As promised last week I’ve forced myself to get out earlier this year and pester Brad Ryder at Epic Sports for ideas to help you shop this Christmas. Based on past years’ feedback, even this weekend may be pushing the shopping envelope for some.

(Me? I start thinking about things next week.)

In trying to be efficient this year, I met with Ryder after work last Monday (his downtown Bangor store was open until 8 p.m.) and we began our annual tour, list in hand.

He had prevailed on staff to put the list together in an attempt to hit the high spots and make our time together productive and meaningful. Nice try, guys, but you know I’m easily distracted (come to find out so is Ryder).

We spent more than two hours at our task, mostly because I kept wandering off, picking up and examining items that were not on the list – sort of like a kid in a candy shop – and even then I think I missed some of the items Ryder’s gang had selected. It turned out that Ryder, too, was easily distracted – seems he felt it necessary to help the paying customers – can you imagine? So while he went about the business of doing his business, I’d drift off to play with this or that until he was free.

Without further ado, then, let’s see what’s hot this year.

Energy bars make for great stomach and stocking stuffers. Larabar by Humm Foods will do the trick. Their mantra: the foundation of a healthy mind, body, and spirit is derived from what you eat. And what you eat is healthiest and most satisfying when it’s in a whole, natural state. Flavors run the gamut from apple pie, banana cookie, cherry pie, and chocolate coconut to cashew cookie, pecan pie, cocoa mole, gingersnap, and cinnamon roll. (I tried the cashew cookie, it’s not too bad.) They cost about $2.25.

And while you’re at it, grab a couple of Zukes Dental Chews or Treats for Bowser. They’re all-natural and will delight your four-legged friend. At $3.50 to $5, nothing’s too much for our canine friends.

You may want to throw in a water bottle (see last week’s piece on SIGG) or check out the display at Epic. On the trail, there’s nothing more welcome than a cool drink of water, especially to help wash down one of those energy bars.

While we’re stuffing the stocking, check out All Terrain’s natural line of skin-care and protection products. There are sunscreen, insect repellant, first aid, sanitizer, and soap items as well as pet protection products, some 30 of them in the company brochure. Perhaps the sampler-travel kit would be a good choice. The company is the winner of the Silver Award from Lawn and Garden in the category of best new products. For more information check out their Web site at www.allterrainco.com.

And check out the little Swiss Card Classic. It’s a credit card-shaped multi-tool featuring scissors, a straight-pin, nail file, letter opener, screw driver, tweezers, toothpick, pressurized ball-point pen, and ruler (inches and centimeters). This little fellow is $19.99.

Looking for a bargain for that ounce-counting outdoors type on your list? Pick up a featherweight Spork or two. (Actually you could pick up a dozen of them and still have only a couple of ounces in your hand.) A Spork? It’s a combination spoon and fork with a serrated edge you can use to cut your food. At $2.39 it’s a good deal, too.

Need something to truck all your stuff around? Take a look at the Timbuk 2 messenger bags. There are a couple of new designs featuring wool exterior covering that are most attractive. And the new laptop bags are really stylish and colorful. There are accessories as well, including a new foam strap pad that cushions the heavy load. Timbuk 2 bags range from $25 to $70.

This year’s latest fad (or is it a fad-to-be?) is the Buff, a tubular piece of cloth material that can be used 10 different ways from a hat to a head band to a bonnet to a balaclava or a bandeau (as seen on “Survivor”) to a helmet liner. You’ve got to see it in person and check out the packaging for hints on the many ways to wear it. Depending on the material, they cost from $18 to $28.

Got a gadget guru on your list who’s hooked on caffeine? Consider the Jetboil’s Java Kit. It will satisfy the urge no matter where he or she may be. The Jetboil is a self-contained burner and cook pot that’ll boil 16 ounces of water in about 3 minutes. The 110-gram butane/propane gas cylinder and burner store inside the pot. The company has packaged a coffee press and coffee in the pot as well (just add water) and your first cup of steamy java will cost you $89.95, with each successive cup costing less!

Is there someone on the list who’s just interested in a quick cup of freshly pressed coffee for the commute to work? Check out Hector Press’s 20-ounce coffee maker/mug. Put the ground coffee in the cup, pour in boiling water, and let it stand a few minutes. Push down on the plunger and off you go with a fresh cup of joe. That first cup will run you $25.

If you’re looking to bring the outdoors inside, check out the ornamental steel sculpture done by Mark Boehmer, who can normally be found at Dawson-Bradford Realty here in River City. There are ornaments such as a loon or moose and larger pieces such as a trout or a great blue heron. They range in price from $12.95 to about $100.

They say winter may make an appearance this year, and with it ice. Stabilicers makes a line of slip-on ice creepers that will keep you upright on the most slippery of frozen surfaces (just remember to take them off when you attempt to walk across, say, the polished stone floors of the post office – if you don’t, you’ll be checking out the ceiling lights before you know it.) You can hook up with a pair from $22 to $50. (A Maine company, 32 North of Biddeford, distributes them, by the way.)

Snowshoes might be in order this year. Tubbs, Atlas, and MSR make great shoes and each has a women-specific line. Expect to pay from around $100 to $280. Gaiters are also a great idea for the hiker or snowshoer. I like breathable fabrics that keep out the snow or rain and allow body vapor to pass outward. Mountain Hardware and Outdoor Research make good products that range from $29.95 to about $50.

Say your favorite gift recipient’s mommy van or SUV is getting a bit cramped due to the plethora of pulchritude being hauled around daily. She or he needs more room in the taxi. Check out Yakima or Thule cargo roof or hitch-mounted carriers. There are sizes that range from ones large enough to carry the infield to ones large enough to carry the whole team. There’s even one you can stick in your receiver hitch to add another 13 cubic feet. You’ll pay dearly (from $400 to $600), but you’ll feel good knowing even the kitchen sink will be with you on your next outing.

Yakima has a new home storage product that is designed to help you keep all your outdoor gear in one place and against a wall, say in the garage. Basically Ground Control is a bar system that affixes to the wall (two units can form a corner rugged enough to hold the weight of bicycles, packs, kayaks, etc.). Special hooks are available for each item to be stored. The basic unit costs $249.

For those who pack a lot lighter, say paddling or backpacking, Sea to Summit has a whole line of mesh, stuff, and dry sacks to keep your gear organized or dry. I have three or four smaller (one- and two-liter) bags that are part of all my kayak outings. Figure on spending around $10 more or less for each.

While you’re in the paddling department, check out the Camel Back Stowaway hydration pack. The all-season reservoir and drinking tube are insulated and great for any outing, any season – land or sea. All that utility will cost you $39.95.

The backpacker or paddler on your list might want a new tent this year. One to consider is the Mountain Hardware Skyledge 2. This three-season, freestanding tent tips the scales at 41/2 pounds. It features clips for easy setup and a spreader bar for nearly vertical side walls. It’s $295.

For all you gadget gurus, the latest and smallest headlamp and the “just gotta have” item this year is the Petzl e+lite. It’s about an inch-and-a-half long, weighs about two feathers, and will run 45 hours on a round battery. It even comes in its own case, presumably to help you to find it because the lamp, which features five settings (two red, three white), is so small. It’s priced at $29.95.

New parents who don’t want to give up their daily walk or jog could use the Kelty Baby Jogger (several styles, even one for twins) that feature large inflatable tires, lush seats, and brakes. The larger-diameter tires make for easy pushing. They range from $259 to $400.

Near the top of this year’s “must have” items is anything down-filled. Ryder pointed out that the higher the count (600 to, say, 800 fill), the higher the loft and warmth but the finer the feathers. Mountain Hardward, for example, has a 600 fill vest that retails for $99.95 that weighs a pound and an ounce. North Face’s $280 Elysium jacket is stuffed with 800-fill down.

For the extremities, there are down-filled booties and mitts by Sierra Designs – $31.95 and $24.95, respectively. If your recipient keeps the thermostat down, the booties are just the ticket for staying warm. I’m one to keep the temperature down in my house, and these babies are the ticket to staying warm, trust me. For the camper or skier, they’d be perfect for relaxing after a day outside.

Smart Wool long underwear would also be the cat’s meow. It’s not itchy and will keep you toasty. At $75 for the zip-T top and $60 for the bottoms, it’s not cheap, but it is classy. And so is White Sierra’s women’s fleece loungewear. The matching tops and bottoms are soft next to the skin and comfy on cool nights (I’m told). They’re $29 for the tops, $20 for the bottoms.

One of the latest fitness fads is Nordic Walking, and wouldn’t you know it, there are special walking poles to make it official. They resemble cross country ski poles but have a special rubber foot that grips the pavement. They run around $100 a pair.

There you have it. But don’t expect to zip in and out because I know you’ll get hung up here and there just pickin’ and pokin’ through the gear. Happy shopping!

Jeff Strout’s column on outdoor recreation is published each Saturday. He can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.