August Birthday Gifts for Men, 2021

GPS Smartwatch

The Garmin Forerunner 35’s primary function is a running watch, but it’s packed with additional features that all GUYs (and gals) will appreciate. A pedometer, heart rate monitor, calorie tracker, smartphone notifications, and Garmin’s legendary built-in GPS functionality are among some of its best features.

• Easy-to use GPS running watch tracks how far, how fast and where you run
• Estimates heart rate at the wrist, all day and night, using Garmin elevate wrist heart rate technology
• Connected features: Smart notifications, automatic uploads to Garmin Connect, live tracking and music controls 
• All-day activity tracking estimates steps, calories and intensity minutes and reminds you when to move
• Automatically uploads your data to Garmin Connect

Why we recommend it: While the Garmin Forerunner 35 is awesome for serious runners, it also makes our list of cool Christmas gifts for men because of its versatility.

Ice Cube Trays

We went to a party recently and the hosts served their drinks on round ice. Guests kept talking about the shapes. They are a stylish touch on common household item.

We researched a few options and this set was a best seller and had great ratings. The flexible material makes it easy to remove the ice.

• 2 inch cubes
• 1.75 inch spheres

Recommendations:

• if you're using for a party you'll either need several trays or start making them well in advance
• the kids make cube and round popcycles 

Traegar Smoker Grill

We have a number of family friends who use Traegers all the time. At family get-togethers we have some of the best meals! One of the GUYs cooks brisket and ribs. He smokes them for hours. I've seen him sitting in church with his phone checking in on the mobile thermostat. LOL

Another GUY only smokes salmon. He's a fishing guide and brings home Chinook and Kings all the time. No salmon tastes better than salmon smoked on a Traegar.

Traeger is synonymous with all things GUY. GUYs who love delicious smoked barbecue and who love to grill, anyway. If you know GUYs who love grilling (let’s be real, GUYs love grilling), one of the best gifts is a Traeger grill. It’s the creme de la creme of grills.

Grilling with wood pellets offers a superior taste to charcoal and gas, plus it’s significantly better for the environment. We love this product because the Traeger Pro Series 34 gives GUYS 6-in-1 cooking functionality: smoking, grilling, roasting, braising, baking, and barbecuing. The cooking surface is massive and the grill is easy to clean, as well.

This grill offers six cooking functions aside from grilling, including smoking, braising, and even baking. Any GUY will tell you that Traeger dominates when it comes to cooking “low and slow,” and the grills are very easy to use.

Why we recommend it: Traeger is legendary in the BBQ world, plain and simple. If you’re interested in cool gifts for men, your search stops here. A grill is a time-honored gift for men, but a Traeger puts you in a whole different class.

• They make mobile thermostat adjusters for phone adjustments
• Follow the safety guidelines to avoid fire and burns
• Get the right size for your normal get-togethers
• Try flavored pellets

BBQ Grill Accessories

Every grill master needs a set of grilling tools for his backyard kitchen. We've researched and used a number of BBQ grilling kits. This one is one of the best values for the price.

It comes with everything you could need to grill meat and veggies. It even comes with skewers and drinking straws! We found the handles to be comfortable and the lengths are just right.

Recommendations:

• grill safely
• keep the accessories with the box they come in so they don't wander off

Wise Owl Hammock

Camping

We camp a lot. For years the tent was the main source or protection at night. Now, the kids go for the hammocks nearly every time. They love them because they are very light, easy to carry in a pack and easy to set up. No more tent poles or hard ground to sleep on.

My daughter thinks sleeping over water is her new favorite thing. 

Back Yard

During the summer a hammock is left hanging in the trees. You'll see random bodies chilling in it throughout the day.

Recommendations:

• get the bug net just in case - we had an incident one night with a kid getting eaten alive while asleep.
• paracord and other webbing can be used if the straps don't reach
• make sure the trees are thick enough
• you can do double-decker hammocks but you might not see the kids all day

Bocce Ball Set

This summer we played "ultimate bocce ball'. We grabbed the kids and headed out on the ATVs to a meadow we picnic in. It's surrounded by trees and has a stream running through it. After lunch, we brought out the balls and had an epic game. The white ball ended up in the stream, on cowpies, under logs, in the rock piles, and lost briefly in the tall grass. We did happen to break one of the balls on a rock when an errant throw ended up in the stream. LOL

Nearly every trip to the cabin results in competitive family fun. 

Recommendations:

• Don't throw the white ball near vehicles
• Play in a park or other challenging location
• Play for chocolate

Airsoft Mask - Tactical

My son's friends love airsoft. We've found a section of forest where we can play all of the best games:

• Capture the flag
• All v all
• Last man standing
• Secret service
• Rush
• More

The group we play with is a "safety first" group of boys. We wear protective clothing, gloves neck covering, and eyewear. This mask adds a great deal of protection.

Nothing like seeing this thing peering out of a dark opening in the trees when it's close to dark. It makes you pause just long enough...

Recommendations:

• cover your whole body
• don't shoot someone at close range
• make strict safety rules to make sure no one is vulnerable when the game is in play

Snatch Block (Pulley)

If you've ever seen Destin from the Smarter Every Day Youtube channel you know that snatch blocks are a super handy tool. You can cut your payload down significantly by applying a pulley system. I've seen trucks and ATVs pulled out of mud bogs. I've seen tons of material lifted off the ground by human strength. The best part? They are very affordable!

Recommendations:

• once you purchase one, test it at home so you are ready in an emergency situation
• be super careful to not overload the system

First Aid Kit - Basic

We have used our basic first aid kits on a number of occasions. Minor cuts, scrapes and dings require simple first aid - some times as much for the emotional recovery as the body repair. While the kit isn't suited for trauma or major events, it covers the simple stuff.

Recommendations:

• Get first aid training (Boy Scouts, fire departement/EMT, etc)
• Get a trauma kit
• Explore the kit when you get it an imagine using the items so that when an event occurs you don't waste valuable time trying to figure out what resources you have

Titanium Spinning Top

The ForeverSpin top is surprisingly addictive to play with. We find it migrates all over the house and office. Anyone who sees it picks it up and gives it a spin. We find it on the counter spinning randomly, on the dining table, and then we haul it back to the desk. 

There's definitely a therapeutic quality to the spinning top. During calls or other stressful moments we find ourselves watching it spin as we calm down. 

Pretty cool, classy desk addition or EDC pocket-item.

The Complete Far Side Collection

The calendars were a hit when we were kids. I got one every Christmas. We'd pin them up around the house and send them to people when it applied.

During its 14-year run, The Far Side® was syndicated internationally to over 1,900 daily newspapers. It spawned 23 books and has been translated into 17 different languages.

“Every one of these cartoons is just something that drifted into my head when I was alone with my thoughts. And, for better or worse, I ‘jotted’ them down. It was only later, when perhaps I received an angry letter from someone, that it struck me: Hey! Someone’s been reading my diary!” --Gary Larson, from the preface to The Complete Far Side

Originally published in hardcover in 2003, The Complete Far Side was a New York Times bestseller. Now it’s back as a paperback set with a newly designed slipcase that will delight Far Side fans.

Hand Crank/Solar Rechargeable AM/FM/SW Radio, LED Flashlight, Power Bank - Rugged

Receive public notices, light your way, recharge your devices and more in an emergency with this multi-purpose rechargeable radio and flashlight. It's super handy during a power outage or if the grid goes down. Generate power and recharge the batteries with the hand crank or solar panel. Pair a mobile device to the rechargeable battery to power it as well. Phones, GPS devices, MP3 players, cameras, and other devices can connect to the power supply. We've tested our radio. We've let the battery power drop and with only a few hand cranks we're back in business. It obviously doesn't produce power like a wall outlet but it can power small devices.

Tips and Recommendations

• Charge it up on occasion so the battery doesn't go dead
• Make sure you have the right USB cables for other devices