I adjusted the flashlight and turned the page. I’d read this story to my sister’s kids on numerous occasions, and this was one of their favorite parts.

The story is called Gulliver the Great, by William Dyer, and it remains one of my favorite dog stories. It’s about a man who is deathly afraid of dogs, and finds himself on a raft with a Great Dane after a shipwreck.

“I discovered that there was a dog aboard and such a dog! A Great Dane he was, named Gulliver, and he was the pride of the captain’s rum-soaked heart. With all my fear, I realized he was a magnificent animal, but I looked on him as a gigantic devil. Without exception, he was the biggest dog I ever saw, and as muscular as a lion. His tail was as big around as my arm, and the cook lived in terror of his getting into the galley and wagging it; and he had a mouth that looked to me like the crater of Mauna Loa, and a voice that shook the planking when he spoke.”

When my sister’s kids were young, my brother and I used to pool our ideas and money to by them a family gift. At the time, my sister’s four children were all under the age of six, and my brother was stationed (Marines) in California, so I was the designated shopper.

Our first family gift was a cabin tent, and I don’t think the tent ever made it out of their back yard. But we spent lots of fun times in that tent, and the kids often asked for another reading of Gulliver the Great. (Long story short, after many days floating on the raft at sea, the man sees a ship but he’s too weak to shout; Gulliver barks and they are saved.)

Seems like these days, there’s precious little “family” time. The cabin tent may never have been used in the woods, but it created a haven for quality family time. If there’s an outdoor, active family on your list, here are some ideas that were hits.

A Cabin Tent

You can buy a six-person, family-sized tent at prices ranging from $1-300. My brother and I opted for a less-expensive tent, and also included child-sized sleeping bags and pads. Look for features such a “bathtub floor”, which means that the waterproof material includes the floor and also runs partway up the sides. Look for one where the rainfly is bigger than the tent. Having a vestibule (entryway) creates a place to separate items such as boots and outerwear. The interior should include plenty of hooks and straps so that you can hang battery-operated lanterns.

Gear Carriers for Vehicles

Even the roomiest minivan gets crowded quickly when the family starts loading camping gear. Cartop carriers make a great family gift. You can choose from soft-sided or hard-sided models. The soft-sided ones are easy to use, with hooks and straps that attach them to the vehicle with no need to install any type of special system. Make sure the one you pick is waterproof; additionally, I like to pack gear into garbage bags or dry bags, inside the cartop carrier, to make sure stuff stays dry.

Another way to expand a vehicle’s carrying capacity is with a hitch-mounted basket. I have one I use often, and it has an added feature that allows it to be folded up out of the way when not in use.

I bought one so that I could haul crates of game birds in it, instead of lifting them onto my roof rack – a dozen or so chukars are heavy and the hitch-mounted basket makes things easier. They are also great for hauling coolers.

Of course, kids want to open presents. Big gifts like cabin tents and gear carriers aren’t going to thrill them. We also added individual presents for the kids – trying to choose things that were in keeping with the gift, such as flashlights or inexpensive binoculars.