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The Best Gifts for Campers From Survival Essentials to Fun Gadgets
From a handy steel folding knife to a stove that can fit in the palm of your hand, these gifts will please any outdoorsy friend
Looking for the perfect gift for your most outdoorsy friend? We spoke to five camping experts—from professional wilderness guides to outdoor educators and authors—about their favorite camping products, including cookware, clothing, gear and more. The outdoor enthusiast in your life (including you) will appreciate these adventure-ready picks that will hopefully make roughing it a little less rough.
Do-it-all folding knives
Opinel
No.08 Carbon Steel Folding Pocket Knife
Victorinox
Camper Swiss Army Knife
A folding knife is top of mind when it comes to versatile camping gadgets for James Edward Mills, founder of The Joy Trip Project, which reports on the outdoor recreation industry, author of “The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors” and contributor to National Geographic. Mills prefers the Opinel carbon steel folding knife, which he touts as “relatively inexpensive, but it’s got 101 uses,” making it a great gift for novice and expert campers alike. He is also a fan of the classic camper-style Swiss Army knife, because “it basically has everything from a knife blade to a corkscrew.” You can also customize the Victorinox version with a monogram of up to 15 characters for an extra-personal gift.
Cliff Jacobson, an outdoor writer and consultant and wilderness guide, and the author of more than a dozen books and guides about camping and canoeing, also praises the classic Swiss Army Knife, noting that he believes “everybody needs one.” Jacobson also recommends the Leatherman hand blade, which comes with 18 different tools including pliers, wirecutters, scissors and bottle openers. “I would not leave home without my Leatherman tool,” he says, also noting that more serious campers might want to purchase one of the larger Leatherman tools that are built with Leatherman’s largest pliers, longest multi-tool blades and easy-to-use locks.
Backpack-friendly portable stove
If you know someone who’s the designated chef on every camping trip, they’re going to need a stove. MSR makes an impressively lightweight (2.6 ounces) portable stove called the Pocket Rocket, which Mills likes because it “fits in the palm of your hand and can be attached to a butane stove canister, and it’s instant fire.” Another handy aspect of the Pocket Rocket stove is that it has a piezo igniter, which converts electrical charges into energy using pressure, so your giftee won’t even need to bring a lighter to get started.
Collapsible cookware
Sea to Summit
Collapsible X-Pot Kettle
Sea to Summit
X-Set (3-Pieces)
If you want to take food with you on a trip or have a place to store leftovers, consider collapsible cookware, like the Sea to Summit collapsible kettle, which Mills likes to pair with the Pocket Rocket stove. The kettle is made from silicone with an aluminum bottom, so it’s lightweight and easy to pack for those who travel light but still want their morning coffee. Mills says the kettle is great for camping trips as well as any other kind of travel: “It’s not just for camping. Anytime I know that I’m going to need to prepare a quick and easy meal, it’s the perfect thing.”
Jack Drury, an outdoor leadership teacher with 40 years of experience and co-author of “The Camper’s Guide to Outdoor Pursuits: Finding Safe, Nature-Friendly and Comfortable Passage,” recommends Sea to Summit’s compact dinnerware set that includes a collapsible plate, bowl and mug that Drury describes as lightweight and easy to pack.
Camping by candlelight
GRAYPANTS
Wick LED Lamp
GRAYPANTS
Wick S LED Lamp
If you want to add a little ambience to your overnight camping trip, the Seattle-based maker of these Wick LED lamps likes to say they combine the romance of a candle with the utility of a flashlight. A tap of your finger adjusts the warm light brighter or dimmer or off and they’re much safer in fire-prone areas than traditional candles. In Buy Side’s experience, the charge lasts more than 12 hours.
Reusable utensils
Snow Peak
Titanium Spork
Snow Peak
Wabuki Chopsticks
For eating on the go, Julian Bialowas,head of design at Hipcamp, an online marketplace for tent camping, RV parks and cabins, likes to pair his cookware with Snow Peak’s reusable titanium utensils, which he praises for their durability and lasting power. In particular, he loves the Snow Peak spork. “It’s a buy-it-once-and-keep-it-for-the-rest-of-your-life kind of purchase,” Bialowas says. He also enjoys using the Snow Peak Wabuki chopsticks, which are a “great multi-use item to cook, stir and eat with.”
Headlamps
PETZL
Tikka Headlamp
BioLite
HeadLamp 750
A headlamp is a must-have for Blythe Roberson, author of “America the Beautiful? One Woman in a Borrowed Prius on the Road Most Traveled” and a lifelong camper and hiker, since she doesn’t like clutching her phone and using it as a flashlight in the dark. Roberson recommends the PETZL Tikka headlamp, which she got as a gift and uses on every trip.
Drury also recommends investing in a quality headlamp. His top choice is the BioLite HeadLamp 750, a pro-level rechargeable USB headlamp that comes in Moss Green and Midnight Grey. He also notes that with the popularity of LED bulbs, it is often better to choose a rechargeable option rather than one with batteries that will eventually run out of charge.
Thought-provoking camping books
John Luther Adams
Silences So Deep
Jon Krakauer
Into the Wild
Roberson says that “taking a book on a camping trip and reading it in nature” is always a fixture on her trips, “Or if you’re in the city, it’s a way to feel like you’re in nature.” For people who love camping and the outdoors, she recommends “Silences So Deep” by John Luther Adams, a memoir about the author’s trip into the mountains, forests and tundra of Alaska, and “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, a nonfiction account of adventurer Chris McCandless’s escape to the Alaskan wilderness and his eventual downfall in nature.
Adventure-ready tents
Eureka!
Timberline 2-person Tent
NEMO
Kunai 4-Season Backpacking Tent
If you’re looking to buy a more substantial present—and one that an outdoorsy friend will definitely use on their adventures—consider gifting them a tent. Jacobson suggests the Eureka! Timberline tent as a durable option. “What you really want is something that’s very rainproof, easy to get in and out of fast and easy to set up,” he says, and in his experience, Eureka! does the trick.
For a tent that can be used for any climate and for any style of camping, Bialowas recommends the NEMO 4-season backpacking tent, which he says is “versatile enough to use in a wide variety of circumstances,” thanks to its double-walled and tub floor construction that help block moisture from the tent’s interior, making it great for humid days in the woods as well as frigid days at high mountain elevation.
Comfy sleeping pads
NEMO
Switchback Ultralight Sleeping Pad
EXPED
Ultra 3R Sleeping Mat
Finding a tent to sleep in is important, but you also want to make sure you’re getting quality rest so you have enough energy for your outdoor adventures during the day. Jacobson recommends investing in a good foam pad, since air mattresses take a long time to inflate (and can be bulky to pack). For high quality, comfortable sleeping pads, Jacobson recommends these three favorite brands: NEMO, EXPED and Therm-A-Rest, which he calls “the originals.” “Spend your money on a good foam pad—that’s money well spent,” he says.
During the day, you can also try this Chipper foam seat that Bialowas says “turns any surface into a comfortable seat”—a great gift for anyone who likes to sit around a campfire on a log and strum a guitar or roast marshmallows.
Merino wool clothing
Icebreaker
Merino Tech Lite II T-shirt, Men's
Icebreaker
Merino Tech Lite II T-shirt, Women's
Smartwool
Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Crew, Men's
Smartwool
Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Crew, Women's
When it comes to clothing, “you can’t beat merino [wool],” Jacobson says. He calls the fabric more comfortable than cotton and non-itchy; plus, it’s moisture-wicking and odor-resistant, making it a solid pick for active days. For t-shirts you can wear in warmer weather, he recommends these ones from Icebreaker that come in men’s and women’s sizing and a variety of colors. (And if you’re hiking in the sun, don’t forget an everyday sunscreen.)
For colder weather, Jacobson recommends adding these thermal merino base layers from Smartwool to your closet, which also come in men’s and women’s sizing and a variety of colors. He also likes Smartwool’s merino beanie, which he notes is a crowd pleaser. “You can use it for sleeping, and you can stuff it in your pack,” he says of the versatile topper.
Folding saws
Agawa Canyon
BOREAL21 Folding Saw
Silky
GOMBOY Curve 210-300mm Folding Saw
“If you’re gonna be building fires, you need a saw and splitting tool,” Jacobson says. For a reliable folding saw, he recommends the Agawa BOREAL21, an all-purpose blade that opens in seconds (and comes in both green and yellow)—just unfold and snap into position, and you’re ready to start sawing away. For a smaller saw, Jacobson recommends this saw from Japanese brand Silky, which he says is among the best he’s tried while camping.
Compass and GPS
Silva
Explorer 2.0 Compass
Garmin
eTrex 10 Handheld GPS
The woods can be a maze, and finding your way through them can be difficult. Drury mentions that “compasses are an essential navigation piece,” for campers, and he recommends the Silva compass as a reliable gift. He also loves Garmin products, including the brand’s handheld GPS, which, although is probably at a higher price point than your standard GPS, is a helpful gadget for any trip. And if you’re relying on your phone for communication and directions, Drury notes that it’s important to pack a power bank so it doesn’t run out of battery on the trail.
Portable water purifier
Drury mentioned that he’s excited about the development of water treatment technology, and is thrilled to have found a tool you can use to purify your own water. He recommends using the SteriPEN, which uses ultraviolet light to treat water. “It’s a really neat little item, and all you have to do is swish around in your water bottle and it treats it with ultraviolet light,” to make it drinkable, he says.
Water bottles and mugs
Nalgene
Wide Mouth Sustain Water Bottle
Snow Peak
Ti-Double 300 Mug
Staying hydrated on a camping trip is paramount. For a reliable water bottle that will last for years, Bialowas recommends one from Nalgene. He’s a fan of the brand and its durable products, noting, “Mine is coming up on a decade old and is still holding strong.”
While water bottles are great for cold drinks, Bialowas recommends bringing a mug that can hold not only hot and cold beverages, but also food. His favorite mug to bring on camping trips is the Snow Peak titanium mug. “That is one item that can be used in the morning for coffee, for beverages in the evening, for yogurt for breakfast, for soup—whatever it may be, it’s so versatile,” he says.
—Additional reporting by Leslie Yazel