BUYING GIFTS What to get

Ready or not, the holiday shopping season has arrived. Here are some ideas for the outdoors enthusiast on your gift list:

GAMETRAXX.COM

For the computer-savvy hunter or angler who wants to remember details of trips afield, a subscription to GameTraxx.com.

The online journal (subscription is $29.95 a year) offers the opportunity to put your trip details on servers that are backed up, so you’ll never lose your information.

Subscribers can click on icons to specify a fish or game animal, use drag-down menus to fill in the date, time, activity and location, and enter their personal accounts and JPEG images.

When the journal entry is submitted to GameTraxx, it is supplemented with temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure, moon phase, and other useful information.

A bow hunter could keep track of deer observed at various stands during several phases of the moon, or a fly fishermen could keep tabs on insect hatches, and fly patterns used to catch trout on all his favorite streams.

GameTraxx is compatible with PC and Mac computers and has been optimized to work with all browsers and Internet connection speeds. To take a “guided tour,” visit www.gametraxx.com.

SUPER CASTER 230 SX

For the angler who prefers spinning tackle, the Super Caster 230 SX, the beauty and beast of spinning reels.

Made by U.S. Reel in St. Louis, Mo., this innovative spinning reel has a wide-diameter (2.3-inch) spool and a fast retrieve rate (29 inches per turn).

Suitable for both saltwater and freshwater fishing, this reel is made from aircraft-grade carbon fiber and aluminum and has four stainless steel bearings. It weighs less than nine ounces, and can handle 2- to 14-pound test monofilament, or 6- to 30-test braided line.

The larger spool helps anglers cast farther and creates much less line twist than spinning reels with small-diameter spools.

The reel’s Steady Drag System offers a consistent drag made possible by the use of seven washers and no lubricants. Even when a running fish heats up the drag, it will perform with steady force against the line.

The reel comes with two spools, each with a reuseable arbor that limits line capacity. This is a great feature for anglers who frequently change lines and don’t want to use expensive line as backing.

Without the arbor, the reel capacity is immense. It will hold 505 yards of 4-pound monofilament or 302 yards of 8-pound monofilament. This makes the reel an ideal choice for fighting large fish, such as stripers, on light line.

The Super Caster 230 SX retails for $149.99.

For information, visit www.usreel.com.

REMINGTON WORK GLOVES

For anyone who camps, cuts firewood, or works in the garden, a pair of Remington work gloves.

The Remington RG-11 general utility gloves have a streamlined wrist with a tabbed closure. The fingertips, thumb and palms are reinforced with synthetic leather, providing durability and dexterity.

The breathable backs are spandex for support and comfort. The gloves are machine-washable and are available in medium, large and XL sizes.

For information, visit www.radians.com.

Cost is about $23.

BIG DOG LADDER TREESTAND

For the deer hunter, a Big Dog Ladder Treestand.

There’s plenty of room, a generous 300-pound maximum weight limit, and features that make it a good choice for both archery and firearms deer hunting.

With all three sections assembled, the olive drab tubular metal treestand is 16 feet tall. The foot platform is a spacious 25-by-26 inches, and has a padded foot rest that folds out of the way. The 13-by-26-inch seat is thickly padded and can be flipped up so there’s added room to stand when shooting. Padded arm rests help make the treestand quiet and comfortable.

Firearms hunters will like the padded shooting rail, which creates a solid rest for shooting but folds down out of the way when for climbing in or out of the treestand.

A ratchet strap secures the frame of the seat to the tree, but there is also a strap that tightens the foot platform to the tree, and an adjustable bar support, which connects the tree to the ladder.

The ladder stand comes with a Treestand Manufacturers Association approved body harness, and an adjustable strap to tether the hunter to the tree.

To find a dealer, call Big Dog Treestands Inc. in Morton, Ill., at (866) 387-2002, or visit www.bigdogtreestands.com.

FISHING SHIRT

For the stream angler who fishes in buggy environments, a sun-blocking, insect-repelling fishing shirt.

The men’s Baja long-sleeve shirt, made by Ex Officio, of Tukwila, Wash., is stylish and functional. The fabric blocks UV rays (30+ SPF rating) and is treated with Buzz Off insect shield. The active ingredient is permethrin, a natural compound found in chrysanthemums that repels ticks, ants, mosquitoes, flies, chiggers and midges.

The shirt will keep its effectiveness at repelling insects for 25 washings. It is made from a lightweight, quick-drying, wrinkle-resistant cotton-poly blend, which makes it ideal for sunny, warm climates. A ventilation system includes back panels and a mesh-lined yoke. There’s also a zippered security pocket, and a tab on each arm to button rolled-up sleeves.

The men’s Baja, which sells for about $85, is available in nine colors, including green, blue and khaki.

Source: McClatchy Newspapers