by Jacob Gordon
Continuing our look at holiday gift ideas, we’ll focus this week’s Five on Friday on gifts for the guy in your life. Whether it’s your partner, son, grandparent, or best friend, here are five Christmas gift ideas from Appalachian Outdoors that he’s sure to love.
Rather than concentrate on big-ticket items (something we covered last week), we’ll keep the attention on items that can complement the larger, more impressive gifts he may receive this holiday season. Think of these as gifts he’s going to open before the grand finale.
We did a whole Five on Friday article a few weeks ago dedicated to tech-friendly gloves, but a lot of that bears repeating here. We have an array of tech-friendly glove options from lightweight liners that offer excellent dexterity to heavier-weight shells that can be taken on the mountain. No matter what kind of gloves the guy in your life needs, going with a tech-friendly option is a great idea. The gloves will not only provide the winter weather protection he needs, but he’ll be able to use his touchscreen devices without having to expose his bare hands. His digits will be thanking you almost as much as he will.
2. Life is Good Shirts, Sweaters, or Sleep Pants
 Long Sleeve Life is Good Shirts |
 Life is Good Sleep Pants |
 Life is Good Tees |
There’s nothing quite like a Life is Good product. They take the activities your guy loves to do in his free time and put a fun spin on them. From grilling to fishing or hanging out with the dog, there’s a Life is Good shirt for just about every guy around. And if you’re looking for a more comfortable or warmer option, check out the array of sweaters and sleep pants offered by Life is Good. These products may not come loaded with technical features, but they’re comfy, uplifting, and fun to show around town.
3. Wool Socks
I know what you’re thinking. Socks? Isn’t that about as exciting as a tie? Well, if you ask any fellow Appalachian Outdoors employee, I guarantee you the mere mention of wool socks will stir some excitement. There’s nothing that beats a comfy sock, especially if your guy is on his feet for an extended period of time. If he’s looking for a great fitting sock, try Fits Socks.
If he needs something that’s a little more durable, look towards Darn Tough Socks.
If he likes something more well-rounded with a touch of style, check out Smartwool Socks. There are plenty of options available to ensure you get the perfect pair of socks.
Best of all? Wool socks have an array of advantages over those bargain-based, grey-heel cotton socks. They’re incredibly comfortable. They wick moisture keeping feet dry. They dry quickly if they get wet. Did I mention how comfortable they are? They can actually be worn a few times without having to be washed (less laundry!). And my personal favorite advantage: each pair of wool socks I own has a unique design, so I don’t have to spend a lot of time matching socks while doing laundry. There’s no more guessing!
The beauty of an insulated water bottle is the versatility it can provide. Whether it’s meant to 
keep coffee warm during a day at the office or water cold during a backcountry adventure, an insulated water bottle may be the one item he uses 365 days a year. Depending on which brand does the marketing, insulated water bottles can keep drinks cold for up to 24 hours and warm up to 12. Times may vary of course, but the gist of it is that his drinks will stay at the correct temperature for a surprisingly long amount of time. Many of the wide-mouth bottles even offer coffee-specific lids that help prevent burning lips on hot liquids. Or if your guy is like me and loves hitting the growler fill stations at the local pub, think about a 64 oz. bottle that is guaranteed to keep beer chilled on the journey home.
***Pro-Tip: If an insulated bottle is going to be used for coffee or tea, have him fill the bottle with hot tap water before pouring in the drink. This will prep the bottle and keep the coffee or tea warmer for longer!***
5. Multi-Tool
If you’ve got a handy-man in your life that doesn’t have a Leatherman multi-tool, here’s the gift for him. Depending on what he needs the tool for, you can pick a tool that has all the right parts. And it doesn’t have to be the little red keychain that is more toy than tool. Some multi-tools are pretty heavy-duty, offering a hefty, solid feel to them and plenty of options to get the job done.