If you have an elk hunter in your life, good.  You are in luck when it comes to choosing a gift for them.  Hunters need all kinds of gear.  Their hunting gear is always wearing out, and there is always new gear being developed.  

A good gift for an elk hunter would be a new knife, headlamp, rangefinder or new boots.  Clothing items are also great ideas such as a warm camo coat, or warm camouflage neck gator.

So let’s break down what an elk hunter needs to have a comfortable and successful hunt and what items might be good gift ideas in those areas.

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Clothing

One of the biggest challenges of hunting is facing the elements.  Hunters are out there in whatever nature throws at them.  Sun, rain, wind, and snow.  An elk hunter could run into all of these weather conditions in the same weekend.  Lucky for you, this leaves many opportunities to buy gifts such as:

• Coat: First Lite Vapor Stormlight.  First lite is one of the top brand names in hunting clothing today.  You will see famous hunters such as Steve Rinella on the Netflix series Meat Eater decked out in their gear.  The Vapor Stormlight is a great pick for an elk hunter and there are many other options to check out.  

• Neck Gaiter:  A neck gaiter is something that a lot of hunters overlook, but for those that have them, it is nice to have.  The neck gaiter keeps the cold air off your neck and face during those cold, rocky mountain mornings.

• Boot Gaiters:  These are a must for elk hunters.  You never know when the weather is going to change, and you have to go out into some unexpected snow.  When there is snow on the ground, boot gaiters allow you to keep the snow out of your pant leg as you make your way through the snow. 

Camp

• Grill: A camp essential is an easy-to-use and easy-to-clean grill.  Blackstone grills are perfect for this.  With a flat hard surface, it makes it easy to come back to camp, turn on the propane, and throw some stakes and potatoes on at the end of a long day.  

• Headlamp:  The thing about being in woods is there is no electricity.  Hunters are always having to get around camp and perform tasks in the dark.  A headlamp is a must for all hunters.  

• Water Filter:  In camp or on the mountain, every hunter needs to be able to drink the water around them without getting sick.  Every elk hunter should be carrying a water filter with them to be able to filter water out of nearby creeks.  There a lot of different makes and models out there but something like this Katadyn will do the trick.  One hose goes in the creek, the other in your water bottle and pump away.  Nice clean, potable water.

Optics

• Binocular Harness: Probably the most functional and necessary item any elk hunter will need is a binocular harness (pouch).  Think of it as a fanny pack you wear on your chest, but its for your binoculars.  These allow all the weight of the binoculars to be taken of the neck and transferred equally on the shoulders.  It is so much more comfortable and sustainable when hiking all day and glassing often for elk.

• Binoculars: Want to buy the elk hunter in your life a gift on the more expensive side of things?  Well, you might want to consider getting him or her a better set of binoculars.  Swarovski optics are considered the Mercedes of the optics world. 

But if you want something of a little more affordable taste but still good quality, check out these Vortex Diamondbacks.  When looking at optics you are going to want to go for a 10×42 magnification power.  10×42 is recommended by season elk hunter guides as being the perfect blend of magnification and portability.

Field Dressing

• Knife:  Every elk hunter is going to need a good knife for when they finally accomplish the goal of bagging a nice elk.  A knife like this Havalon is a good pick.  It has a firm, thin blade for cutting through the hide and slicing off muscle groups.

• Game Bags:  Once the meat is all separated, your elk hunter is going to need to put the quarters into a special bag that keeps flies off of it, but also lets the meat air out and stay cool.  I have used these Alaska Game Bags before, and they worked like a charm.  Many hunters throw them away or wear them out, so elk hunters are always in need of more.

• Meat Pack:  Once your elk hunter bags an elk, now the work starts.  When the elk is quartered up, you need to get the meat back to camp.  You do so usually on your back.  With a pack frame like this one from Cabelas, a hunter will strap an elk quarter to it so they can pack it out on their back.  This frame allows the hunter to keep the meat secured to the pack so he or she can balance the weight more easily on their back.

Other Great Gifts

Some other great gifts include a membership to the phone app called Onx.  It allows your elk hunter to gain access to topographical maps that show public and private lands. 

Also, if you are stumped, first lite would be my recommended website to go to, to shop around.  They have a kits section where you can shop by the type of hunting your hunter enjoys.  From waterfowl, to western rifle, to whitetail, they have recommended gear you can check out for that particular style of hunting.  

If you enjoyed this article check these other great articles from Pinetrees and Solitude: 

• What Should I Bring Elk Hunting? Idaho Checklist
• Are Guided Elk Hunts Worth The Cost? Find Out Here
• The Best Time To Hunt Elk: Master Elk Habits

(This article was originally published on Pintreesandsolitude.com. If it is now published on any other site, it was done without permission from the copyright owner.)