Glad tidings, my friends! Once again, my outdoors Christmas gift guide is here to help you find the perfect present for the luckiest explorers in your life. Merry Christmas, you filthy animals.
Outdoors Christmas gift guide 2019
1, Karlek beanie hat, £20 from Passenger Clothing
Perfect for: stuffing in stockings
A outdoorsy lady can never own too many bobble hats, fact. If you’re wondering what to bestow upon your bestie or how to surprise your sister, might I suggest this rather festive-looking beanie from Passenger? It has a bobble so orange they’ll be a beacon of joy on the rainiest winter day, and if you want to get really fancy there are matching mittens available, too.
2, Wave+ multi-tool, £77 from Leatherman
Perfect for: #vanlifers
Pliers. Knives. Scissors. Saws. They (and 14 other really useful tools) are all packed tightly into this genius multi-tool. The Leatherman Wave+ is perfect for practical types who go on adventures where space is at a premium, such as van campers, bikepackers and backpackers. And there are myriad more incarnations of multi-tool available from Leatherman, from simple knives to beast-sized customised multi-tools. Get one for your dad, stat.
3, Field Notes notebooks – national parks series, £10 for pack of three, Field Notes
Perfect for: wannabe writers
“I’m not writing it down to remember it later, I’m writing it down to remember it now.” Field Notes’ small but perfectly formed notebooks are loved by travellers around the globe, and their new limited edition collection, inspired by America’s national parks, is especially delightful. Pick from Yosemite, Zion, the Smokies, Yellowstone… they are guaranteed to motivate you to plan a grand USA-crossing road trip.
4, Skandi boots, £99 from FitFlop
Perfect for: mountain mavens
Bitter winter morning in the hills? Slip your feet into these buttery-soft and deliciously warm snow boots from FitFlop. The rather adorable suede Skandi booties are lined with shearling and are tough enough to stomp through the snow on your next ski trip. FlipFlop’s signature cushioned soles keep them comfy even on all-day adventures.
5, Remedies to Roll travel pack, £22.40 from Neals Yard
Perfect for: busy travellers
Find a little bit of calm wherever you travel with these essential oil blends in dinky roll-on sizes from Neals Yard. The four pocket-sized oils include Energy, Night Time, Relaxation and Travel, and at 9ml each, you can take all four with you in your cabin bag allowance without a worry.
6, Hoosac parka, £336 from Penfield
Perfect for: keeping warm all winter
Could this be the perfect winter coat? Penfield’s snug-as-anything Hoosac parka is lined with cosy down, sports a faux-fur-lined hood and feels like you’re wearing your duvet outdoors – but looks far smarter. The Hoosac also comes in a cheery yellow if you want to look as bright as the sun on the greyest winter days. The fanciest entry in my outdoors Christmas gift guide, this is for someone who’s been very, very good.
7, Weekend canvas bag, £79.99 from Gandys
Perfect for: stylish explorers
Dreaming of chucking the bare necessities into a bag and going exploring? Keep all your outdoor kit in this smart, tough and weather-resistant canvas holdall from Gandys, which has removable shoulder straps and plenty of compartments to stuff full of essentials. You can treat it mean – those rugged looks and leather details will only look better with age.
8, Adventure map, £9.74 from Ordnance Survey
Perfect for: your Secret Santa
This isn’t your average map of the UK. Ordnance Survey’s adventure map lists wild swim spots, bothies, cycle routes and weird and wonderful events and festivals to seek out all around Blighty. Take it on a Great British journey, note down where you travel to and then frame the map in all its glory when you’re home again. At a smidge under £10, this makes a great Secret Santa gift.
9, Adventure socks, £18.99 from Stance
Perfect for: happy hikers
Meet Stance’s Adventure socks – they are hands down my favourite socks for trekking, skiing and general outdoor merry-making. Stance’s Adventure range are tough and long-lasting, or for something more fun, their lifestyle range come in a million cheerful and irreverent prints, from Star Wars to Billie Eilish. Get a pair for all your favourite people – after all, as Dumbledore wisely said, “one can never have enough socks.”
10, Coordinates and Compass necklace, £34.95 from ONecklace
Perfect for: the wanderluster who has everything
I can’t think of a sweeter present for the wildest traveller you know than this compass necklace, which comes in gold and silver and which you can have customised with the coordinates of somewhere that has special meaning to you both. Perfect for anyone off on long-term travels or a gap year – they can carry a heartfelt memento with them everywhere.
11. DD Hammocks XL Frontline Hammock, £79.95 from Amazon
Perfect for: the wild camper
Love kipping outdoors in your tent? Go one step further and try hammock camping – hanging loose between two trees is serious fun, and I even reckon it’s more comfortable than traditional camping. I’ve reviewed plenty of hammocks over the years but my current favourite is this roomy and mosquito-proof Frontline XL from DD Hammocks, which will do you proud anywhere you roam in the world.
12, Kanken toiletry bag, £55 from Fjällräven
Perfect for: backpacking boys
Travelling light? Pack all your lotions and potions into Fjällräven’s waxed, water-resistant toiletry bag, styled in the same manner as their cult favourite Kanken rucksack. You get eco points for choosing this dinky bag, too, as it’s made with recycled polyester and organic cotton. The unisex styling makes this a nice gift for globetrotting guys.
13, Metaxa 12 Stars, £25 from Metaxa (Paid partnership)
Perfect for: the connoisseur of Christmas tipples
If you’re wondering what’s missing next time you’re sitting by a crackling festive campfire, it might just be a glass of Metaxa. This Greek amber spirit is warming and wintery but with a hint of Mediterranean sunniness from Muscat grapes – pop some in a flask to warm up your Boxing Day ramble.
Great list – the socks will be in my letter to Santa.
Note that the Leatherman has a locking blade which means that carrying it in the UK without a good reason is illegal. It’s not clear whether having one in your pack when out walking would count as a good reason and it would be for the court to decide if the police decided to arrest you for it. I leave mine at home now cos I can’t afford a criminal record.
https://www.gov.uk/buying-carrying-knives
Author
Very good point! I only really take mine camping but will amend the description now 🙂