10 Gift Ideas for Outdoor Enthusiasts
If you’ve got an outdoor enthusiast on your holiday list for the year, we’ve got suggestions. We asked our team about their must have outdoor gear and curated this list to make your holiday shopping a little easier. From budget-friendly options starting at $20 to higher-end options reaching $300 and beyond, our list caters to all price points. Whether you’re shopping for an outdoor newbie or the experienced outdoor adventurer, we’ve got something they’ll love. All gear recommended is gear we regularly use and love as experts in the outdoors. We do not receive commission on any of the items listed.
Please note that pricing may have changed since publishing date.
1–Hydration Pack
A hydration pack is a must for beginner and experienced hikers. A general rule of thumb is to bring one liter of water for every 5 miles of easy to moderate terrain. A two liter hydration pack is a great starter pack that should keep you hydrated for most day hikes in the region. Always keep in mind that weather and terrain may alter the amount of water you need. When in doubt, bring more water.
”I’m a big fan of Cambelbak hydration packs. It’s always been a reliable brand for me. I’ve had bad luck with other brands–the plastic of the hydration pack was punctured leaving me to scramble for a water source last minute. Camelbak hasn’t let me down yet.” –Micha White, Marketing Director
Camelbak Octane 12 Hydration Pack with 2L Reservoir, $97.50 from Camelbak
2–LifeStraw
A LifeStraw provides safe drinking water directly from lakes, rivers, and streams. It’s 99.9% effective against e.coli, salmonella, parasites, microplastics, silt, sand, and cloudiness. This is a super lightweight gear item that is easy to throw in a pack, dry bag, or first aid kit, just in case.
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter, $22.95 from Walmart
3–Dry Bag
Nothing is worse than dry items getting wet on a paddle trip. We use a lot of dry bags around here and we’ve got a couple of favorite brands.
“These smaller Sea to Summit dry bags are my favorite for shoving down inside the bottom of a kayak. The bottom acts as a one way purge so you can stuff it and push all the air out after closing.”
Sea To Summit Bug River Dry Bag, $39.95 from Sea To Summit
“I'm also a big fan of Yeti dry bags. The zipper closure makes it super easy to stay organized and retrieve things on multi-day floats without unloading everything out of the bag.” –Wyatt Layman, Operations Director
Yeti 50L Waterproof Duffel, $300.00 from Yeti
4–Satellite Messenger
We like to carry a satellite messenger with us on personal trips and all client experiences. Most of the time you can't rely on cell service when you’re in the great outdoors. These messengers can send an SOS to a search and rescue monitoring center and send our location to individuals that need or want to know where we are (spouses, parents, etc.). We're fans of Garmin brand for its reliability, but it does require a satellite subscription.
Garmin inReach Mini 2, $299.99 from REI
5–Wool Socks
Wool socks are breathable, moisture wicking, and odor resistant. You can purchase wool socks in various heights and cushion levels. We prefer socks that rise above our ankle, well past our footwear. We suggest trying out different brands and cushion levels to find your most comfortable fit, but typically you can’t go wrong with a mid weight wool sock.
REI Co-op Merino Wool Midweight Hiking Crew Socks, $19.95 from REI
6–Reliable Tent
If your outdoor enthusiast enjoys camping or backpacking, they need a good, reliable tent. Tents are our “home” while in the outdoors and they need to be able to withstand wind, weather, insects, and animals.
“I love this tent. It's light enough for backpacking but tough enough to stand up to gravel bars on overnight floats (and dog paws traipsing in and out). Big Agnes also makes a great lighting accessory for extra comfort and convenience.” –Wyatt Layman, Operations Director
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2, $549.95 from Big Agnes
7–Footwear
Footwear for hiking and backpacking is a personal preference. A hiking boot or shoe that works for one of our guides may not work for someone else.
“I personally prefer wearing trail runners while hiking. I like how light weight and breathable they are. My Merrell trail runners have taken me into the Grand Canyon, through Zion, and on most of our local trail systems. They have incredible traction for varying climates and weather conditions. Trail runners don’t always make sense for the trail terrain or conditions, but I do use them as much as possible.”–Micha White, Marketing Director
Merrell Women’s Antora 3, $125.00 from Merrell
8–Base Layers
It’s important to incorporate layers into outdoor gear to help maintain comfortability. We are fans of wool base layers because wool helps with sweat, odor, and temperature. It’s never a bad idea to have multiple wool layers on hand. We are fans of SmartWool. They have a handy Base Layer finder quiz on their website to help identify the best base layers to purchase based on the temperature you’ll be in and activity type you’ll be enjoying.
Women’s Classic Thermal Basle Layer Bottoms, $115 from Smartwool
9–Trail App Subscriptions
We are big fans of AllTrails and Strava apps for trail and route look up and we’re going to guess the outdoor enthusiasts in your life are too. We recommend purchasing a subscription of either app. A subscription unlocks special features like offline maps, alerts for wrong turns, sharing and rating favorite routes, and more.
“My husband and I use AllTrails any time we plan a hike. The subscription is worth it just for the offline map feature. We get peace of mind knowing we have a map in case the trail ends up not being well marked or hard to follow.” –Micha White, Marketing Director
AllTrails subscription, $35.99/year from AllTrails
10–Trail Towel
Small, compact, absorbent towels come in handy in the outdoors. You can use them to wipe away sweat, cool your neck, clean your hands, wipe down equipment, and so much more. Ideally the towel doesn’t take up much space and/or can clip to a pack.
“This mini-towel (it’s really, really tiny) holds a lot of cleaning power for its size. I like to have it to simply clean off my hands and cool my neck when it’s hot. If you’re looking for more of a full body towel or even a face towel, this is probably too small.” –Micha White, Marketing Director
REI Co-op Multi-Towel Mini, $8.95 from REI