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All right! Listen up all you highliners and deadbeats. Only a couple of days before — well, you know what I mean — Christmas. Kids are humming Christmas carols while lying near the tree at night, dreaming of eight tiny reindeer dropping down on the roof, landing a sleigh with that jolly old guy and all the toys that are on the lists they gave you. And your spouse, significant other, partner — whatever — continues to come up with a few more trinkets she needs to make up for all those days you’ve been at sea this past year.

White Glacier’s Arctic 25 immersion suit on display at Pacific Marine Expo. Doug Stewart photo.That’s why you’ve been wandering the store aisles with pockets crammed full of gift lists. Of course, as always, there’s someone you forgot. You know who it is. It’s you. So I’m here to remind you that it’s socially acceptable and not illegal to buy a Christmas gift for yourself.

To assist with your personal gift selection, once again I’m providing a few Christmas ideas from National Fisherman’s 2015 Product and AAG pages. Here are four items that are a worthy gift for you know who, starting with the September 2015 issue.

An onboard fire is something no one wants to experience, but if you do, you better have something that puts it out in a hurry. That would be the Flame Guard X-Tinguish FST. When there’s a fire in the engine room, or any other enclosed space, open the door, pull the yellow pin on the X-Tinguish FST, toss it in the room and close the door.

There’s an 8-second delay from the time the pin is pulled until the X-Tinguish FST is electronically activated. The fire should be out within seconds.

Despite the fact the fire is out within seconds, what if someone is injured in events surrounding the fire. You need a way to treat the injury. That’s when you need to be able to grab the Marine 600 Medical Kit, mentioned in NF’s July issue.

The Marine 600 Medical Kit is a supply of first-aid products and basic medical tools contained in a durable waterproof case that floats. The medical kit includes, among other things, medications to treat pain, inflammation, and common allergies. Fractures, sprains and swelling can be managed with a flexible C-Splint, triangular bandage, elastic bandage and cold packs.

If things really go south in a big hurry and you end up in the water, here are the last two gifts that you better have purchased. First, White Glacier’s Arctic 25, a cold water immersion suit that will keep you warm for 25 hours in 0-degree water, as shown in NF’s December issue.

If you don’t get the suit all the way on when you hit the water, zip in up and within 10 minutes your body temperature will be stabilized and within two hours you’ll be almost dry.

Of course, once you are in the water it’s a good idea to have a way to indicate your position. ACR Electronics Aurora Red Hand Flare, in NF’s May issue, does just that. Remove the cap, pull a cord and the flare is activated. At night it burns at 15,000 candelas for 60 seconds, about 21 times brighter than most other flares. During the day, bright smoke shows your position to a boat or rescue helicopter.

There you have it, four personal gifts that when you get in trouble will help you make it back to have another Christmas in 2016.

See you then with another list. Ho. Ho, Ho!

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A collection of stories from guest authors.

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