Father's Day Gift Guide - Good Sons & Daughters Get Him Outside!

This review comes from Scott Johns, an adventure cinematographer, mountain biker and snowboarder living in Incline Village on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. When Scott’s not creating beautiful imagery for video, he’s out ripping singletrack or shredding big lines in his backyard that we call the Eastern Sierra Nevada. Find more of Scott’s work at shredbums.com.

You’ve heard it before. On Father’s Day, what dads really want is to be left alone. Men are biologically wired to hunt and gather, to be outside, getting weird in the woods. Want to truly stoke out the father in your life this year? Start the day with a big, black cup of coffee and one of these gifts, then send him on his way. He’ll come back with a smile, feeling refreshed.

Manhood starts with a Leatherman

Seriously, no man feels complete without one of these puppies, but choosing which one to get him can get complicated. Let’s start with what’s most important. Obviously, all a man really needs is a corkscrew to open his lady a nice bottle of wine at the end of this most epic Father’s Day. The pliers, knives, screwdrivers, etc. he’ll need for who-knows-what are just a bonus on the Juice CS4. But he’ll be grateful just the same.

“Man’s best friend” is actually his belt

Now that he has a Leatherman, he’ll need a proper place to put it. That’s on his belt. We grow as attached to our belts as we do our dogs, and still, a good belt might outlive a good K-9. Arcade Belts has changed the game, too. Put one on and there’s no going back. Arcade has a belt for everyone; dressy belts that are still great outdoors and all-elastic belts that are great for everything, everyday. Tahoe Mountain Sports’ Director of Online Marketing, Adam Broderick, even wore his black Midnighter to a recent wedding when he forgot his dress belt. Nobody knew the difference.

Real men wear real slippers

None of that K-Mart nonsense for us. The Sanuk Pick Pocket Slip On Shoes are life-changers. These textured hemp slip-ons sport a custom print, soft canvas lining, high rebound Instaplay footbeds, Happy U Rubber outsoles and a large stash pocket for emergency taco money, or whatever. Sandals are great, but their uses are limited. These are so much more versatile and, as those of us privy to the cool evenings of Tahoe know, wear well far beyond dusk, when sandals can quickly become a bit of a bummer.

A better bag for geeking out

You know that thing he fixed last week? The one he kind of made better, but kind of made worse at the same time? Yeah, that. Chances are he figured out how to botch that repair job by using a tool almost as important as his Leatherman: his laptop. Help him keep it safe and carry this evening’s picnic supplies, too, with the Deuter Giga Pro Daypack. It has all the features he needs, perfectly organized and protected, with an extra-padded, removable laptop compartment.

Style him out a bit, too

Now that we’ve covered all the super-masculine necessities, let’s get that guy looking a little snazzier. The Life is Good Grateful Dad Tee says it all and the Mountain Hardwear men’s DryTraveler Polo does it all. The latter will have him looking good and feeling comfortable at the office, on the disc golf course or at a casual lakeside dinner. Its poly/spandex blend offers the feel he gets from cotton but dries quickly and will stretch with him comfortably, while the antimicrobial finish helps eliminate odor and the UPF 25 protects him from the sun. Finally, no man’s wardrobe is complete without a plaid button down. The Marmot Newport Short Sleeve Shirt will keep him looking charming through sun-drenched days in seaside cities and mountain towns alike.

It might be best to end this post with a little disclaimer: I’m not a father, but I am a man, sort of. I’m a full-grown, thirty-year-old man-boy. The boy part is the key here. Kids or not, we men all need to feel like boys from time to time. Fact: the responsibilities of parenthood leave most men experiencing that feeling less often. Presents are a good way to bring it back, but being outside is better. So, this Father’s Day, if you really want to do the right thing, just make sure he gets to be outside, experiencing a new place, a new activity or an old favorite that he doesn’t have as much time for these days. And if anybody wants to get me an honorary Father’s Day gift, I’d like the Sanuks please.

P.S. I love you dad, thanks for everything.

Some more good Fathers Day presents, just for good measure: