Steiner · Outdoor & Camping
Commander 7x50 Marine Binoculars
German optics with a compass. The binoculars that live on the boat.
$1,000+
Shop the Look →The Boyfriend Boat · /boating-essentials/
The Boyfriend Boat: gear that survives salt water
Boat gear is judged by one thing: whether it still works after two seasons of salt. That rules out most consumer electronics, most fabric and almost all cheap optics.
What survives is a short list — German glass, stainless steel, leather that is meant to get wet, and polarised lenses. Everything below is on the durable side of that line.
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The things that last decades
Seven by fifty is the marine standard because it gathers light at dusk and stays steady on a moving deck.
What he wears on deck
Grey is the smart colour choice — it does not read as hard nautical, so he can wear them off the boat.
Coolers, electronics and shirts
Ice that lasts days, GPS that works without signal, and shirts built for a long day in real sun.
YETI · Outdoor & Camping
YETI Tundra 45 Hard Cooler
Holds ice for days in a hot car. The cooler you buy once.
$250–$500
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YETI · Outdoor & Camping
YETI Tundra 35 Hard Cooler
The 35 fits behind a seat. The 45 does not. Measure before choosing.
$250–$500
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YETI · Outdoor & Camping
YETI Hopper Flip 12 Soft Cooler
Soft-sided, leakproof and it fits where a hard cooler will not. The one that goes on the boat.
$250–$500
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Costa Del Mar · Outdoor & Camping
Costa Del Mar Tuna Alley Polarized Sunglasses
Big lenses, side shields, built for staring at water all day. Not a subtle frame.
$250–$500
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Garmin · Outdoor & Camping
Garmin eTrex 22x Rugged Handheld GPS Navigator
A GPS that works where a phone has no signal, which is the entire point.
$100–$250
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Garmin · Outdoor & Camping
Garmin Striker 4cv Fishfinder with CHIRP Transducer
Fishfinder and chartplotter in one. The first serious upgrade to a small boat.
$100–$250
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Bushnell · Outdoor & Camping
Bushnell H2O Xtreme 10x42 Waterproof Binoculars
Waterproof and fog-proof at a fraction of Steiner money. The pair that lives on the boat.
$100–$250
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Stohlquist · Outdoor & Camping
Stohlquist Universal Fit Adult Life Jacket, 4-Pack
Four Coast Guard approved jackets in one box. Guests on a boat is a solved problem now.
$100–$250
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RTIC · Outdoor & Camping
RTIC 45 QT Ultra-Tough Hard Cooler
Rotomoulded and holds ice for days. Half the price of the yellow one everybody recognises.
$100–$250
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Uniden · Outdoor & Camping
Uniden MHS75 Waterproof Handheld VHF Marine Radio
A phone has no signal offshore and cannot reach the boat next to you. This can.
$100–$250
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Columbia · Outdoor & Camping
Columbia Men's PFG Tamiami II Short Sleeve Fishing Shirt
Vented, quick-drying, UPF rated. The shirt that makes a long day on water bearable.
Under $100
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Columbia · Outdoor & Camping
Columbia Men's PFG Terminal Tackle Long Sleeve Shirt
Long sleeves are the right call in real sun. Cooler than bare arms by the afternoon.
Under $100
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JBL · Outdoor & Camping
JBL Flip 5 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Genuinely waterproof and it floats. Eighty-five thousand people have not been wrong about it.
Under $100
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Earth Pak · Outdoor & Camping
Earth Pak Roll-Top Waterproof Dry Bag
Twenty-one dollars between his phone and the lake. Thirty-three thousand ratings.
Under $100
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Stohlquist · Outdoor & Camping
Stohlquist FIT Adult Life Jacket, Type III
His own, properly fitted, rather than whatever is under the bench seat.
Under $100
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Onyx · Outdoor & Camping
Onyx General Purpose Boating Life Jacket
Twenty-eight dollars and Coast Guard approved. There is no reason to be short one of these.
Under $100
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Earth Pak · Outdoor & Camping
Earth Pak Waterproof Roll-Top Dry Bag
Phone, wallet and a dry shirt, guaranteed. Thirty-three thousand reviews at twenty-five dollars.
Under $100
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Pyle · Outdoor & Camping
Pyle 6.5-Inch Marine Speakers, Pair
Waterproof, UV resistant, and cheap enough to accept that a boat destroys everything.
Under $100
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Double-Braided · Outdoor & Camping
Double-Braided Nylon Dock Lines, 1/2 in x 15 ft, 4-Pack
Four proper lines, because the hardware-store rope on most boats is a liability.
Under $100
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Hiearcool · Outdoor & Camping
Hiearcool Waterproof Phone Pouch, 2-Pack
Ten dollars against the thousand-dollar phone that goes over the side.
Under $100
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Attwood · Outdoor & Camping
Attwood 3 lb Folding Grapnel Anchor Kit with Rope
An anchor is how a boat stops. A surprising number of small boats have none.
Under $100
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Affordura · Outdoor & Camping
Affordura Boat Fenders with Ropes, 4-Pack
Sixty-six dollars to stop the hull learning what the dock is made of.
Under $100
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Boating FAQ
What magnification should marine binoculars be?
7x50. Higher magnification is unusable on a moving deck and the 50mm objective gathers enough light for dusk. It has been the marine standard for a century for exactly those two reasons.
What is the best gift for someone with a boat?
A cooler or optics. Both are used every single trip, neither depends on the specific boat, and both last far longer than anything electronic you could buy.
Are boat shoes still in style?
Yes, and more so than five years ago. Buy a better version than the school-uniform ones — the Sperry Gold Cup line has proper leather and a cushioned footbed.