Gifts for: Hikers, Campers, and Outdoor Enthusiasts

 If you're looking for a gift for someone who spends lots of time in the outdoors, it makes sense to use that as a starting point. While your recipient probably has most of the basics and knows what works best for a given specific outdoor activities--hiking shoes, a good tent, and so on--you can still think of ways to show that you want to enhance the love of the outdoors. 

EMERGENCY SUPPLIES

I recently saw this idea on a Reddit post, and I love it.

The compass, emergency whistle, and paracord are all on the handle

It's a set of emergency supplies for being out in the wilderness: first aid supplies (including medicine, in the red, green, and blue containers, and antibiotic and burn ointments), an emergency sleeping bag, a knife, water purifying droplets, hand warmers, energy gel snacks, a flashlight, a compass, an emergency whistle, paracord (that doubles as a handle on the water bottle), a lighter, and bright flagging tape to mark your location. They fit into the large water bottle, and the whole thing weighs a negligible amount. You'd hardly notice it in your bag, if at all.

The sleeping bag does fit inside, but there are two in the pouch
so it's easier to hang it by the carabiner

I have this wrapped and ready to put under the tree for Christmas: my husband likes to go hiking, and while he takes the essential precaution of telling me where he's going and how long he plans to be gone, it's always a good idea to be prepared for emergencies.

What sort of emergencies might your recipient want to be prepared for? Are the outdoor adventures in desert areas, dense forests, snowy climates, steep terrain, bear country? Is there any cell phone signal nearby, or is a satellite phone the only option? Does your recipient car camping and might need emergency roadside assistance (you can give AAA memberships as a gift), or is hiking to a primitive campsite preferred (maybe pay for a first aid course)?

REPLACEMENTS

In general, you should trust people to pick out the essentials of their passions on their own--they know what they want and what works best for their situations, and may have preferences on brand or material or other specifics. But if you notice that your recipient's outdoor supplies are in need of repair or replacement or even upgrade, those can make for an easy gift. I prefer to NOT have these sort of gifts be a surprise, in case I've guessed wrong. For example, maybe the hiking boots aren't worn out, they're finally broken in! But when my mother-in-law noticed our little camp cooking set was very subpar for a family with kids and offered to get us a proper camp stove, we were thrilled. If you're not sure you can get the specifics right, a gift card to a store that sells outdoor gear works well.

What might be past its prime? Is the tent too small now that a couple has children--or too big now that the kids are grown? Is the hiking backpack fifteen years old and showing its age? The boots might be in good shape, but are the laces? What about clothing?

You might even be able to make a replacement yourself. My husband had been trying to replace the carry bag for our tent for over a year to no avail. Looking at it, the bag was just four long rectangles with squares at either end, and a zipper. I got my seam ripper, took off the handles and zipper from the frayed and ripped bag, and sewed a new one out of duckcloth (a stronger material than the original).

Old bag (with cat for scale)

New bag--and the tent even fits!
Plus I was able to stitch our phone number into it.

CONSUMABLES

Outdoor adventures usually require snacks at the very least. There are myriad granola bars, trail mixes, and other snacks available to buy. Or maybe you know how to make some yourself! Homemade beef jerky, fruit leather, or nut mix offer quick energy. For overnight trips, dessert or breakfast items work too. As with any food items, be aware of allergies, intolerances, and other dietary restrictions. Also keep in mind that there won't be much refrigeration outside of coolers, and that crumbly food might not hold up well. If your recipient is going to be in an area with lots of large predators like bears or big cats, make sure the food can be stored safely.

Other things that might need to be replenished include insect repellent, sunscreen, firewood, batteries or lightbulbs for flashlights and other such items, water, propane or other fuel including gasoline for the driving part of the trip, first aid supplies, bear spray, ammunition, special cleaning supplies, yearly state or national park passes, and so on.

EXTRAS

Especially for hiking, most people don't want to bring more than the essentials. But there are a few things that are worth the extra weight and space. For example, a rain fly for a tent makes a huge difference if the weather turns bad while camping, as does a small fan when nighttime temperatures don't drop low enough to sleep comfortably. As I've gotten older, I vastly prefer to bring a camping cot rather than a sleeping on a mat on the ground. A brimmed hat is great for sun protection, but one that offers neck and ear covering is a nice addition for very hot or sunny areas (or anywhere for fair-skinned people). If your recipient likes to take a dog along, a dish for the dog to drink water from is great. or maybe a coat for the dog or balm for its feet. There are even sewing patterns to make collapsible bowls and coats--you could customize them to fit your recipient's interests or for visibility.

If they wouldn't add too much weight or take up too much space, field guides can be fun. Especially if your recipient might encounter new plants or animals or likes to stargaze, consider locally-geared books and pamphlets or topography and star maps. For the US, I really like the field guides by Stan Tekiela, full of pictures and arranged in easy-to-understand categories (the birds are arranged by color!). There are also hiking books specific to states and other locales that help people find hikes with particular geological features and explain how the landscape came to be. Astronomy guides help people identify stars, planets, and other celestial bodies, and mark the best times to watch for meteor showers, eclipses, and other exciting features. Binoculars and telescopes, if not too unweildly, might be a nice addition--if a solar eclipse is in the plans, be sure your recipient has the proper equipment to view it safely!

The August 2017 solar eclipse, viewed from Wyoming, USA--
I had eclipse glasses not only for me, but for the camera, too.

For other ideas, consider the off-season and the times surrounding outdoor adventures. Maybe your recipient needs some storage space and you know how to build shelves. Maybe the car is packed too full and a roof rack or trailer hitch carrier would be helpful. If it's a long trip, how about a gift card to grab food along the way? Or if you live between the adventure destination and your recipient's home, a shower after the trip!

If you're not sure whether your idea is a good one or something that will be annoying, check with your recipient. Surprise gifts are lots of fun, but it's better to know that your gift will be appreciated. And sometimes your idea is exactly what your recipient wants--but already has! At least in that case you know you had a good idea.