Here's the list of gifts for joel@loudermilk.org, last updated on November 28, 2025.
High priority
Universal socket ($12)
Available at: Home Depot, Lowe's, or Amazon
I have a couple of different socket sets, but I saw someone in a YouTube video bust out a "universal socket" that looked amazing. It's got a bunch of little sliding rods in it, and it conforms to the head of the bolt and can do just about any size. I'm sure this can't replace a full set of sockets, but I'm hoping I can use it more often than not instead of hunting around to see which socket is the right fit.
You can get this at Home Depot, Lowe's, or Amazon -- see the links for each above.
Electric shaver (about $40)
Available at: Amazon, Wal-Mart, etc.
This gift is too big to fit in my suitcase. If you buy this, please either buy a gift card or have it shipped to my house.
When we're traveling in the van, I think I'd like to use an electric shaver. I won't be able to spare enough water to use a regular razor, and after a few camping trips I've learned that even if I'm not having regular showers, having a clean shave makes me feel less filthy. (I still stink; it's just a psychological thing.
I don't have a preference for brand or model, and this will only see occasional use so it doesn't need to be fancy.
Medium priority
Book: Wyoming Road & Recreation Atlas ($25)
Available at: My Amazon wishlist
This gift is too big to fit in my suitcase. If you buy this, please either buy an Amazon gift card or use the Amazon wishlist link below to have it shipped to my house.
When we took a van trip around Utah a few years ago, we had this Road & Recreation Atlas and it was great. It tells you all the places where you can camp (BLM land), and since cell service is spotty to nonexistent where we want to go, it's good to have it in print form and not rely on a phone. I'd like to get these for all the nearby states for future trips.
You can buy this from my Amazon wishlist and it will ship to my house. Or an Amazon gift card would work just as well.
Book: New Mexico Road & Recreation Atlas ($27)
Available at: My Amazon wishlist
This gift is too big to fit in my suitcase. If you buy this, please either buy an Amazon gift card or use the Amazon wishlist link below to have it shipped to my house.
When we took a van trip around Utah a few years ago, we had this Road & Recreation Atlas and it was great. It tells you all the places where you can camp (BLM land), and since cell service is spotty to nonexistent where we want to go, it's good to have it in print form and not rely on a phone. I'd like to get these for all the nearby states for future trips.
You can buy this from my Amazon wishlist and it will ship to my house. Or an Amazon gift card would work just as well.
Low priority
Book: Rocky Mountain National Park Natural History Handbook ($17)
Available at: Rocky Mountain Conservancy online
You can get this book at the Rocky Mountain Conservancy store online.
Already bought
Ear protection for using a saw ($20-30)
Available at: Lowe's or Home Depot
This gift is too big to fit in my suitcase, so if you buy this, please either buy a gift card to Home Depot or Lowe's, or have it shipped to my house.
We are now the proud owners of both a miter saw and a table saw. It'd be best when using these to have some big earmuffs to protect my hearing. There are lots of these at Home Depot and Lowe's, here's one for example but any will work.
Pocket Hole Jig ($35-40)
Available at: Home Depot and Lowe's
This gift is too big to fit in my suitcase. If you buy this, please either buy a gift card instead or have it shipped to my house.
Some of the cabinetry we are going to make for the van will require pocket-hole joints. To make those you need a little device to drill through. I think what would be best for us is the Kreg Pocket-Hole Jig 320 Kit. You can find this at either Home Depot or Lowe's. (At the time I wrote this it was $5 cheaper at Lowe's.)
RIDGID battery charger ($43)
Available at: Home Depot
This gift is too big to fit in my suitcase. If you buy this, either buy a gift card instead or have it shipped to my house.
All of my cordless tools are RIDGID brand, and it would be nice to have an extra charger that I can put in the garage. Right now the only charger is in the house, so if we're working on a project and a battery is getting low, we have to take it back inside and charge it for a while.
Yeti Rambler 16 oz travel bottle ($32)
Available at: Yeti.com
This is too big to fit in my suitcase, so if you buy this gift, please have it shipped to my house. (I don't think Yeti sells gift cards, but if they do, that's another option.)
This is for the van. This cup seems like it would work for coffee, but also be okay for things that aren't coffee. It's also really tall, which is good because the cupholders in the van are pretty deep.
I like the Black Forest Green color, but if they're out of that, my second choice is Cape Taupe.
Kindle Book: Reinventing SETI ($24)
Available at: Amazon
This is a book by a scientist about what the search for extraterrestrial life should really look like.
To buy this, click this link to see the book on Amazon and then click the button labeled Gift Kindle Edition. You can choose to get a link to redeem the book sent to you, or you can have Amazon send it to me (joel@loudermilk.org) on a date that you choose. Make sure you're getting the Kindle edition and not a print book!
Kindle Book: Disney War ($14)
Available at: Amazon
This is a book about Michael Eisner's time at Disney, and apparently he was not a really great guy.
To buy this, click this link to see the book on Amazon and then click the button labeled Gift Kindle Edition. You can choose to get a link to redeem the book sent to you, or you can have Amazon send it to me (joel@loudermilk.org) on a date that you choose. Make sure you're getting the Kindle edition and not a print book!