It’s hard to believe that the holidays are almost here! I always tend to scramble a little bit during this time of the year, racking my brain for gift ideas for our family members. So for our Gift Guide this holiday season, Steven and I came up with a list of our absolute favorite outdoor gear. Whether they are passionate about hiking, cooking or sleeping under the stars, we’ve hand-picked more than 20 gift options for the adventurer on your list. (Or feel free to pass along this blog post to your family members as a hint! ?)
Editor’s Note: This blog post contains affiliate links. When you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that helps us extend our travels. Thank you in advance!
Outdoor Apparel & Hiking Gear Gift Ideas
Keen Howser II Slippers
We got our hands on Keen’s newest Howser II for the whole family about a month ago, and it’s easy to say that these are our favorite pair of camping shoes! These warm, comfy slippers are perfect for indoor and outdoor activity, like walking the dog in the morning or sitting by the campfire at night. We practically live in ours!
Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 Hooded Down Jacket
If there’s one piece of gear that I wouldn’t ever part with, it’s my Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 Hooded Down Jacket. Hands down, it is the most comfortable, lightweight outdoor jacket that I own. It’s perfect for camping, hiking, backpacking — and even cross-country skiing. The Ghost Whisperer is less than 8oz, filled with goose down and made out of 100% recycled nylon ripstop. You can literally fold this jacket into one of its pockets! Plus, I love that this jacket comes in a variety of vibrant colors! (Here’s the link for the men’s version.)
Patagonia Re-Tool Snap-T Fleece Pullover
‘Tis the season for warm layers so you can keep hiking, am I right? I’m obsessing over the Re-Tool Snap-T Fleece Pullover from Patagonia. I honestly love anything and everything made by this brand, because I know it’s excellent quality and has eco-friendly designs. A pullover like this would be my go-to warmth out by the campfire, or on a California winter hike. As one review says, “The inside is luxuriously fluffy and the giant center pocket is super useful.” Need a men’s version? Check out the Patagonia Woolyester Fleece Pullover.
Sunski Yuba Polarized Sunglasses
I discovered this brand on Instagram earlier this year, and when it was time to upgrade my shades I opted for the Sunski Yuba Polarized Sunglasses. And I love them! These polarized sunglasses are my go-to for the outdoors because these are incredibly lightweight. The lens quality and filtering is pretty impressive, especially at the price.
SPOT X with Bluetooth
A few years ago Steven set out to thru-hike the John Muir Trail. Yep, all 220 miles! I had a lot of people ask me if I was worried about him, but I wasn’t — because I could track his whereabouts along the trail using his SPOT GPS device online. When you’re off the grid or beyond cellular coverage, the SPOT X with Bluetooth allows you to communicate with family or friends using satellite coverage. And in case of an emergency, there’s a SOS button you can press to immediately notify Search & Rescue with your exact coordinates. If you or someone you love is an avid hiker or backpacker, this is a must-have.
Cascade Mountain Tech Trekking Poles
For those high-elevation hikes, you definitely want to have trekking poles on hand. We’ve had the Cascade Mountain Tech Trekking Poles for YEARS and use them religiously on backpacking trips and big climbs. What’s also great about these is that it can adjust based on your height — meaning you can shorten these down for your little hikers that need an extra little boost!
Osprey Packs Poco Child Carrier
For families looking to get into hiking with toddlers, the Osprey Packs Poco Child Carrier is just for you. We had this exact carrier when both of our boys were super little and loved it. It’s comfy for both child and the parent wearing the carrier. Osprey is well-known for its high quality products, and this one fits the bill. It’s sturdy and has just the right amount of pockets. It’s easy to put your little one in with the kickstand and load up.
Adventure Medical Travel Series Medical Kit
It’s important that every outdoor lover keep have an emergency kit on hand, and the Adventure Medical Travel Series Medical Kit includes everything one would need out in the wilderness. There are four different size options that can accommodate groups of 1-10 on backcountry excursions ranging from 1-14 days. This lightweight medical kit comes organized by injury type for quick use in an emergency. Safety first!
Osprey Hikelite 26L Backpack
A good daypack for hiking should be considered an investment that will serve you well for a long time. We are big Osprey fans, so when we needed to upgrade our old packs with something a bit bigger, we opted for the Osprey Hikelite 26L backpack. It’s the perfect size to stuff your medical kit, 26 liters of water and all of the snacks for your kiddos!
America the Beautiful National Park Pass
There is one thing we use consistently every month on the road — an America the Beautiful National Park Pass! Each visit into a national park can cost you $35, so if your outdoor lover is planning on visiting multiple national parks (or just loves the closest national park), this is a huge money-saver. The pass includes entrance fees to all National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands (over 2,000 sites!) for one personal vehicle, including rentals and RV’s/motorhomes.
Moon USA National Parks: The Complete Guide to All 62 Parks
This travel guide is our national park bible! We use it consistently to plan our route, find recommended hikes and visit the best that each national park has to offer. It also has a ton of info on how to avoid crowds, what time of year to visit, and where to stay inside and outside the parks, from campgrounds to hotels. It’s a great armchair resource for future trips, and has great advice about what to see depending on how much time a visitor has.
The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide, Second Edition: Tools and Techniques to Hit the Trail
Finally, if you or your outdoor lover is new to backpacking, we highly recommend starting with The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide. Steven has read this so many times that it’s dog-earred and well-worn! Andrew Skurka is the definitive expert on all things backpacking, and brings a wealth of knowledge on the subject in this book. He is the ultimate adventurer, and shares what he’s learned from more than 30,000 miles of long-distance hikes, including the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails, and the 4,700-mile Alaska-Yukon Expedition. DANG!
AllTrails Premium Membership
We use the app AllTrails for literally every hike we go on. For the hiker in your life, give the gift of the premium version! Not only do you get all of the amenities of the free version, the pro version provides peace of mind when you’re off grid, thanks to the downloadable trail maps, off-route notifications, and Lifeline emergency notifications for family and friends.
Happy Holidays from Our Outdoor-Loving Family to Yours!
While the holiday season is about much more than gift-giving, I hope this helps make your holiday shopping a little bit easier this year. Don’t forget to check out our guide on the Best Hiking Gear for Families and Gift Ideas for Travel-Loving Kids for even more ideas!
