December 21, 2018
What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas: 2018 Edition
Posted by Evelyn Mervine
My family’s Christmas stockings hung up for 2018. The lovely dinosaur stocking belongs to my son.
There’s one shopping weekend left before Christmas. Don’t know what to buy the geologist in your family? Never fear, the annual Georneys “What to Buy a Geologist for Christmas” list is here.
You can also browse the previous lists here:
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! I hope to blog more regularly in 2019, so stay tuned!
Gift #1: Rubber Boots
Wearing Xtratuff boots in Alaska, when my husband and I were working as geologists there a few years ago.
Geologists often have to work in damp conditions. For example, they may need to collect samples from streams or, if they are a marine geologist, work at sea. Therefore, a good pair of rubber boots is an excellent gift for a geologist. I personally recommend the Xtratuff brand for a pair of really good rubber boots to wear in the field.
Cost: Variable, about $30 to $150
Gift #2: Waterproof Phone Case
My waterproof phone case. I recently bought a new one since my previous one finally died after about 5 years of solid use.
If you want a stocking stuffer to match the rubber boots, I recommend a waterproof phone case. These days, geologists often struggle to keep their mobile phones dry when in the field, for example when out all day in the rain. Why not purchase a waterproof phone case for the geologist in your family? It’s sure to be a useful gift! I bought my waterproof phone case, pictured above, at a kayaking shop.
Cost: Variable, about $15-$30
Gift #3: Dinosaur Taco Holders
Picture from Amazon.com.
No explanation needed for this one! Of course every geologist needs a set of these. The one pictured above is TriceraTACO. Related items are TACOsaurus Rex and NACHOsaurus. They are all amazing!
Picture from Amazon.com.
Picture from Amazon.com.
Cost: About $10 each, or buy a set of 4 for $40
Gift #4: Dinosaur Cookie Cutters
Picture from Amazon.com.
What do geologists need after they eat dinosaur tacos? Why, dinosaur cookies, of course! So, why not buy the geologist in your family a set of dinosaur cookie cutters? Better yet, consider making some dinosaur cookies as a gift.
Cost: Variable, about $10
Gift #5: Volcano Legos
I’m not quite sure about all that’s going on here, but there’s a Lego volcano… and that’s really cool! This set is quite expensive, about $140. Picture from Amazon.com.
This set is more budget friendly at about $25. Picture from Amazon.com.
At the moment, Lego has a series of products with a volcano theme. I’m not quite sure that the volcanology being conducted in these Lego sets is accurate, but I am sure that the volcanologist in your family would really enjoy one of these sets! There are a number of options available, so take a look on the Lego website or on Amazon.
Cost: Variable, about $25 to $140 depending on the set
Gift #6: Reusable Produce Bags
Picture from Amazon.com.
Very likely, the geologist in your family is also an environmentalist. One tends to become an environmentalist when one spends a great deal of time outdoors! As has been raised frequently in the media over the last couple of years, single-use plastics are an enormous environmental problem. We all need to try to reduce our use of plastics. So, why not give the geologist in your family something to help with this? One idea is reusable produce bags, so that they can refuse to use those flimsy plastic bags in the produce section of the grocery store. You could also consider giving a reusable shopping bag or metal straw… or anything else you can think of that would reduce the use of plastic.
Cost: About $15 to $30 for a set of mesh produce bags
Gift #7: Rocks and Minerals Coloring Book
Picture from Amazon.com.
Adult coloring books are quite popular these days. The geologist in your life obviously needs the incredible Rocks and Minerals Coloring Book! This is a classic Dover coloring book. Go over to Amazon to take a look inside the book. The drawings are so realistic.
Cost: $5 — what a bargain! Perhaps buy some colored pencils to go with it.
Gift #8: Ugly Christmas Sweater… with a Science Twist!
‘Tis the season for ugly Christmas sweaters. Why not buy the geologist in your life an ugly Christmas sweater? Purchase one that has a scientific theme. Or just buy one that has a dinosaur on it… that’s sure to be a hit! A few options are given below.
Available from Amazon here.
Available from Amazon here.
Available from Amazon here.
Cost: Variable, about $20 to $35
Gift #9: Folding Shovel
Picture from Amazon.com.
The geologist in your family can certainly use a folding shovel, which has so many uses in the field. For example, it can be used to help take soil or sediment samples or can be used to dig a 4×4 vehicle out of the sand.
Cost: About $20
Gift #10: Wilderness First Aid Training
Geologists often work in remote field areas. Thus, it’s a great idea for all geologists to take a Wilderness First Aid course, for example one of the courses advertised here. However, these courses are expensive. So, a voucher for a course would be most appreciated! If the geologist in your family has small children, also offer to watch the children or pay for a babysitter so that they can attend the course. A basic course generally takes two days to complete.
Cost: About $250-$350 for a two day course
