Our 9th annual Climber’s Christmas! This year we thought that we would switch things up a little bit. For a look at our recommendations for Christmas’ Past feel free to take a look HERE!, but for this year, we’re going with a White Elephant. A White Elephant gift exchange goes by several names, but whether you are participating in a Yankee Swap, a Dirty Santa, a Yankee Doodle, or a Pollyanna Gift Exchange the idea is the same. Everyone involved brings one wrapped gift and places the gift in a pile (sometimes around a Christmas Tree, sometimes just in the center of the floor). An order of present selection is determined, maybe by lots or perhaps age, and someone then selects the first gift. The gift is unwrapped, and the 2nd person gets to decide if they want to grab a new gift from the pile, or take the originally selected present. If person #2 selects the prize from person #1, then #1 grabs and opens another gift from the pile. Person #3 then decides if they want either of the previously opened presents or if they would rather try their luck with the pile. There is usually a cap regarding how many times a gift can be taken from someone else, although that is usually a house rule.
I love this game, as there is usually a set amount of money that anyone can spend on a present, and it also limits the number of presents one might feel obligated to buy. For many, it is much easier to buy one present to toss into a pile than individual presents for everyone attending a party. This can be very helpful to dirtbags on a limited budget.
That being said we have set our budget to $15/gift and each of us will offer three White Elephant gift ideas for you, your climber, or your dirtbag friends!
Carrot
- Mammut Sender Screwgate Carabiner! There are a few things that every climber always wants, so much so that we regularly risk climbing sketchy routes just to retrieve and claim some booty as our own. One of those things is the carabiner. I don’t know what it is about a carabiner that draws our attention, but when a climber sees a carabiner in the wild, we are attracted like moths to light! Coming in at under $14, the Mammut Sender Screwgate may be the perfect gift for a White Elephant.
- Climbing Brushes are among the easiest things to lose, and so we are consistently scrambling for new brushes. Send Climbing offers a brush made from recycled plastic and a variety of colors. I for one appreciate a splash of color in my kit, and an orange brush from Send is exactly what Dr. Santa ordered. Even better it comes in at under $10.
- Like the carabiner, I am yet to meet a climber who doesn’t like/want a beanie. The thing about beanies these days is that if you go with a beanie from one of the well known climbing companies you will be paying nearly $30. THIRTY DOLLARS FOR A KNIT CAP!? Come on, NO WAY. For less than $7 you can get a very nice Ribbed Fisherman Beanie from Wal-Mart. I promise the difference between a $30 climbing brand and a $7 Wal-Mart hat is negligible. Does it keep your head warm? Yes? Then save $23 and buy yourself a new climbing brush and carabiner along with those bought for the White Elephant!
High-Clip
- Every waller wants to be a baller, and so you can help that climber at your next White Elephant accomplish their dreams with the chalk that we at theDIHEDRAL have been promoting for years. Chalk Cartels (still the best chalk company in our opinion) Baller (Chalk Ball) comes in at less that $8. $7 under budget is will have your dirtbag allies singing praise for your frugal ways!
- Could you even have a White Elephant without 30′ of Blue Water 7mm Accessory Cord? Probably! But would you want to have a White Elephant without 30′ of Blue Water 7mm Accessory Cord? Absolutely not! Guarantee that this will be the gift that every single climber is clamoring for, and for only $15 you will be right on budget!!!
- How about a 18MM NYLON RUNNER from Black Diamond for less than $14. I’m sure Carrot and Max offer some great gift options, but come on! How are they going to compete with my White Elephant supremacy?
Coach Max
- Metolius climbing tape! I would bring some climbers tape to white elephant because as we all know at one point in your climbing career you needed to tape up your hands after or before a tough session prior or prepping for a long session. If you don’t have your own you have for sure borrowed some from your local gym or a friend. This is why I think this would be an awesome climbers white elephant gift to bring! Metolius climbing tape costs 8.95$.
- Rhino skin solutions repair! The Rhino skin solutions repair is perfect for every climber out there, it not only feels good but it’s a repairing cream after those intense climbing comps or climbing trips with your buddies. It is non greasy and earth grown ingredients so it’s not going to be heavy on your skin. It’s also in an easy pump bottle. the 1oz bottle starts at 8.95$ and goes up in price and size.
- Boulder block for climbers! It can be found at Wal-Mart for 11.89$. It is a fun game for a climbers to train and have fun with. You throw it in the air as you’re holding onto mini holds on a block and try to catch it grabbing other mini rock climbing holds. It’s good for all ages and experience levels. I hope you like my white elephant suggestions and these help you climbers out there on your next Christmas white elephant party!
Ebenezer
- Chalktopus Chalk Bag Grip – It’s cute, it looks like a little ghost and so it reminds me of my buddy Jacob Marley. It makes the perfect Christmas present (See what I did there with the pun? No? Bah Humbug!).
- How does free sound? Just take one of your old busted up retired climbing ropes and turn it into a rug! There are dozens of videos and templates online, HERE is one, follow the the instructions and boom, just like that, a present from the past!
- Finally, we always think about climbing, but what about after the climb, you know that moment that hasn’t yet arrived, the one we call the future? Well after climbing, these climbers need to eat, and so what better way to take care of your climber than by satisfying some future desire. We’re locked in at $15 for the White Elephant, but since I have seen the light, my days of hoarding gold are over. I recommend a $20 gift card to a climbing friendly restaurant like Miguels! Your climber is going to end up there one day, and it will be nice to have a free pizza once they do!
Happy Holidays
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