2023 Gift Guide
The gift giving season is upon us, so this time of year is met with no small amount of trepidation over what gifts go to whom. Well, TF VooDoo is here to help with a curated 2023 Holiday Gift Giving Guide. We’ll cover everything from the Big Gift all the way down to the prefect little stocking stuffers. At TF VooDoo our specialty is SFAS prep but were expanding this list to include not just prep, but the whole lifestyle of the professional tactical athlete, Gear Queer, and general tactical enthusiast. Now you can get and give the right gifts, use your gift cards wisely, or just get yourself a little treat. Enjoy.
For the record, the links are Amazon Associate links. They are not sponsored, and I have purchased…out of my own pocket…and tested every item that we endorse. If its no good, we don’t recommend it. In most cases, these are daily use items for us. We make money when you purchase from our links, but it is literal fractions of pennies on the dollar and it isn’t worth our reputation to endorse crappy products. This isn’t marketing, this is honest advice from a trusted agent.
Land Navigation
Let’s start with the most important gift that you can give, the gift of skills. Nobody would be disappointed to have a Land Nav muster ticket waiting in their stocking, and there is no better accessory than some TF VooDoo endorsed land nav tools. Let’s kit up with a quality map case. The SealLine mapcase is the best one on the market. We still have the original SealLine case that we used for SFAS and countless exercises and operations since. It works and looks just like it did when we bought it almost 30 years ago. We like the large for land nav and the small for patrolling. The large is big enough to fit a standard size map folded in half so you don’t have to mess with it too much. The small one is easily tucked into a blouse and concealed while still provided unmatched protection. Don’t listen to those weirdos who say that you can just use a Ziploc bag as a map case. Those are for sandwiches, not Selection. What makes the SealLine so good is the quality construction/materials, the excellent closure (like a giant heavy duty ziplock), and the tie down D-rings. Simple, rugged, practical. Perfect. Get a large and a small and you’re all set for a lifetime of dry and secure maps.
Throw in some Staedtler alcohol markers for a perfect stocking stuffer and you’re in a good position to make some smart use out of a good compass. There are many excellent civilian model compasses that will serve you well and are certainly lighter and sleeker than the issued compass. The Silva Ranger 2.0 and the Suunto MC-2 are strong contenders, but I prefer the ol’ standard issue Lensatic Compass. It’s heavy, it’s a bit bulky, but it’s bombproof. It’s remained virtually unchanged for 50 years and that’s a testament to its utility. If you can get one at a local surplus store it will give you a chance to put hands on, but buyer beware. At a recent Red Light Night Series Muster we learned just how many guys have bad lensatic compasses. These were counterfeit ones with no radiation, old/dim illumination, missing bezels, or no locking arm. At least with Amazon you have a generous return policy. While you can’t use it at SFAS, this little Suunto Clipper is perfect to snap onto your map case for quick orientation. Staying oriented is the key to terrain association and is a critical component of time management and route management. This little compass helps immensely.
Fitness Wearables
You can teach an old dog new tricks and this is a topic that I have only recently come to embrace. I was an early adopter of my old Polar heart rate monitor that really helped me understand how to regulate and train within my heart rate zones. But beyond that early skill building, I didn’t really see the utility of a fitness wearable. Man, was I wrong! In my never-ending quest to treat myself like a science experiment and squeeze every ounce of performance that I can from the ol’ combat chassis, these modern fitness wearables can give you a shockingly broad and accurate array of data points to record, manipulate, and experiment with. From heart rate, heart rate variability, calories, steps, routes and more. So, so much more. Better devices can even track all manner of sleep data. There is simply no reason to remain uninformed. I maintain that journaling is best done analog, but for collecting that data you simply can’t beat a wearable.
Garmin is the industry standard and superior to Polar, Suunto, FitBit, Apple Watch, and the others. I applied a simple analytical framework when making my recommendations and I included some assumptions:
1. You will be knocking this watch around in the woods, so it needs to be purpose built.
2. You train early (and late), so a well lit screen is useful.
3. You will track running, rucking, and strength & conditioning.
4. You will likely want sleep tracking and the ability to expand your ‘wellness’ data sets.
5. You will want to synch this data to other apps including sharing it with a digital coaching service.
6. This one is for me…I use reading glasses and need a larger display. Even Superman had Kryptonite.
We’ll give you three options, ranging from simpler (and thus cheaper) to more functionality (and thus more expensive). A few key notes for your consideration. I judge a man by the size of watch. This is shallow, sophomoric, and endlessly inaccurate. I still do it. I don’t like colorful watches. It’s a watch, not a festival wristband. You can get your wearable in any color that you want, as long as it is black or maybe grey. If you want color, wear your dive watch on a NATO strap. Like James Bond. I work in a SCIF, so I can’t wear my wearable all day so my regular watch is a Seiko Tuna Can, see below for more watch discussion. For our wearables, we recommend the Forerunner 255, the Forerunner 265, and the Fenix 7.
The Garmin Forerunner 255 is a nice starter watch with a ton of embedded features. All of the Garmin watches we list will have the full suite of features that you need, with the higher priced ones incorporating some features that you might want. The 255 has 42mm and 46mm versions…get the 46. You can load and listen to music without your phone (if you opt for the music ready version), you have an excellent daylight readable screen, and in-depth sleep data. The 255 also has the Morning Report feature, which gives you a snapshot into how well you slept, how hard you’ve been training, and a look at the weather for the day ahead. This is different from the more comprehensive Training Readiness score that the Fenix and 265 have. But the 255 does have the Health Snapshot feature. This is a two-minute measurement, that tracks your heart rate, blood oxygen level, stress, respiration rate, and heart rate variability (HRV). These reports give you cool comprehensive data points to really dial in your recovery efforts.
Our next pick is the Forerunner 265. This is essentially the 255 with a better screen. The resolution of the Forerunner 265 is 416 x 416 pixels, and 360 x 360 on the 265S. The 255 has a resolution of 260 x 260, and the 255S has a resolution of 218 x 218. That’s a big difference for Superman (see Kryptonite reference earlier). It has all of the 255 features with some additional ones to include the Training Readiness score. But all in all, the 265 is the 255 with a better screen. It’s worth the extra cost for me.
Our top pick is the Garmin Fenix 7. We like the Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar edition. It’s 51mm, so it’s 51mm, which means that it’s 51mm. That’s right, were shallow, but were shallow with a big-ass watch on our wrists. Suck it, chicken arms. If you can’t support a big watch, then you can’t carry ammo cans. If you can’t carry ammo cans, then you can’t get selected. But the Fenix is packed with features. Frankly, it has so many features that I’m not certain that I’m sophisticated enough to use them all. We would classify the 255 and 265 as running watches. Excellent running watches capable of meeting all of your training demands. The Fenix is an adventure watch. Ignore the flashlight, but enjoy the button guards, the extended battery life, the titanium bezel…but most of all enjoy the massive touchscreen display. I was dubious of its functionality, particularly when looking at the price, but this thing is awesome. I’m not above being manipulated, so if you can gamify your fitness then you can see some real returns. I’ve barely scratched the surface of what this thing can do.
We should note that we strongly endorse analog performance journaling. Our upcoming book, Shut Up and Ruck, is an analog performance journal and we believe that it will transform the SFAS prep environment. Old school pen, paper, and data crunching. But we also understand that nearly the entire SFAS prep population are digital natives, so they are comfortable with digital tools even when digital tools aren’t the best ones available. And we listen to our clients. As such, we are working with a team to develop a VooDoo-adjacent prep app with digital coaching tools. Having a fitness wearable will be a critical component of this experience. We envision being able to upload coach-approved workouts and then download results for expert consultation. You have to do the work, but we can help you analyze the results and adjust training to maximize gains. The future is bright. Big watches make it brighter.
Earbuds
Keeping with our tech-enabled theme, let’s get some earbuds to pair with our fitness wearables. You want something that can withstand the rigors of your sweat-soaked adventures, can survive your gym bag or pocket, and sound good, but don’t break the bank. Ear buds essentially are consumables, so dropping too much money just leads to disappointment when you inevitably lose or break one.
Shokz seem to be the consensus choice for that sweet spot between rugged enough, good enough, and cheap enough to keep most guys happy. If you are looking for something a little less ‘lose-able’ then the OpenRun Shokz are a good choice. They’re pretty light weight, sound good, and because they’re connected they are less likely to get lost. If you want individual buds (these are clip on buds so they stay secure in your ear, even during sprints), then the Shokz OpenFit are a great choice.
Rucksack
Stop bullshitting yourself with a ‘ruck trainer’ or a weighted vest. When you get super fit, you can add a weighted vest to your calisthenics, but otherwise it’s not super useful. I use one myself for some calisthenics, but it is not a substitute for a ruck. A ruck trainer is also known as a super expensive non-ruck that only does one thing. Just buy a ruck, put a weight in it, and train. You’re adding a useless step and you look like a weirdo. If you can source a ruck firsthand you can check for authenticity and critical wear and tear. Otherwise, you’re looking for the reputation of the seller. The best ruck is an ALICE, but you can’t use this at SFAS. So, you’ll need a MOLLE II or a MOLLE 4K for your train-up. We’ve purchased this ruck and it is as advertised, authentic, and in excellent condition. We purchased it three times and every time it was the same, so we endorse this. We haven’t found a reputable MOLLE 4K seller on amazon yet, only local surplus to Bragg. If you find a good seller, please send it to us so we can test it.
Socks
The never-ending debate continues. So many options, so many opinions, and so few perfect answers. Regardless of how many times I stake my claim to the ‘let your freak flag fly’ refrain for socks, I get so many questions about what I prefer. So, I’ll concede, here is my list and why in order of preference.
Thorlo, I’m a lifelong fan of Thorlo. Years ago, I met a Thorlo sales rep who set me up with a bunch of socks at a convention and those socks lasted me a decade of hard wear without a single issue. I still have some of them, 20 years later. I abused these socks in every way I could, and they simply performed. Flawlessly. I never had to deal with the replacements or any guarantees or any customer service because the socks just never quit. So, I’m a Thorlo fan. These are my favorites. I like the option of the calf compression, particularly if I’ve been on my feet for 10 or more hours, but I generally wear them folded over the top of my boot, so they stay up but let my legs breathe for heat management. But these seem to have just the right thickness so you could wear them up all the way and not get too overheated. But, I’m also not closeminded and I’m not immune to the relentless lobbying of the impassioned masses. So, I’ve been testing other brands over the past year. I’ve dropped a good chunk of change and tested them across a broad range of environs-- running, rucking, range work, casual, hot, cold, wet. I’ve been taking notes and charting performance and here are my frontrunners.
Fox River. I used to wear Fox River liners that were my go-to socks for jungle patrolling. Super lightweight and just enough to protect the foot and allow the jungle boots to drain. Nothing will test your kit quite like jungle patrolling. I’ve had some cheaper gear literally rot off my body in the hot, wet, dank jungle environ. So, I’m familiar with the brand and I’m confident in the quality. The pair that has become my favorite Fox River general purpose boot sock is the medium weight mid-calf. It doesn’t give you the compression option that an over the calf one might, but the Fox River over the calf compression version didn’t have the same cushioning that the mid-calf one does. Some guys swear by the compression version, but I needed more cushioning. One of the features that makes them ‘fatigue fighters’ is the breathability, but that sacrifices some cushioning. Get a pair of each and see what you think.
Finally, Darn Tough. Lots of guys fan-boy Darn Tough and a big part of that seems to be the replacement guarantee. I’m not sure that this is the endorsement that Darn Tough intended, because it is predicated on the fact that the sock must need replacing. But they have a good customer service reputation and that stands for something. I settled on the medium weigh mid-calf over the calf compression version for the opposite reasons as the Fox Rivers. The Darn Tough over the calf is really cushiony, but maybe too heavy. You can of course fold them down as I prefer but we’re slicing onions really thinly in these comparisons so minute details get noted.
That’s my list. You could get one of each to test them out and be out a little over 100 bucks. It’s not wasted money though, because the ‘losers’ of your experiments can just be a part of your garrison rotation. Once you figure out which sock you prefer, just invest in yourself, and get 10 pairs of the exact same sock. Keep them rotating through your line-up so they wear out evenly. You should be able to get a decade of service under all but the most extreme circumstances. And you can form oddly strong opinions and argue with other ransom people about it. Enjoy.
Watches
Lots of younger guys don’t wear watches and rely on their phones for timekeeping. This is pedestrian in my opinion, and not an option for SFAS. A watch is one of the three pieces of ‘jewelry’ that are appropriate for a proper man to wear. A watch, a wedding band, and a signet ring (to signal your membership in a secret society or such). The KIA/POW Memorial Bands are also acceptable, but only if you knew the memorialized or are otherwise connected. Anything else is just virtue signaling.
Everything that you do at SFAS is timed. Some timed events will happen without a watch, but most events require you to be a good time manager. A good time manager needs a good watch. Because so many guys don’t regularly wear a watch they have questions about which is best for SFAS. The official packing list requires two.
You have to be deliberate here, because you need some functionality, but many functions are unauthorized (altimeter, barometer, compass, pedometer, and of course GPS). I always recommend 3 key functions: a light, a timer, and a vibrating alarm. You need a light so you can check for time at night without pulling out a flashlight. You need a timer so you can time stuff…a countdown timer is ideal. You need an alarm so that you can reduce your cognitive load by outsourcing this mundane task. But a vibrating alarm is key; no need to announce to the world that you’re timing stuff.
A recent class had a whole team get IVWed for oversleeping…during Team Week. 20 days of performance wasted for the want of an alarm. I also recommend at my Land Nav Musters (new dates just dropped) using the vibrating function to remind you to take in some calories. It’s also great for proper route management. Again, managing cognitive load.
So, I’ll recommend 3 watches. The first is super affordable option, the Casio W735H. It’s not technically a G-Shock, but it’s pretty rugged. If you’re looking for an affordable option to fill-in for your tactical wrist computer then this a great choice. I think it’s on sale for less than $30 right now.
If you want the confidence of a G-Shock, then the Casio GD350-1C is a solid choice. The world clock is cool for deployment, and it has all of the features I described above. It’s on sale for under $100 right now, and I’ve seen them on eBay for under $30. Buyer beware.
Some guys just don’t like the G-Shock styling so I’ll offer up this Timex Expedition. It looks a little more like a smartwatch (but none of the unauthorized features) and is still shock rated. It features a countdown timer and it vibrates.
So, get a watch (get two) and start using it during your prep so you can have the functionality all figured out before you get to Mackall.
For the record, I wear a Seiko Marinemaster Tuna Can in stainless. When I was deployed I wore a Nike Oregon (which someone stole in Afghanistan…fucking augmentees!) or my trusty Suunto X-Lander Aluminum that just recently shit the bed…I’m still in mourning. If anyone from Suunto is reading this, you could ease the pain of a disabled veteran with a little collaboration.
Recovery
There are so many components for proper recovery and if you can eek a little bit from each of them you will start to see your performance get notably better. If you can squeeze even more from each of them, you’ll be stunned at the type of performance you can sustain. From injury prevention, mobility, movement prep, and nutrition the possibilities are nearly endless. None more so than sleep. Shut Up and Ruck will have a full chapter on sleep, but there are a few items that you can get now to start setting yourself up for success. First is a white nose machine. This one is super simple. No app, no gentle wake mode, no frills. It’s also a fraction of the cost of the heavily marketed ones. If you want something more, like a clock, and alarm, gentle dimmable wake-up light, and a companion app then the Hatch Restore 2 is well-reviewed. I have a hard time dropping $200 bucks on a white noise machine, but if it helps get your sleep routine sorted out, it might be the best money that you spend. Some guys swear by these things.
I have always said that you should invest in yourself where you spend your time. For most people this means your car, your bed, and your TV. You are in, on, or in front of one these virtually all day. Get a nice car (nice being relative) that brings you utility and joy. Get a good bed…you spend 1/3rd of your day in it. And get a nice TV so you can enjoy your down time watching something other than your phone screen. When it comes to your bed there are a couple of things to consider. Not everybody feels comfortable dropping $3K on mattress. I did, and I can tell you that I wished I did it sooner, way sooner. If you are in the barracks then this isn’t an option. But you can certainly get a mattress topper. This memory foam topper is perfect for adding to a regular mattress, in the barracks or otherwise.
A good pillow is always a good bet and I’ve never found a better one than My Pillow. They come in all sorts of densities so pick your poison, but they are awesome. You can machine wash them (and you should be washing your pillows) and they hold their shape and firmness essentially forever. Worth every penny. You should put a nice pillowcase on it and adults have matching sheets and pillowcases. Stop living like a vagrant and get some decent sheets. Sheets are largely just personal preference but stay away from those stretchy jersey ones. We like Brooklinen and these Sateen ones area pretty good deal. If you can dial in the right mattress (topper), sheet, and pillow combo and spend some time addressing the light, noise, and temp hygiene in your room you’re going to be stunned at how well your sleep supports your performance.
Physical Therapy Item
Don’t get a Theragun, it’s highway robbery to charge that kind of money. Some people say that the off-brand ones aren’t strong enough to generate the myofascial release that you need. They might be right, but I’ve gotten great results from my FitRx Max Mini that I got somewhere for $25 that has lasted 3 years so far. So, I say get a knockoff version and see if it’s something that you need to upgrade later. This one has good reviews, but I have not tried it personally. You might also benefit from the analog version of this, The Stick, which in my mind is the original physical therapy item. It can be tough to do a complete rollout with just a stick, so I always recommend a foam roller. This basic one is all that you need. Throw in a loop of tubular nylon (you should have a roll of this for general purpose usage) and you’ve got a pretty comprehensive physical therapy kit.
Nalgene Bottle – I lifted this word for word from last year’s Gift Giving Guide. It is still 100% accurate.
Don’t come at me with your bullshit Kleen Kanteens or HyrdoFlasks or CamelBaks. We live in a society… The new standard is the hard Nalgene. It’s good, I own several, they take stickers well (an unspoken requirement). But it’s not better than The Standard, the soft Nalgene, which is better in every way. It won’t break in your ruck when you jump it or inevitably flop on it, it ages much more gracefully than the hard one, and it doesn’t take stickers as well…so it’s like built in clandestine sterile uniform adjacent. Very SF, much cool. Whatever you do, don’t get this effete abomination. You’ll be that mouth breathing troglodyte spilling protein powder everywhere. C’mon man! And go ahead and treat yo’self with some of these bad boys. You’ll thank me later.
A Proper Knife
”A man should always have a watch, a knife, and a hanky.” Here is another excellent opportunity to have endless internet arguments over which knife is good, better, best. I don’t really care, but just know that I judge you regardless of your choice. I’ve carried a Spyderco Military, the same Spyderco Military, for 22 years. I’ve spent more money than it’s original value just in shipping costs when I’ve forgotten to put it in my checked bag and been forced to forfeit it to those retards at TSA or mail it home to myself. It’s sentimental. I like this Spyderco because it’s easy to open with gloves on. There is some merit in just getting a cheap Delica or Tenacious because then it’s no great loss when you inevitably lose it. At SFAS you can only have a knife OR a multi-tool, so you should definitely take a multi-tool. There are only 2 acceptable multi-tools (not officially, but it should be!) The first is the vintage SOG Paratool. They’re getting hard to find, but there might be one at Ft Benning behind a tree on Red Devil Road in an ideal ambush location that someone lent to his Ranger buddy but was wantonly and carelessly left behind…maybe. The other is the Gerber EOD with the blasting cap crimper and C4 punch. Real ones know. Those are your choices. For my EDC I’ve recently started carrying one of these and I really like it. It’s cheap, the blades are easy to replace, and I have a compact, razor sharp, little utility blade at the ready. Highly recommended.
Headlamp
Strap in, no pun intended, for a lengthy diatribe on headlamps. There is some benefit to gaming this one a little bit. First, let’s recognize that when you are using your headlamp at SFAS it’s because you need to see some stuff. You aren’t worried about the tactical environment. You aren’t concerned about compromising the patrol during a map check. There is no assessment of the enemy situation and lines of sight. You need that light to see, likely a map or a negotiated route through constricted terrain. This is not the time for wavelength mitigation or candela moderation. If we were really concerned about these things we would not be using red light (read Jungle SNAFUs and Remedies by Kearny for a definitive discussion of this topic and many others). You shouldn’t be looking for that unique moonlight mode or tiny navigation lights. You need to see, so you should pick a headlamp for SFAS that prioritizes seeing. There is an entire sub-culture of Geardos that obsess over flashlights. I appreciate the passion, so I’ll try not to butcher this too much. Look for 5 features to guide your decision: lumens, candela, tint, strap, and user experience.
When measuring light, you should consider 2 key factors: candela and lumens. Lumens is a measurement of total light output from a device while candela is a measurement of how much of that light is travelling in a given direction. So, you could have a high-output lumen but if it isn’t focused at the target then it’s useless. Many lights will advertise/label lumens, but not candela. What this means is that you have to test the lights, preferably under the same conditions you’ll see at Camp Mackall. I’ve seen cheap no-name lights outperform brand name ones simply by refined reflector design.
Neither the lumen or candela matter much if your red lens is so darkly tinted that it unduly occludes your light to the point of detriment. This is where your tactical world clashes with your reality. Again, you aren’t concerned with giving away your position, you are concerned with seeing what you need to see. Pick a light that has the least restrictive red lens while still meeting the red lens requirement. I often counsel guys that the difference between a red lens and REDlens is about 50 meters. You’ll want that extra visibility. Most modern lights employ colored LEDs, so lens filters are a dying breed. The lesson still applies though, you have to check the light under your operating conditions.
The strap here is important, or as important as a detailed discussion of a headlamp strap can be. I always recommend a single strap. The lamps with the stabilizing strap over the crown of your head are good for stabilizing, which is why my running headlamp has one (I prefer this Petzl Duo S). But my field headlamps are a single strap. This way I can comfortably slide the headlamp to my neck without choking myself out. There it sits where I can use it for general lighting as needed or slip it back up to my head as required. The stabilizing strap prevents this modality.
There is also something to be said for a wide soft band that acts as a bit of a sweatband. I’ll confess that this is actually something that didn’t occur to me until I observed SFAS for a few classes. Many candidates would keep their headlamps on their head for this very reason. When I went to SFAS, in the Middle Ages, you weren’t even allowed to have the little clip on your mini-Maglite, and headlamps were nearly science fiction. I recall the feeling of supreme omnipotence when you splurged for the accessory kit. The Maglite was THE standard for lights, and my current EDC RovyVon Aurora A1 is infinitely better…and cheaper. I’ve got about a dozen of these awesome little lights stashed all over the place. So, I’m always open to new ideas and the sweatband headlamp strap is one that I’m open to accepting. You have to be careful to not violate the 3 Rules, but it’s a valid concept.
This may get a little touchy-feely here, but the final point to consider is the user experience. In the manly world of special operations, the idea of button-ology is usually scoffed at…until you start talking about gun accessories. Ask your average operator his thoughts about the Unity Tactical hot button and you’ll start to understand that smart people have opinions, and user experience, button placement, and ergonomics matters. This extends to headlamps. Combined with the fact that the headlamp resides mostly on your face where you can’t see it, where the buttons are and how they work matters. The Petzl E+LITE is a great example of good simple button-ology. The progressive rheostat switch is excellent, including the locking function. The only issue with the light is its low lumen/candela. It’s designed to be an emergency light, so for that function it is ideal, just not for SFAS.
I also like when a light defaults to turning on in redlight mode. I’ve always considered a white light AD (Accidental Discharge) nearly tantamount to a live-fire AD. I’ve seen too many compromises from a bad button UX design. Side Note: I’m a fan of rechargeable batteries whenever possible, but this simply isn’t tenable at SFAS. Dual use headlamps are available, but I’m focusing on standard batteries mostly.
Keeping all of these factors in mind, here is my go-to list.
Princeton Tec Remix – Bright, light, good UX. Starts in red mode.
Petzl Tatikka Core – Bright, light, includes rechargeable battery and is AAA compatible.
Black Diamond Storm 400 – Very bright, great UX, comfy band.
That’s the list. If you have a suggested product better than the ones we like or you think we need to add a category, just let us know. We love the research part and were always on the look out for the best of…whatever!
Merry Christmas!!
