32 Camping Gifts Perfect For Outdoorsy Friends Or Nature-Loving Family Members

Looking for the perfect camping gift for your outdoorsy friend or family member? Here are all sorts of ideas for what to give, from experiences to gear to backcountry luxuries. Read on to get all the camping gift ideas!

National Parks Pass

Perhaps the best camping gift is a National Parks Pass! Sold through camping retailer REI, the annual America the Beautiful Pass covers park admission fees for the pass holder and their carload. The pass is accepted at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the country, including all US national parks.

Pocket Knife

Pocket knives are a classic camper’s gift. They’re abundantly useful, and its nice to have more than one (especially if you’re not trekking for miles). Some are best for cutting tough materials while others are great for backwoods cooking. Here are a variety of camp knives:

Campfire Roasting Sticks

If your camper would rather have high-quality metal roasting sticks than whittle their own in the woods, here are two great options for open-fire cooking:

Mini Camping Table

Horizontal table space is generally at a premium when you’re camping. These mini camping tables keep important goods up off the ground and on a clean, reliable surface:

Wooden Cutting Board

A wooden camp cutting board makes a great camping gift as its the kind of thing campers don’t often buy for themselves. Here are three gift-quality camp cutting boards:

Enamel Cups

Enamel cups are handy for hot cocoa (and for those required Instagram-worthy photos). Here are some classic enamelware cups for campers:

Wool Blanket

Wool blankets are another Insta-worthy gift for camping folks. Go for a traditional wool pendleton camp blanket or get a waterproofed version for protecting from wet ground. Here are two of the best:

Felling Axe

A felling axe is perfect for campers who like cutting down trees and lopping off branches. These are big axes usually kept in the truck, as they’re too heavy for carrying too far:

Splitting Wood in the Forest with an Axe

Splitting Axe

A splitting axe is a medium-sized axe designed for splitting logs into firewood. There are several types of splitting axes (as well as several handle materials). Here are some great splitting axes for camping:

Hatchet

Hatchets are small, all-purpose axes used for making kindling or other light back-country woodsmen jobs. They’re lighter than full-size axes, making them much easier to carry to walk-in campsites.

Camping Cookbook

There are some really fabulous cookbooks for campers! Whether your loved one is an avid backcountry trekker or weekend car camper, here are four great camping cookbooks to give:

Outdoor Survival Kit

Outdoor survival kits are a thoughtful camping gift for a loved one who may be far from town or out of cell service. While these kits are limited in what they contain, they can certainly help with the smaller issues that arise when you’re camping.

Cooler

Coolers are becoming way more “cool” lately! Here are three very trendy coolers that would make coveted camping gifts:

Multi Tool

Multi-Tools have long been sought-after by campers due to their versatility and relatively light weight. Leatherman multi-tools are perhaps the most popular, but there are other tools available. Here are three great options for campers:

Camping Skillet

It’s no fun to take your kitchen frying pan out to the woods with you! These camping skillets range from classic heavy cast iron to lightweight non-stick portable skillets. This is another gift item they just might not buy for themselves (but will certainly enjoy!):

Fire Pit Grate

A camp grill, or fire pit grate, turns an open camp fire into a wood-fire cooking grill. You can grill on the surface directly or use the grate to hold a camping skillet or cast iron oven. Here are three different styles of fire pit grate camping grills:

Bottle Opener

Where’s the bottle opener? ….said someone at every group camping trip ever. Fortunately, there are bottle openers for the side of coolers, lightweight multi-tools that include bottle openers, and good old-fashioned plain lever-style bottle openers. Here are some nice gift picks:

Portable Fire Pit

Portable fire pits are nice for wilderness spots that don’t have designated, built-in fire pits. There are heavy steel cooking fire pits for drive-in campsites as well as lightweight backpacking fires. You’ll be able to have a nice camp fire without leaving a mark on the ground!

Fire Starter

Fire Starters include lighting devices like windproof lighters and steel/ferro striker rods. To help get a campfire going, you can also use “fire starter” tinders, which are typically made with natural byproducts from forestry or agricultural crops. Here are some fire starting gear items that are totally gift-able:

Portable Phone Charger

Phone chargers are great camping gifts, especially for those who like to post photos to social media, or simply take off-grid photos and videos with their device. Some chargers are solar powered while others act as battery banks (typically providing 2-4 charges).

Hammock

Camping hammocks are getting to be more and more popular. It seems as soon as some folks try one…they don’t want to sleep on the ground anymore! There are big camping hammocks, light hammocks, and hammocks with tents. There’s even a (very popular) hanging cabana! Here are some hammock camping gifts:

Sleeping Bag

Is your loved one still using the sleeping bag they received as a kid for sleep-away camp? It’s time for an upgrade. There are down feather mummy-style bags, bags made of recycled materials, and cozy, upgraded synthetic bags. Here are some best-sellers:

Warming Packs

Warming packs are must for shoulder-season camping. While the disposable hand warmers used to be ubiquitous, re-usable options are now available. There are small re-chargeable hand warmers you can tuck into your pocket…all the way up to heated jackets!

Portable Lantern

A portable LED lantern is nice to hang from the top of the tent, a clothesline, a branch, or simply place on a log or table. And its always good to have more than one to choose from! Some are collapsible, some can recharge with a built-in solar panel, and some are photo worthy. Here are some top picks:

Doggie Water Bottle

Bringing your dog camping? Yes – there are camping dog bowls. There are packable bowls for backpacking and even Yeti dog bowls for the hip dog. Yes, Yeti makes a dog bowl. You’re welcome.

Coffee Percolator

A good cup of coffee cheers most campers up after a rough night’s sleep. Some campers have multiple types of travel coffee making kits; there is often quite a discussion between campers about which is best for which type of camping!

Camp Stove

Camp stoves range from light backpacker’s stoves to full-on tabletop camp stoves. Some, like Jetboil, can even be fitted with accessories (like a coffee press!). Are you sensing a theme here?

Upgraded Camping Chair

It’s time to replace the sad folding chairs left over from high-school soccer games. Here are three upgraded camping chairs worthy of gifting to your favorite camper:

Patagonia Pullover

Patagonia makes THE classic camping pullover. See below:

CAIRN Box

A Cairn box is a camping-themed subscription gift box. If you’re struggling with what to get, but want something large to appear at your recipient’s house, this just might be the right camping gift for you.

Camping Gift Card

The last option is, of course, a camping store gift card. Different retailers offer them in different formats. For instance, with REI you can send a physical gift card or schedule a gift card to be delivered to the recipient via email at your specified time. Other shops send you an email that you can print out and give in an envelope.

Camping Gifts - Ideas For Outdoor Lovers

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