10 degrees of latitude south
December 21, 2012 1:53 PM Subscribe
GiftFilter: Gifts for an outdoorsy teenager trapped in the burbs.
I'm stumped trying to find a gift for my stepbrother, a high-school sophomore who plays football and recently moved into suburbia from his previous home in the Great North Woods.
He's a snowshoeing, ATV-riding kind of kid, and I think those activities are pretty much closed off to him now. They arrest you on your dirt bike here.
Any bright ideas for a substitute experience? He now lives in a second-tier metro area, so most reasonable activities are an option.
I'm stumped trying to find a gift for my stepbrother, a high-school sophomore who plays football and recently moved into suburbia from his previous home in the Great North Woods.
He's a snowshoeing, ATV-riding kind of kid, and I think those activities are pretty much closed off to him now. They arrest you on your dirt bike here.
Any bright ideas for a substitute experience? He now lives in a second-tier metro area, so most reasonable activities are an option.
Think he'd be into road biking? It's not as extreme as ATVing or dirt biking, though traffic and hills can certainly present fun and occasionally dangerous challenges. Or if there are any appropriate areas for mountain biking nearby, that could be an option, too.
posted by rhiannonstone at 1:57 PM on December 21, 2012
posted by rhiannonstone at 1:57 PM on December 21, 2012
A bicycle & helmet & flashing taillight (suburban drivers are not always skilled at noticing non-cars).
posted by headnsouth at 1:58 PM on December 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by headnsouth at 1:58 PM on December 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Slightly different outdoor experience, but rock climbing? They have indoor climbing gyms many places now. My ATV-riding, outdoorsy sister took it up when she moved to a big metro area and it seems really cool.
posted by incountrysleep at 2:12 PM on December 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by incountrysleep at 2:12 PM on December 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
How about a gift certificate for a horseback riding trail ride or some riding lessons?
posted by Sassyfras at 2:35 PM on December 21, 2012
posted by Sassyfras at 2:35 PM on December 21, 2012
Best answer: Snowboard lesson or if he already knows how a lift ticket or two? Or gear.
posted by fshgrl at 2:49 PM on December 21, 2012
posted by fshgrl at 2:49 PM on December 21, 2012
Seconding incountrysleep. New England isn't that big, and there are plenty of outdoors places to climb: Shawagunks (New York). Connecticut. Other New England climbing. Climbing gyms are a grab bag. Word of mouth should be your or his guide to which are worth anything.
posted by jet_silver at 2:52 PM on December 21, 2012
posted by jet_silver at 2:52 PM on December 21, 2012
If he already has a dirtbike and doesn't know how to use it in New England, a membership to NETRA might be just the ticket.
posted by workerant at 3:33 PM on December 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by workerant at 3:33 PM on December 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Tritium compass. The “Frequently Bought Together” items look like they would pair fantastically.
posted by oceanjesse at 4:19 PM on December 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by oceanjesse at 4:19 PM on December 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
Ultralight tent. It will totally motivate him to do other activities because he'll always have a place to crash.
posted by iamkimiam at 4:21 PM on December 21, 2012
posted by iamkimiam at 4:21 PM on December 21, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions, everybody. I have a few years worth of birthdays and Christmases here. I ended up going with passes to the climbing gym, which was a big hit.
posted by zvs at 6:12 PM on December 25, 2012
posted by zvs at 6:12 PM on December 25, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:56 PM on December 21, 2012