This year the IR's Outdoors Section approached our Christmas gift suggestions from a different angle.

In the past we offered individual gift ideas ranging in price from as little as one buck to tens of thousands of dollars. Since it has been said that "It's the thought that counts," we came up with a few ideas that might help you give a special and unique gift at a price well within most budgets. Ask store personnel for suggestions and help with any questions you have. They are almost always happy to help and you'll get a better end result.

One gift sure to be appreciated by most firearms owners is a custom firearms cleaning kit. Most gun owners don't clean their weapons as often as needed. When they do, they invariably have to search for cleaning rod, brushes, solvent, oil, patches, etc. You can build a firearms cleaning kit specifically tailored to needs of your hunter/shooter. Many of the accessories for gun cleaning are caliber or gauge dependent so, discreetly find out what caliber/gauge weapons will be serviced by the kit prior to shopping.

A cleaning rod is the centerpiece and most expensive piece of the kit. However, it's the easiest to buy. Cleaning rods come in all materials and lengths but the most common are made of either a coated metal or uncoated metal.

Plain aluminum or alloy rods are the least expensive. Those coated with a soft plastic or Teflon material help prevent unnecessary wear of the breech or barrel crown but they are more expensive. Both types are effective for cleaning long and short guns. Expect to pay from $10 to $35 for a cleaning rod.

As an alternative, and the best answer for emergency cleaning jobs (i.e., barrel plugged with mud after a fall) there is a rope-type barrel-cleaning system for rifles and shotguns in the field that works well called the Bore Snake. It costs between $16 and $20.

Next for your kit you'll need cleaning patches ($1-$2), a lubing mop (2.25), gun brush ($2.25), lubricant ($4-$7), powder solvent ($5-$7), copper solvent ($4-$7), and cleaning jag ($1.95). A nice but not necessary addition is a bore light ($5.95).

So, for as little as $40 you have assembled a first-rate firearms cleaning kit. The only task left is to gather all the accessories and then determine how large a container you'll need to hold all the pieces. A friend who has more guns than there are days in the month recommends finding a cheap plastic tackle box for between $5 and $10. His Plano fishing tackle box has provided him with many years of reliable service.

One of the most time consuming parts of going ice fishing, especially the first outing of the season, is finding all your gear. Tip-ups and augers are usually easy enough to locate in a cluttered garage but hunting up tiny jigs, hooks, spoons, bells, strike indicators and the like can generate a bit of frustration.

A perfect gift for the ice anglers in your family is to build them a compact, self-contained ice-fishing kit. Once again, creating this kit will require time and effort on your part. But it will make a very personal gift at modest cost.

First you'll need to purchase a jigging

rod and or a tip-up. A decent plastic jigging rod can be purchased for as little as $6.95 sans reel. Don't panic. A simple plastic reel such as the Hi-Tech Little Jigger can be added for a measly $1.99. Granted, it's not the fanciest set-up in the world but it'll catch fish pretty much the same as something five times the cost.

Tip-ups vary widely in price but, once again, a capable angler is more likely to hook a fish with the least expensive model than is a rube fishing with the most expensive model. All plastic models sell for as little as $4.95 while a nice metal and wood tip-up can be bought for $10.

A nice selection of jigs and lures can be had for pocket change. My favorite jigs are the Rat Finkees made by Ratso. They cost 99 cents each. A nice variety of colors will help your angler target what the fish are having for dinner that day. Other good jigs are Doodle Bugs ($1.19 each or 5 for $5) and Forage Minnows (flutter spoons) which sell for $1.69 or 3 for $5.

Monofilament for the jigging rod or tip-up can be purchased for as little as $1.49 (36 yards), Danielson Plus 7 super limp monofilament ($1.69 for 670 yards of 8 pound test) or about $6 for a spool of top brand line.

A jigging rod holder is nice to have and you can get one for as little as $2.49. A nice addition to an ice jigging rod sitting on a rod holder are fishing bells ($1.50-$2) that alert the angler to a tug on the line.

A must have item is an ice scoop. A good, heavy duty aluminum scoop can be purchased at several locations around town for $4.95.

Once you've collected all the items for the kit buy a little clear plastic box (Plano makes a great one for $4.95) to stow all the little jigs and bells so they don't get lost. If you really love your ice angler you can buy a Frabil Sit-N-Fish ($16.95) which provides a nice place to sit while waiting for a bite and also provides storage for the tackle box and tip-ups when not in use.

Once again, for about $40 you can put together a nice little ice fishing kit. If you want to add a couple of other goodies to the ice fishing theme here are two more ideas.

For years I borrowed a friend's gasoline powered auger to make holes in the ice. I don't care for the smell or noise of gasoline augers and I never could bring myself to pay $300 or $400 for something I don't like. Another friend owned an electric auger. Although quiet, lugging a car battery around to power the thing was a lot of effort. Then I found the LAZER hand powered ice Auger by Strikemaster. It cut holes as fast as a gas auger. You can't cut five holes in as short a time as a gas auger but then I don't mind it takes a little more time with the hand auger. Light, quiet and at only $69.95 I finally found the right piece of equipment for me.

A sled to haul all your gear out onto the lake is not a necessity but it's close. Molded plastic sleds advertised as "ice fishing sleds" can sell for $40 or more. A kid's version of a plastic toboggan can be had for $20 and works just fine.

LAST MINUTE EMERGENCY GIFT --- A Lens pen ($12-$17) for cleaning optical lenses is a gift that will be appreciated by ANYONE who owns binoculars, telescope, rifle scope, or the like.

The easiest and cheapest to assemble, it is mind blowing how many knuckleheads fail to heed old Bear Claw's advice ("Can't cheat the mountain pilgrim") and head into the mountains without a combination first-aid/survival kit.

Many of the items for your first aid/survival kit can be taken right from your medicine cabinet. Gather a few aspirin and ibuprofen and place them in a small Ziploc bag along with several yards of dental floss.

Purchase a vial of Liquid Bandage. For only $5 it does an excellent job as a sealant against infection and will bind wounds, cracks, cuts and an assortment of other injuries. Think of it as liquid stitches.

Pickup a tiny lip balm and very small tube of sun block. Also collect a tiny bottle of eye drops with a mild anesthetic, Band-Aids, gauze bandages, water purification tablets, and a small Ace-type elastic wrap. Place all in a separate Ziploc bag.

A good surgical quality tweezers is worth it's weight in gold and a mandatory item. I also carry a sterile needle and a small surgical scalpel.

A battle-type dressing (a very thick cotton pad about 2 inches by 3 inches) can save a life if a gunshot or deep puncture wound is involved. I have a friend who carries two feminine napkins, each in a sealed package. Laugh if you like but if you ever need a battle dressing you won't be laughing.

Finally, carry a small field first-aid booklet. Many are smaller than a deck of cards and if you only need it once in your life that's enough.

For survival gear it depends on your circumstances. The following recommendations are for a day or two in the mountains.

Don't leave home without a space blanket. If you are lost and hypothermic wrapping this blanket (as little as $1.95 for a 52 inch by 82 inch) around you (shiny side toward your body) and getting out of the wind could save your life. A signal mirror ($5.95) can send a flash of light that can be seen as far away as 30 miles. A plastic whistle is also a mandatory item.

Carry waterproof stick matches in a sealed container. Also carry a disposable lighter. A survival candle ($1.49) can burn for eight hours or more and heat a snow cave to a comfortable temperature.

I also carry a flexible rope-type survival saw. It is not an essential, but at a fraction the weight and size (about as big as a can of chew) of even the smallest hand ax it can whip right through limbs to fashion a shelter or cut firewood. But, at $25 it could blow your budget.

Finally, assemble all your gear and find a small Ratso nylon bag ($4 to $7) to hold your custom first-aid/survival kit.