Father’s Day 2025 is upon us, and I want to thank our Thin Blue Line families for holding the line. The theme this year is all about enjoying the outdoors. For Father’s Day, let me encourage you to get off the grid and reset.
I deliberately do a cell coverage check when I head to the mountains. That is, if I’m outside of cell coverage, the camping site is approved. If you are shopping for Father’s Day for your Dad, let me encourage you to adopt this strategy.
Here are this year’s gift recommendations:
OARS adventure trips
I know some readers are thinking of getting their dad a cool T-shirt, but the best Father’s Day gifts are things money can’t buy. My No. 1 pick this year is a one-day trip with OARS.
OARS is an adventure company that offers outfitting for single- and multi-day trips. Their primary focus is river rafting, although they also guide hiking and other adventures. Based in Angels Camp, California, OARS runs trips across the U.S. and internationally.
I have personal experience with OARS, having taken my first river rafting trip over 20 years ago. Since then, I’ve done several day trips with the most professional, entertaining and well-trained guides around. Their equipment is always top-notch, and the guides handle every detail.
My favorite trip is Chili Bar on the South Fork of the American River, which my wife and I have done several times. OARS adventures are family-friendly, so your Father’s Day gift can be a group trip with the kids. For me, it’s a romantic getaway with a little rowing.
Military and first responders receive special offers for both one-day and multi-day trips.
Solo Stove Lite
The Solo Stove is a portable stove that uses twigs and kindling to create an efficient, smokeless flame for heating and cooking. The stainless steel stove creates an internal airflow that delivers excellent heat output. There are several Solo Stove models — the Lite version weighs just 9 ounces and goes from dry kindling to full heat in seconds. It’s sturdy enough to support a medium-sized pot, with an opening in the support ring that lets you add more kindling while the stove is burning.
The image shows my Solo Stove Lite at my campsite, percolating coffee in June 2025. I had just returned from making what I consider the most delicious coffee in the world — brewed in the Sierras.
The Solo Stove Lite is ideal for lightweight packing. It burns natural fuel found on the ground, like twigs and pine cones. While the exterior gets hot, it’s still tabletop-friendly, as shown.
MOONSWATCH 1965 by SWATCH
The MoonSwatch 1965 resembles the 1965 OMEGA Speedmaster — the only watch to pass NASA’s testing for use in the American space program. It had to be easy to read, reliable and precise.
The MoonSwatch has a similar feel to the Speedmaster, though it’s slightly lighter and made of Bioceramic material. It features a 42mm case and a quartz movement. The white dial is easy to read, and the hour and minute hands have a Grade A Super-LumiNova coating, making them highly visible in the dark. Recessed subdials and unique UV-reactive markings add to its appeal.
The MoonSwatch 1965 is a reasonably priced tribute to one of the most iconic watch designs of the last 60 years.
DPX HEST/F 4.0 TI (available soon on dpxgear.com)
My knife choice is a DPX HEST/F 4.0 TI. I was touring SHOT Show sometime around 2008 when I saw the first DPX HEST knife design. It was, and still is, one of the most compelling original knife designs in the business.
The HEST/F 4.0 TI is a knife design from Robert Young Pelton, known for his Hostile Environment Survival Tool (HEST) series. Pelton uses his experience from working and living in the bush and war zones to design a knife that holds up to the demands of rough use.
The HEST/F 4.0 TI has a Magnacut blade, titanium alloy handles, and a 440 stainless lock bar. The notch in the blade gives it unprecedented opening speed. The blade jimping is designed for wire stripping. It has a tungsten carbide glass breaker, hex drive socket, and a deep reversible pocket carry clip.
It is a pretty knife, but it’s not made for the display case.
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
I picked up this book because it’s a breakthrough novel that won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction — and that caught my attention.
“The Sympathizer” tells the story of a communist spy, beginning with the narrator delivering his confession while in captivity. He is a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain who bridges the gap between Vietnamese and Western cultures. His name is never revealed. The confession starts during his escape from Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War.
The narrator takes the reader through his time in the U.S., where he continues spying on a Republic of Vietnam general. He vacillates between his mission and a genuine affinity for the general, offering a deep exploration of his conflicted identity.
“The Sympathizer” is action-packed and layered. It challenges the reader to uncover symbolism, satire and social commentary throughout the story. It’s one of the few books that left me wondering, “Did I get all of that?”
Henry Carbine
Henry Repeating Arms regularly participates in fundraising and donations supporting law enforcement causes across the U.S. The company’s motto, “Made in America, or Not Made at All,” is more than a slogan — it’s reflected in their generous support of American institutions. Henry is a traditional American company that goes to great lengths to uphold American values.
As an advocate for the resurgence of lever-action carbines in law enforcement, I often point to Henry’s SPD Hush Series. These carbines are optimized for mounted optics and suppressors. Since lever guns fire from a closed action, they pair efficiently with suppressors — making them a strong option for many agencies.
At the National Police Defense Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Awards Dinner, Henry Repeating Arms Founder and CEO Anthony Imperato presented custom, engraved rifles to several honorees. One of those honorees was former ICE Director and current Border Czar Tom Homan, who was named the Foundation’s 2025 Man of the Year.
Homan declined the rifle and instead requested that the custom New Original Henry Silver Deluxe Engraved rifle — which features the engraved seals of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Border Patrol — be used to raise funds for the Border Patrol Foundation (BPF). BPF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2009 to honor the memory of fallen U.S. Border Patrol agents and provide financial support to USBP agents, employees and their families in cases of duty-related deaths, injuries, illnesses and for scholarships.
I personally own the Henry H001 Classic Lever Action .22, which can fire .22 short, long and long rifle. When I bring family to the range, it’s the firearm everyone wants to shoot. A Henry lever-action gun is therapeutic — everyone should own a .22 lever gun.
The MSRP for the Henry Classic Lever Action is $425. Learn more here.
