Give him a gift that will help him keep moving. The list naturally includes gadgets to track his walking workouts and keep him on course. He also wants comfortable walking clothing. Here is a list to start with for the holidays, birthday, anniversary, or Father's Day.
1. Heart Rate Monitor Pedometer Watch for Dummies
Wendy Bumgardner © 2008
Don't worry about the Dummies label - that just means it comes with instructions you can actually understand. Even a rocket scientist dad will appreciate everything this sports watch can do. This pedometer watch has finger pads for reading your heart rate on demand. The pedometer must be turned on to start counting steps, but it can be scheduled to come on at the same time each day. The pedometer is actually counting arm motion rather than steps. If you use no arm motion when you walk, it won't record steps. I found its readings to be comparable to a waistband pedometer for a dedicated fitness walk.
2. Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Personal Trainer
Pricegrabber.com
The Forerunner uses a GPS to get true distance and speed, and a chest strap heart rate monitor. Garmin improved on the Forerunner 201 by adding a heart rate monitor and upgrading the software into a Training Center, and upgraded mapping abilities - you can now download and overlay your workout to a map. The GPS works only outdoors, and the 205 and 305 models promise better performance than the 201 in areas with lots of trees or tall buildings or in gullies.
3. Timex Triathlon Heart Monitor - Watch
A heart rate monitor is a great gadget for the walking dad. This one acts as a sports watch with countdown timer, stopwatch, alarm, time of day and calendar. As a heart rate monitor, he can set a target heart zone and be alerted when he is out of zone.
4. Kelty Oriole Lumbar Pack
Courtesy of Pricegrabber
A lumbar pack for the dad who wants to carry a few things along on his walk. This well-designed lumbar pack is weather resistant. Two bottle holders. It has a large central storage compartment for carrying all of your essentials.
5. Thomas Brothers Street Maps
Ever map buff wants the latest annual update of street maps for his city. Thomas Brothers map books are great for planning walking routes or figuring out how to get to local parks and walking events. I never leave home without one.6. Garmin eTrex Handheld GPS
Since men won't ask for directions, a handheld GPS unit will tell them where they are according to 12 satellites. This waterproof, lightweight unit is a good entry-level GPS for walkers and hikers. It is user-friendly with only 5 buttons.7. Omron HJ-112 Pedometer
Wendy Bumgardner ©
This advanced design lets you wear it on your belt or carry it in your pocket, clip it anywhere it is perpendicular to the ground. The Omron HJ-112 counts steps, calculated distance and calories burned. It also tracks aerobic steps separately when walking or jogging more than 60 steps per minute or more than 10 minutes continuously. The Omron HJ-112 has a 7-day memory, a feature I prize greatly. Top rated for accuracy by a consumer magazine.
8. Walking Hats
A cap with a walking slogan will keep sun and rain off his head and inspire him to go walking.9. Smartwool Adrenaline Socks
Wendy Bumgardner ©
Smartwool socks are machine-washable and machine-dryable, won't shrink, and are practically itch-free. These are designed for walkers, runners, and hikers. They provide superior natural moisture control and temperature control. What could be a better stocking-stuffer than socks?
