with blaze orange.
The midweight hunting vest features two dual compartment expandable cargo pockets with snap tab closures, shooting patches on both shoulders, is water-repellent and has a four-button closure. It is made from 8.5-ounce 100 percent cotton with an oil finish. The heavy-duty tin cloth version, made with 12.5-ounce cotton, is $155.
You can find Filson gear at Sportco in Fife, Cabela’s in Lacey or visit the flagship store at 1555 Fourth Ave. S., Seattle.
FIVE MILE LONGBOARDS
$140-165, fivemilelongboards.com, Tacoma
Cody Shea founded Five Mile Longboards in 2007 and the Tacoma company is also owned by fellow longboarders Dan Kasmar and Stan Zeilinski. The company is named after Point Defiance’s Five Mile Drive, where the men honed their skate boarding skills. The company offers a variety of boards named after fighter planes.
The Tennessee maple boards range in price from $140 for the A-6 Intruder to $165 for the F-18 Hornet. The most popular board is the $160 A-4 Skyhawk.
“A good all-around board,” Zeilinski said. The boards don’t come with trucks, wheels or bearings. Expect to pay an additional $90 at a local skateboard shop.
GAMESTALKER
$1,363.70 MSRP, http://olyarms.net, Olympia
Using the AR15 platform, Olympic Arms Inc. produces this hunting rifle in three calibers: .300 OSSM, .243 WSSM or .25 WSSM. Once considered primarily a varmint gun or for deer hunting, at the largest caliber the Gamestalker now can used for elk, bighorn sheep or moose.
The gun features a 22-inch fluted stainless steel barrel, a camouflage design, a gas-operated semi automatic action and a five-round ammunition magazine. The gun weighs 7 1/2 pounds.
Local dealers include Bull’s Eye Shooter Supply in Tacoma and Brethren Firearms in Gig Harbor. J&S Gun Parts in Olympia is a distributor.
OR GAITERS
$26-90, outdoorresearch.com, Seattle
Seattle-based Outdoor Research got its start in the 1981 when founder Ron Gregg set about to make a better gaiter to keep snow out of his mountaineering boots. Outdoor Research has developed several popular items since (like its Gore-Tex hat, the Seattle Sombrero) but the gaiters remain one of the most popular in the industry.
Gregg was killed by an avalanche while skiing in British Columbia in 2003, but his company continues producing outdoor gear under new owner Dan Nordstrom. OR has a variety of gaiters ranging from those used to hike lowland trails to those used to climber Mount Rainier.
GUIDED FISHING TRIP
$150-$450 briansfishingcompany.com, fishybusinessoly.com, pugetsound salmoncharters.com
South Sound fishing guides offer trips for salmon, steelhead and trout on waters all across Washington.
Brian Oldfield of Brian’s Fishing Co. offers steelhead and salmon trips on the Cowlitz and Chehalis rivers. Tom Bolender of Fishy Business leads anglers to locales like Puget Sound beaches for searun cutthroat trout or the Yakima River for rainbow trout. At Puget Sound Salmon Charters, Bill Devers will take you fishing around the Sound or out of Westport.
Craig Hill: 253-597-8497 craig.hill@thenewstribune.com Jeff Mayor: 253-597-8640 jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com
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