Outdoor Canada’s 2026 Father’s Day gift guide: Great outdoor gear, tackle, apparel, accessories, gadgets and more

MEN’S SOLARFLEX HOODY

If you fish long days in open sun, full coverage beats sunscreen every time. Simms’ SolarFlex offers UPF 50+ protection in a fabric that’s smooth, stretchy and fast-drying, with HeiQ Fresh and HeiQ Stain Away treatment to handle the inevitable end-of-day funk. The three-panel vented hood snaps closed for full coverage when you need it, and extended sleeves with thumbholes and a finger loop protect the back of your hands—one of those spots most anglers forget until it’s too late. It comes in sizes small to triple-extra large, and eight colours.

Learn more: www.simmsfishing.com

GRAVITYWORKS 4.0L FILTER SYSTEM

I’m still astonished when I see folks heading into the backcountry for multi-day trips lugging cases of bottled water. One of my all-time best gear purchases was one of these Platypus systems back in 2019. This simple, proven pump-free system is gravity fed—you fill the “dirty” water reservoir, raise and hang it, and you’ll have four litres of clean water in less than five minutes. Mine is still going strong seven years later. Also handy, the unfiltered reservoir has a webbing handle for carrying and hanging, and the silicone tubing and quick-disconnect valves are dead easy and don’t leak. There’s also a six-litre version, if you’re quenching group thirst. I’ve even taken it abroad, as a back-up when visiting places with questionable drinking water.

Learn more: www.cascadedesigns.com/platypus

—Scott Gardner

WEED GRABBER

Every angler knows the routine: after a great day on the water comes the miserable task of pulling slimy weeds from the boat trailer. The Lindy Weed Grabber makes the job far less painful. Designed to reach under trailers without crawling around on wet pavement, the tool features aggressive gripping teeth and a rotating ergonomic handle that helps remove stubborn weeds from axles, bunks and rollers with a quick twist and pull. In addition, it helps anglers prevent the spread of invasive aquatic vegetation between lakes—a simple but important step in protecting our fisheries.

Learn more: www.lurenet.com

SIGNATURE VELOCIRAPTOR

For archery-loving dads with a sense of humour, the new Rinehart Targets Signature Velociraptor is hard to beat. A scaled-down version of the company’s iconic dinosaur target first introduced in 1999, the backyard-friendly Velociraptor combines realistic sculpted detail with Rinehart’s famously durable self-healing foam construction. Built to withstand thousands of shots from both field points and broadheads, it’s weather resistant, easy to pull arrows from and adds a kooky twist to target practice. Measuring 56 inches long, this prehistoric predator delivers big personality without requiring a Jurassic-sized backyard.

Learn more: www.rinehart3d.com