by Ian ‘Dix’ Dixon, Afghanistan Correspondent

So you’ve got a family member or friend who’s serving your country overseas this holiday and you don’t know what to get them? Well look no further than Dix’s Gift Guide for the Deployed Geeky Soldier. This list could very much apply to all soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, not just the geek variety. A lot of these items popped up repeatedly on a general poll circulated not to just computer tech types, but also some combat arms and some intelligence guys. Here’s what we came up with…

Stocking Stuffers (Under $50)

Arduino Uno – If you’re deployed soldier has any kind of down time, why not help him make it productive! The Arduino is an open source electronics prototyping platform. What does THAT mean? Well basically you can code the chip on the motherboard to control a various number of outputs or inputs to create all kinds of interactive electronic gizmos. Everything from a chasing LED array (think KITT’s ‘eye’ from Knight Rider) to controlling an actual robot. Basically the only limit to what it can do is your imagination and programming skills. The base Arduino Uno is around $35 but for under $100 you can get a starter kit with some basic projects and components.

The Walking Dead: Compendium One – Odds are your geeky soldier might already have the EXCELLENT Walking Dead comics but why not send along the massive Compendium One which includes all of issues 1-48 (Volumes 1-8)! It’s over 1000 pages of comics excellence. Trust me. This is coming from a guy who doesn’t read that much in the way of comics either.

Sennheiser HD448 Closed Ear headphones – They may not have noise canceling, or be top of the line, but these are some high quality cans that can be had for a very very good price. I personally have a pair and they’ve passed the ‘plane test’ for me perfectly. And we’re not just talking the long flight from the states to Kyrgyzstan on a 747. They’re excellent for music even in the back of an Air Force cargo plane! Not to mention it comes with a headphone cord extension and storage bag.

Logitech HD Webcam C525 – If your soldier has to use the public internet terminals wherever he/she is stationed, Skype is installed but you need to supply your own camera. I have been using the C525 and have had nothing but positive comments from friends and family on the quality of the picture. It’s also able to fold up in on itself to protect the lens when not in use which is, probably, my favorite feature.

Under $100

Kindle touch – It’s not the fancy pants Fire or anything but with my experience out here of not having WiFi at my base, the Fire is pretty much neutered of any real practicality without it. That said, the Kindle touch is one of Amazon’s newest eBook readers that has an excellent clear screen and with this newest update, a touchscreen! Plus, you can hook up the Kindle via USB to any of the SPAWAR public computers as a USB drive and download new books directly to the Kindle that way, bypassing the need for WiFi! Just don’t forget to get a case for them to protect it. Some cases even have lights built in for reading at night or in the back of darkened MATVs.

Keurig B130 DeskPro brewing system – As any soldier can tell you, just like geeks/nerds, we run on energy drinks or coffee about 90% of the time. Keurigs are absolutely awesome if you’re looking to only brew yourself one cup and don’t want the hassle of having to make a whole pot. The KCups that are used for each brew can also be set up as a periodic delivery on a few websites (Amazon for one) to keep the coffee flowing.

Under $200
 

Pelican 1495 case (w/ foam for camera) – Is your soldier bringing his/her laptop along with them? Have it travel in cushioned style in this Pelican case. The inside has Pick-n-pluck foam liner that can let your soldier custom shape the inside of their case to fit their laptop. I was able to fit my XPS 15 (see later in list), an external hard drive, USB cable, and the laptop’s power brick all neatly inside the case with the foam. The case was in my duffel bag which was tossed around pretty much and my laptop came out completely undamaged. The military uses cases just like this to store their own hard drives and laptops.. why not your soldier’s personal laptop?

Western Digital My Passport 1TB External HDD – I’d go more into WHY having a 1TB external hard drive would be excellent for deployment but Comics Online doesn’t approve/promote illegal file sharing. Let’s just say it’s nice to have an external drive to store files on while deployed. The newest versions of this come with USB 3.0 for even speedier file transfers! (Yes, it will also work on your Mac.)

Under $500

Vizio M221NV 22in 1080p LED TV – Let’s face it. In your soldier’s downtime he/she is probably going to want to play some video games and they’re going to need something to play it on. I have this TV and I use my HD448 to listen to the games and I have to say, the TV is outstanding for gaming. I know of at least two other guys out at my base who have this exact same TV (thanks to my initial recommendation) and they absolutely love it. Plus, for the geek soldier, when you bring it home with you, it has Vizio Internet apps to stream Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon streaming, and tons of other services. Not to mention the VGA in port on the back so it can be used as a primary (or secondary) monitor for your desktop computer!

Xbox 360/PS3 – The console wars are still raging on with these two HD gaming heavyweights (sorry Wii…) but which one you pick up for your soldier is probably up to their personal preference. I know out at my base it seems to be a firm 4:1 Xbox to PS3 ratio but the upshot of the PS3 is the capability to play Blu-ray movies. Great deals on holiday bundles can be found across the internet on either system right now.

Suunto Core All Black computer watch – For those who know anything about outdoorsy watches, Suunto are among the tops in terms of creating some great digital watches that can tell you all sorts of information. The Core has an altimeter, barometer, compass, and weather indicator that can show  barometric history for the last few hours to help weather nerds predict weather changes.

Under $1000

Dell XPS 15 – starting at $899, I picked up a XPS15 for my deployment gaming needs (specced out to roughly $1200) due to the combination of excellent processor, GPU, and available options for the price range. The chiclet style keyboard has a nice backlit option that I’ve really liked and the keys have just the right amount of give to them to make typing a breeze. Gaming wise, I’ve run Mass Effect 2 and Crysis: Warhead on full setting with nary a hiccup in frames at all. The sound coming from a 2.1 speaker set up (yeah… a tiny subwoofer is on the bottom) makes for one of the best sounding laptop setups I’ve heard so far. Also, the 2 USB 3.0 (also has an eSATA/USB combo port) can mach up nicely with the previously mentioned MyPassport external drive for speedy file transfers.
(Bonus nerd points for guessing the mission I’m on in Mass Effect 2…)

Price is no object

BentleyWalker Satellite Internet – If your geeky soldier just HAS to have their own internet connection and price is no object for you, BentleyWalker is one of the few companies that provides satellite coverage for Afghanistan that soldiers can take advantage of. Setups for this can range in the thousands of dollars to get the dish, modem, and monthly service. Just don’t expect blazing speeds like your FiOS or other cable internet services back home though.  Some bases DO have an option for a monthly WiFi service your service member can tap into.

When in doubt

Amazon Gift Card – Shipping times may vary but I know I’ve gotten packages safe and sound from Amazon in anywhere from 10-16 days with the free Super Saver shipping they offer. If you can’t figure out what to get your soldier, an Amazon gift card is definitely one excellent all-around idea that can fit any budget.

Now where is that frakking mail convoy…

Keep your browser deployed to ComicsOnline.com for all your gift guide needs and everything geek pop culture.