25 Gift Ideas for Outdoorsy People
Many outdoorsy people wait all year for winter. It's the season to hit the snowy slopes or bask in the serene, chilly solitude of suddenly-empty trails and campsites. Even more people love to bundle up around a fire pit in their backyards, or stroll around town with cozy coats, fuzzy hats, and steaming mugs.
Whether you know a special somebody who plans to forge ahead into the outdoors this blustery winter or one who plans to make like a bear and hibernate until spring, we've got you covered with this guide to the best gifts an outdoorsy person would love.
If you don't see anything you like here, don't forget to check out more of our buying guides. We have a number of outdoor gear guides, including Hiking 101, the Best Action Cameras, Best Rain Jackets, Best Fitness Trackers, and Best Electric Bikes.
Updated November 2021: We've added more than a dozen new products, from whimsical stocking stuffers to practical gear that can do double-duty on the trail and in the city.
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- Photograph: REI
A Warm, Versatile Jacket
REI Co-Op 650 Down Jacket 2.0Goose down is only getting more expensive every year. Decent outdoor down jackets haven't been a mere $100 in a long time, which is why REI's house-brand offering stands out. For the price of a much cheaper synthetic puffy, REI can outfit you in 650-fill goose down, coated in a DWR (durable water repellent) finish to resist heat-sapping moisture. It's what I wear for casual day hikes when it's snowing.
- Photograph: REI
Dress Up Your Drink
Puffin Beverage KoozieKeep your buddy's beer cold without freezing their hands. These outdoor-themed beer koozies are lined with a reflective inner material and foam. They have a wide range of adorable, detailed designs, including flannels, puffy jackets, ranger vests, and life jackets. These are perfect for campgrounds, backyard barbecues, and beach blankets.
- Photograph: Backcountry
Neck Protection
Buff CoolNet UV+ BuffUpgrade their bandana with the Buff, a tube of thin fabric open at both ends. There's no messing with knots or loose ends, and the material is just springy enough for a snug fit. This model is made of a synthetic fabric that wicks moisture and dries quickly while also providing SPF 50 sun protection. It can be worn like a balaclava or a neck gaiter, or any number of other ways. At high altitudes, mine shields the back of my neck and covers the lower half of my face.
- Photograph: Tiny Tents
Tiny Tent
Tiny TentPitch your pet their own nylon castle. From the flexible tent poles to the removable rainfly and zippered inner mesh doors, these double-walled mini tents are remarkably accurate models of real camping tents. At 12 inches high and with two feet of floor space, it's the perfect size for your pocket-sized pooch on your next excursion.
- Photograph: Backcountry
Whimsical Undergarments
ExOfficio Give-N-Go 2.0Cotton underwear is a surefire way to ruin a hiking weekend. In warm weather, it's just annoying to pull constantly at your soggy, sticky clothes. And in cold weather it's dangerous, because when the wearer sweats, the fabric stays wet and the moisture steals body heat. Buy quick-drying synthetic underwear for the trail. Boxer briefs are fine for cold weather if they plan on hiking and moving around.
- Photograph: Leatherman
Always Prepared
Leatherman Wave+For the person who has everything (but can't fit it all in one pocket), a multi-tool can be a life-saver. At the very least, it's a time-saver. The Leatherman Wave Plus was my top recommendation in my guide to the Best Multitools because of its 18 built-in tools and 25-year warranty. Even if your buddy uses the beer opener most of all, the mini-scissors, eight-inch ruler, and two knives (serrated and non-serrated) will save the day sooner rather than later.
- Photograph: Amazon
A Backpacking Primer
The Backpacker's Field ManualIf you've never gone overnight backpacking before, picking a campsite or the right stove/backpack combination can be overwhelming. The Backpacker’s Field Manual is a well-rounded and comprehensive primer on how to select a proper-fitting pack, select a campsite, lower your physical impact on the trail, plan a backcountry menu, and learn about dozens of other topics. It won’t make your loved one an expert overnight, but it's a good idea to prepare before your boots get dirty.
- Photograph: REI
Noggin Protection
Nutcase Street MIPS Bike HelmetFor the person in your life who's too hard-headed to wear an ugly helmet, but not hard-headed enough to withstand a bike wreck unscathed, Nutcase's helmets are a solid option. They come in a number of stylish designs, and this one has MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) technology, which is a layer of material incorporated within the helmet that allows it to move just a little independently of your head and reduce the risk of brain injury.
- Photograph: Backcountry
Cozy, Warm Feet
Western Mountaineering Down BootiesThis is my favorite piece of cold-weather climbing and backpacking gear, simply because it’s so overlooked. These goose-down booties are for wearing around camp while your main hiking boots dry out. They have a water-repellent coating and a grippy sole. A pair weighs just 6 ounces, and they squish down small enough to fit into a pack.
- Photograph: REI
Always Handy
Coleman Personal Survival First Aid Tin - Photograph: Snow Peak
Fast and Easy Cooker
Snow Peak GigaPower 2.0 Auto StoveThe piezo ignition makes starting this lightweight, 4.2-ounce stove as easy as pressing a button, and the ability to adjust the flame lets the chef simmer food rather than cooking only at full power. It works with all widely available brands of isobutane-propane fuel canisters, including Jetboil, Snow Peak, Coleman, and MSR, and folds up to fit inside a cooking pot or camp mug during travel.
- Photograph: Amazon
A Mountaineering Primer
Mountaineering: The Freedom of the HillsFirst published in 1948, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills has been continuously updated by hundreds of the most accomplished backcountry experts. Large sections cover sport and trad climbing, plus backcountry nutrition, planning, search and rescue, and medical care. I don't like to recommend too many books for learning any craft; it's all too easy to overthink it. But your loved one could read only this book and The Backpacker’s Field Manual and be sufficiently prepared to head into the outdoors to continue their education.
- Photograph: USGS
Go Everywhere
America the Beautiful Park PassDo you know somebody with big dreams for 2022? Let them make up for all those dashed plans of 2020 and 2021 by giving them a pass that lets them get into any National Park or Federal Recreational Land without paying entrance fees for a whole year. Certain groups, such as military members and people with disabilities, can get them for free.
- Photograph: Suunto
Keep Their Bearings
Suunto A-10Of all the crucial outdoor skills, wilderness navigation is the quickest to pick up. Even if your special someone has no plans to go outside until spring, it's an easy skill to learn indoors. The Finnish-made A-10 is my go-to recommendation because it's accurate, the housing rotates smoothly, and the baseplate lettering doesn't wear off, even after years of use. With an A-10 and a copy of Wilderness Navigation ($17), they can learn the basics in two or three days.
- Photograph: Backcountry
Keep It Light
Mountain Hardwear UL 20L PackUltralight backpacks have trickled into the mainstream even as they've continued to get lighter and better. Upgrade your friend's day hiking pack from their old bookbag. The UL 20—a true hiking pack—has features such as an adjustable compression strap to cinch loads down tightly and a sternum strap to redistribute loads for better comfort. It's made of durable 200-denier ripstop nylon, but it only weighs 10.7 ounces.
- Photograph: Solo Stove
For Backyard S'mores
Solo Stove BonfireHere's an ulterior motive for you: Give them a portable bonfire. Then you can enjoy too. This Solo Stove weighs 20 pounds, which is perfect for when they take you car camping or have you over for backyard s'mores. It contains stray sparks and embers more safely than a traditional bonfire, and because it's more efficient, it emits less smoke and leaves less ash. We reviewed a similar version recently, if you want to learn more.
- Photograph: Backcountry
For Great Treks
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking PolesThese tough-as-nails, 17.1-ounce carbon-fiber trekking poles work for all seasons and surfaces, including when you slip on snowshoes, powder, and ice. They don’t fold for transport like Z-poles, but they contract into a shorter length with Black Diamond’s sturdy FlickLock mechanism. Using trekking poles takes up more energy, but they add stability in steep terrain. They also spread the impact load over more of your body on sustained ascents and descents, saving your knees and ankles. Just add rubber tips if you’re going to use them on dry terrain, and don’t scar the trail by dragging them.
- Photograph: Moosejaw
For Extra Comfort
Therm-a-Rest Compressible Travel PillowBalling up a puffy jacket sometimes just doesn’t cut it. If they need a real pillow to sleep, get them a compressible foam Therm-a-Rest. The filling is upcycled from scraps of material discarded during production of Therm-a-Rest’s foam-cell sleeping pads. I slept on the large size, equal to a small bed pillow, every night for 10 months of traveling. As a side sleeper sensitive to crummy pillows, I was pain-free every night. Unfurl it a few hours before bedtime to let it inflate.
- Photograph: REI
Personalize Their Gear
Outdoor-Themed StickersOutdoors people love stickers. Don't ask us why. We don't know either. Maybe it's because the great outdoors tends to attract individualistic thinkers who like to personalize everything, or maybe stickers are just a quick way to spot your own Hydro Flask in a pile of identical ones by the campfire. Let your loved one express themselves with stickers to slap on their water bottles, car rear windows, and more.
- Photograph: REI
Retro Coffee Sipper
REI Co-op Retro Camp MugManufactured for REI by Miir, who makes some of the Best Reusable Water Bottles, this mug throws a modern twist on the old, classic metal camp mug. It's a double-walled, insulated mug that'll keep coffee, tea, and cocoa warm without scorching the sipper's lips. That's more than we can say for those classic single-wall camp mugs.
- Photograph: REI
An Animal-Proof Bag
UrSack AllMitey Bear BagAnimals are snack-mooching thieves. Stashing food in an UrSack is a great way to keep them from gnawing into the Pringles. The AllMitey sews a Kevlar sack (which confounds small critters) inside a Spectra sack (which frustrates bears) for protection from both. Sure, a bear could still crush the food inside by biting the bag, but add an UrSack aluminum liner if you think the additional weight is worth knowing that breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of the trip won’t consist of different-flavored dust.
- Photograph: Amazon
Weather-Resistant Notes
Rite in the Rain All-Weather NotebookRather than forcing them to baby their sketchpad every time it starts to mist on the trail, get them a waterproof notebook. Rite in the Rain’s eco-friendly moisture-barrier coating is water-based, and the only byproduct released into the environment during production is steam. Your loved one can write down all their witticisms without worrying about bad weather washing them away. Since the paper itself is wood-based, the notebook can be recycled when they decide their thoughts really weren’t worth saving after all.
- Photograph: REI
Clean Water
Grayl Ultralight Purifier BottleIodine tablets and ultraviolent wands are effective methods of water purification, but if water has a lot of sediment, then the safest way to drink it is to use a filter. It takes only 15 seconds to filter 16 fluid ounces of water in the Grayl, and it's rated to remove 99.99 percent of viruses and disease-causing bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella, as well as 99.99 percent of protozoan cysts, like giardia and cryptosporidium. Filters last for 40 gallons before needing replacement.
- Photograph: Early Rider Limited
Teach Them to Ride
Early Rider Limited Classic Balance BikeThe consensus is that balance bikes are a better way to get your tiny tot ready to take on two-wheeled bikes. Sometimes also called “strider bikes,” they teach your 2-to-4-year-old to balance and glide without the distraction of pedals. If you've got a little one of your own—or if you want to be the world's best aunt or uncle—get them this sleek, mostly wooden balance bike to ride around the neighborhood.
- Photograph: Amazon
Auto-Adjusting Sunglasses
Julbo USA Aero Reactiv Photochromic SunglassesRather than listening to them complain about their sunglasses being too dark or too blinding, get them a pair with photochromic lenses that adjust automatically to changing light. On a bright overcast day, Julbo’s Reactiv Photochromic lenses let up to 72 percent of light through. As the sky brightens, they darken to provide additional protection. At their darkest, the lenses let through only 13 percent of light. That range is good for any outdoor activity in any season, except for glacier travel and high-altitude alpinism. An antifog coating inside the lenses and an oil-repellent coating on the outside keep breath and fingerprints from making them gross and hard to see through.
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