19 Awesome Gifts for Hikers, Backpackers, and Outdoorsy People

Chop wood, carry water. I can't promise this hatchet will bring enlightenment, but it will definitely split some firewood, and that's a step in the right direction. Motor City Axe makes some of the best looking hatchets I've seen. They're incredibly well-made (in the USA), and if properly cared for should last pretty near forever. The one I tested is inspired by the north woods of Michigan, but there are others, like The Wilderness ($98) and the Flying Fox Throwing Axe ($101).

Did you know most of us spend almost 90 percent of our time indoors and another 6 percent in enclosed vehicles? Help your outdoorsy friend get outside more with this giant hammock. Trillium hammocks are an awesome addition to any yard (or camping trip) and they give you a reason to get outside by offering a huge, comfy place to lounge.

I am in fact typing this from the XL 6-person Trillium hammock, which is also where I do all my meetings. Meetings still suck, but they suck a little less when you're in a hammock. The only word of caution here is that you need to have trees (or some kind of post) in a roughly triangular shape for this to work, and it's probably not the best choice for desert-dwelling friends. Also note that there is a 3-person version that's a little cheaper.

Opinel's classic folding knife practically begs to be taken on a hike with some good hard chorizo, soft Spanish cheese, and a nice baguette. It's the first step to hiking European-style. Or at least how I imagine Europeans hike (always with delicious cheese, cured meats, and cheap wine—please don't ruin my vision, European readers). I got my Opinel as a gift from a friend, and I love it. And I am an outdoor person, so there is your living proof that this is a good gift.

Opinel makes dozens of variations on this knife that you can pick from when gifting. Grab them a kit with a bento box, or a nature lover friend might like the version with handles designed by different artists. The one version I don't recommend is the carbon steel version. Carbon steel is great, but in this case, when you're throwing it in your backpack and possibly forgetting about it for long periods of time, carbon steel will rust. Stick with stainless steel when gifting this.

Spending time outdoors gives you more free time to think, and probably the best way to record those thoughts in our favorite pocket notebook. At 3.5 inches x 5.5 inches and only 48 pages long, these soft-cover notebooks fit in just about any pocket and make a great always-on-you notebook for jotting down observations, sketches, or just random thoughts. Field Notes paper is high-quality and smudge-proof, even writing in pencil as I do most of the time. Almost always available in a pack of three, Field Notes come in an astonishing range of colors and themes. The National Parks set is a good one for outdoor folks. If you want to level up your pocket notebook gift, consider grabbing this nice leather cover ($90).

The best food I've ever eaten was cooked over a campfire. Give your favorite outdoor person some food to grill, like a gift box of richly marbled grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork, and free-range chicken. ButcherBox is one of our favorite online sources for meat thanks to its huge selection of cuts. If you're not sure what your giftee likes, you can always grab them a sampler box (or a steak sampler box).

This is another one I know makes a great gift, because I got a meat box as a birthday present years ago and I've given it as a gift to several people since. You really can't go wrong with anything here, unless the person you're buying for is vegetarian or vegan, in which case you can get them a gift box from Purple Carrot.

Everyone has their own way of packing, but I think these Evergoods 2L packing cubes are some of the most versatile packing cubes I've used. They're padded enough that I use one for camera lenses and photo gear (batteries, extra SD cards, etc), but not so bulky that I mind carrying them around. They are a little heavy for backpacking, but for everything else, these are how I stay organized. If you like the idea, but these cubes don't ring your bell, I've been testing Peak Designs various revamped packing cubes and they are really nice. The tech pouch ($60) and small tech pouch ($50) are both great.

Sitting around a fire is possibly the best part of being outdoors. “Conversation is directed into the fire while dreams and images are drawn out of it,” as the British author John Mitchell once wrote. Also coffee, really good coffee, can be drawn out of the campfire, which is where Campfire Coffee comes in.

Before we get to what makes Campfire Coffee special, let me just say I also test coffee for our coffee subscription guide and this is by far the best coffee I've tested this year. Even if there were no campfires involved, I would recommend this to anyone who like a delicious, smooth, dark coffee. Your outdoor friends will especially love Campfire Coffee because it's delicious and it's roasted over an open flame by people who love camping. Campfire coffee also runs a program called Campfire Explorers Club, which is a non-profit helping people who would not otherwise be able to explore the outdoors get outside and experience some wilderness—another place (like those below) that you could make a donation in your outdoorsy friend's name.

The pocketknife is the sort of indispensable everyday tool we should all carry. I've has all sorts of different pocket knives, from the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink Swiss Army Champ ($125) to a three-blade Buck knife I found buried in the dirt when I was a kid.

These days I prefer the simplicity of a folding knife. I was gifted this Benchmade a few years ago by my wife, and I don't think it's left my pocket since (except when I fly, which is rare). It's not cheap, but it's pretty near indestructible, and it has a lifetime warranty. Benchmade will even sharpen it for your giftee if they don't have a way to do that themself.

Did I mention that I love merino wool? Everyone needs more of it, especially the outdoorsperson. Wool really is capable of keeping you warmer when it's cold and cooler when it's warm. In a comparison study against other fabrics (on runners), the wool fabric shirt performed best in both hot and cold conditions. It's effective because Merino wool has insulation, breathability, and moisture-wicking thermoregulation properties. That wool is also odor-resistant and very comfortable are just icing on the cake.

These T-shirts from Unbound are my favorite of the merino shirts I've tested. These are are the softest, best-made, best-fitting T-shirts I've ever worn, merino or otherwise. They're incredibly versatile. I've worn them doing everything from backpacking in the summer heat to rolling jiujitsu to sitting around the fire on cool autumn evenings. I also like that they don't have a “sporty” cut or stitching. They're just … T-shirts.

This book changed the way I, and my kids, look at the world. I originally bought because I thought my kids might like it (which they did), but then I stole it, read it cover to cover, bought a sketchbook, and, following along with the book, started to see the world in much more detail than I ever had before. Don't worry if your giftee is not an artist. I am the opposite of skilled when it comes to drawing, and I still love this book. More than drawing, what this book is teaching you is to look closely, observing and recording the world around you, and to form your own understanding of what you've witnessed.

If you want to put together a kind of “curiosity kit” gift package based on the one in the book, pick up a hand lens (I like this one because of the way it blocks out the light, though there are higher quality lenses), some nice pens, and a millimeter ruler to go along with it. You could also check out our guide to journals and notebooks, though those tend to be very personal choices and might not be the best gift unless you know exactly what your giftee wants.

Nalgene is not the hip water bottle of the moment. That's OK, because to the outdoors person, the timeless classic is always better than the latest style, and every outdoors person needs another water bottle. I have four and wouldn't be sad if someone gifted me another one. Nalgenes are lighter than stainless steel and, frankly, the only sane option for backpacking (unless you want to reuse a disposable bottle).

If you want to make your gift a little nicer, a rolled up T-shirt (maybe a Merino wool one?) fits well inside.

There are dozens of mapping apps and services, but in my experience a pro subscription to OnX is hard to beat. We've extensively tested the off-road subscription for our overlanding guide, but I've had good experiences with the backcountry version as well. The premium version is probably enough for most people and has all the planning tools you need, tailored to hiking. The elite membership offers delineation of private land boundaries, which can be helpful to see where you shouldn't camp.

If your friend happens to by a cyclist, I am a fan of Ride With GPS, which offers a good mix of routes and has nice planning tools for mapping your own.

This is our favorite luxury portable grill. Nomad's suitcase-style cooker (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is to grills what the Yeti is to coolers: better in every way, but expensive. It is well-built, sturdy, and easy to carry. The Nomad uses a dual venting system to achieve good airflow even when the lid is closed. The vents, combined with the raised fins on the bottom of the grill (which elevate your charcoal allowing air to flow under it), allow for precise control of both high and low temperatures.

The Nomad ships with a single grate, giving you 212 square inches of cooking space. I managed to smoke nine chicken breasts, and another time I fit two racks of ribs. If your giftee frequently grills for a crowd, grab a second grill grate for $127.

Look Ma, more merino. I don't like the word shacket. But “shirtacket” is worse, and this really is somewhere between a heavy winter shirt and a light pullover jacket. Because it's Merino, it functions well as both, making it great for those cool autumn and spring evenings, or as a midlayer in your winter bundling system. That's what makes the Yukon Crew a great gift. You can use it just about anywhere.

If your friend is a birding fanatic, then don't gift them binoculars, but if they're just getting started, or you think they might enjoy it, these Celestron TrailSeeker binoculars (8/10, WIRED Recommends) hit s sweet spot between price, quality, and weight. They're light enough to hang around your neck all day on the trail, and they offer great, bright views through comfortable eye cups. The price is reasonable for the features, and they're often on sale during the holidays.

There are times when you want to hear the silence of the forest. But there are also times when you need some tunes. For the latter we've got dozens of great Bluetooth speakers, but the Charge 5 from JBL ($180) is our top pick for outdoors. It's got an IP67-rated against dust and moisture and offers great battery life. The sound quality is surprisingly good for a speaker this size, especially the low-frequency response, which is impressive.

Chances are, unless your giftee is an outdoor newcomer (in which case, by all means, buy them some gear), they may well have everything they need. Rather than buying them something that's just increasing their environmental footprint, and putting natural resources on a back shelf of their closet, consider making a donation in their name.

You might want to ask them if they have a favorite environmental organization (this is much less awkward to work into a conversation than asking what their favorite handlebar rack is for gravel rides), but if not, check your local outdoor shop for regional groups. These are often your best bet for turning money into action, and they often need the money more. If nothing quite fits the bill, I'll just plug my two favorite groups, the Nature Conservancy and Surfrider, both of which do good work helping to protect land and water around the world.