Top 7 Chistmas gift ideas for the soldier in your life - basic training essentials!
Image: Top 7 Christmas gift ideas for the soldier in your life - basic training edition
*Let me preface this post by saying that I am in no way affiliated with any of the brands I mention. This post is not sponsored - these are simply honest opinions on helpful products*
With Christmas right around the corner, what better topic to write on than gift giving guides? Thousands of military families around the world are about to send a loved one to basic/initial training with little idea of what to expect or how to prepare. As a two year old Defence family (Australian Army), we’ve just walked in those shoes and woah! did we underestimate the experience and how helpful these items were/would have been.
Without further ado (ordered from least to most expensive): My top 7 Christmas gift guide for the new recruit in your life… these are the items your soldier probably doesn’t know they need, but will love you for!
Christmas gifts for your soldier…
Weatherproof notebook
These are an extremely affordable and practical gift option for your loved one about to enter basic training. Rain and spill proof notebooks retail for around $20 to $40 AUD, dependent on size and retailer purchased from. Months and months worth of lecture notes, tactical plans and field directives will be taken down in all manner of weather conditions during basic training: the last thing any new recruit wants is to lose vital information due to soggy paper.
2. Weatherproof pen
Of course you can’t overlook the importance of an all-weather pen to go with a waterproof notebook. These are widely available and are usually stocked alongside weatherproof notepaper. They’re slightly pricier, setting you back around $30 to $50 AUD dependent upon the material the pen casing is constructed from, but the peace of mind of having a working pen in the middle of a field exercise in miserable weather is invaluable.
3. Zippo lighter
These are available from a multitude of online and in-store retailers for as little as $40 AUD and range up to about $120 AUD for the more detailed case designs. Available in several shades of green, these are perfect for popping on the utility belt (webbing) for all those field exercises. Zippo lighters have so many practical uses: from igniting Army supplied cooking fuel, to creating a fire and of course singeing unwanted fibres and loose threads off of Army attire.
4. Automatic steam iron
Not the most exciting gift, I know, but trust me on this one! A really high quality steam iron will set you back around $120 to $200 AUD and can be purchased from any mainstream whitegoods store. We’ve found the Phillips ‘perfect care’ range to be exceptional. These irons use technology to automatically adjust their heat setting to the type of fabric detected so you don’t have to fiddle with a touchy heat dial or worry about burning delicate fabric. For the new recruit who’ll spend the better part of the next year standing to attention with sheets on shoulders, shouting/singing the National Anthem in a uniform pressed to within an inch of its life: there couldn’t be a better gift than the gift of an easy ironing experience!
5. Leatherman multi tool
Available from most outdoor adventure stores: this pocket size multi tool will set you back between $130 and $200 AUD, but its worth to a soldier = priceless. This baby has many varied applications in the field such as: opening ration packs (Rat packs) and food cans, as well as re-calibrating (zeroing) weapons. The Leatherman will be a much loved addition to your new recruit’s arsenal.
6. Shockproof wristwatch
Now is the time to buy one of these, with so many jewellers around the country having last minute pre-christmas sales - there are huge discounts to be found. The Casio G Shock is the go-to for new recruits, I'm told. Popular for its huge battery life and resistance to most wear and tear during even the roughest exercises. You can also get these in camo colours, perfect for the soldier in your life. Expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $300 AUD for this item, depending on your retailer of choice.
7. Jet Boil hiking stove
This one is by far the most expensive on our list, the full system will set you back anywhere from $300 to $500 AUD. The whole range is readily available at outdoor stores such as Anaconda. This item’s pretty self explanatory, but imagine your loved one having boiled water at their fingertips within 60 seconds, after the hardest, coldest day of their life so far - instead of having to wait 15 minutes for water to boil on standard issue equipment, using supplied fuel (if they can find that long in the day to sit still that is!). Definitely a necessity that your loved one will get years and years of use from.
And there we have it! An item for just about every budget, that will tell your soldier you love them, support them and hope they have the easiest time possible on the hardest course of their lives!
What do you think?, is there an obvious item I’ve left off of the list? … What will you get your soldier this Christmas? Jump in and let me know in the comments below - I’d love to say hello :)
Jessi
