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North Face Himalayan Parka

In the spirit of the Occupy movement, the only gift you ought to give this holiday season is to avoid overconsumption altogether.

It's a laudable goal, but your friends and family would really rather you purchase them something pretty.

If you're thinking about a big-ticket purchase for someone who loves to camp somewhere far more remote than Memorial Park, here are some outdoor-gear ideas for the 2011 holiday season:

For the map geek

Regular readers may recall I recommended Backroad Mapbooks' revised Manitoba guidebook as part of last winter's outdoor gear guide. The 2011 version is a vast improvement over the 2003 edition, which did not cover northern reaches of the province. My own copy of the new edition is already dog-eared after being put to the test during thousands of kilometres of tooling around rural Manitoba during the flood season.

In addition to the $26 book, Backroad Mapbooks has also released an electronic version of its Manitoba guidebook, compatible with most Garmin GPS units. The B.C. company has preloaded all its data on the province on to a micro-SD chip. While I have not used the electronic version of the guidebook myself, company spokesman Josh Desnoyers claims the preloaded info is more up-to-date and detailed than the physical product.

The chip is on sale at Cabela's, the Fishin' Hole, Prairie Geomatics, Wholesale Sports and Wilderness Supply, with a recommended list price of $99.95. Check with retailers for specific prices.

For the frigophobe

It seems weird to find Manitobans who are afraid of being cold, but fear of hypothermia is certainly commonplace in Winnipeg, where a large segment of the population leaves their heated garages every morning in heated cars on their way to heated underground parking lots that allow easy pedestrian access to heated buildings.

Unfortunately, this means some people just don't like to go outside. And if you happen to be really, really like one of these people, that means you won't get outside during the winter as often as you'd like.

If money is no object -- what would a gear guide be without excess? -- then consider North Face's Himalayan Parka, an 800-fill down jacket with windproof and relatively tearproof shell.

This thing is warm enough to stand around in at the bus stop, but it's actually made for outdoor recreation. There are interior pockets for water bottles, which you must prevent from freezing when you go winter camping.

The parka retails for $650 at the Prairie Summit and the Wilderness Supply, among other Winnipeg retailers.

For the escape artist

In last winter's guide, I also suggested the Spot Satellite Messenger/Delorme Earthmate GPS combo. I've since heard mixed reviews of the $550 package, which allows people outside of cellphone range to send and receive email. Readers reported dissatisfaction with its performance, given its expense.

Happily, I have positive things to say about the tried-and-true Spot Satellite GPS Messenger, a more basic device that allows backcountry travellers to convey their location from almost anywhere on the planet to a list of contacts via text messages or email. This popular peace-of-mind gadget can also send predetermined messages and requests for help or emergency rescue.

After years of thinking about buying of a Spot, I finally tested out the device on a solo backpacking trip in October. It proved superior to a satellite phone, as it's not only smaller and lighter, but easier to use and more reliable.

If you do wind up in an emergency situation, the Spot only requires you to press a button to receive help. There's no need to verbally describe your position, which may not be possible in a sketchy situation, anyway.

The Spot retails for $169 at most outdoor stores but also demands an annual operations fee of $99. The manufacturer is offering a $50 rebate on sales until the end of December.

For the stocking

Every time you visit a grocery, you'll find some new form of energy bar. Most taste like protein powder that's been thickened with glue and sweetened with corn syrup.

After lots of experimentation, I keep coming back to the same three products. Clif bars, which are packed with protein, fat and fibre, may be the best all-around nutritional supplement you can pack on the trail. Larabar products are less substantial but remarkably tasty -- and never freeze or melt. Finally, SunRype FruitSource bars have proven invaluable as sources of instant energy on arduous days.

During an August canoe trip on the Bloodvein River, these bars disappeared faster than the chocolate. Slip them into stockings and no one will complain this winter. All are available at most supermarkets and outdoor stores.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 3, 2011 C12