Gifts for someone who camps, that also earn their place at home
Good camping gear does double duty: the headlamp that lights a tent also lights the fuse box in an outage, and the filter that treats a stream is a backup if the water at home is under a boil notice. This guide picks gear an outdoorsy person will use on the trail and that's worth having in the closet the rest of the year.
Every pick is a product we already compare; each card says why it's here, and the maker page behind the claim is listed in the sources at the end.
A headlamp, the gift every camper uses
A headlamp keeps both hands free for pitching a tent, cooking or reading a map. The choice is mostly about power: a built-in rechargeable battery, or standard AAA batteries you can buy anywhere, which is handy on a long trip.
A water filter for the trail
A hollow-fiber filter turns a stream into drinking water in seconds and weighs next to nothing. It's worth knowing what a filter doesn't do: portable filters don't remove viruses, so where that's a concern CDC advises disinfecting the water too.
- “Portable water filters do not remove all types of germs from water. Portable filters: Will not remove viruses.” (CDC)
A stove for hot meals and coffee
A canister stove that screws onto a small fuel can boils water for coffee and freeze-dried dinners in minutes. In an outage it's a way to heat water too, but only outside: camp stoves give off carbon monoxide.
- “Generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows.” (Ready.gov)
Staying in touch beyond cell service
Two-way radios keep a group talking at a campsite or on a trail with no signal, and the license-free FRS kind need nothing but batteries. A satellite messenger goes further: it can send an SOS from almost anywhere, but it needs a paid satellite subscription, so check the person wants one before you buy it.
For cold-weather trips
Winter camping and hiking bring three problems: batteries that die in the cold, icy trails, and a night colder than expected. These three gifts deal with one each.
Experienced campers are particular about their gear, so if they already have a headlamp or a filter they like, ask before buying another. Skip the satellite messenger unless they'd pay for the subscription its SOS needs. And a camp stove is never an indoor heater or an indoor cooker, in an outage or otherwise.
Common questions
Does a water filter make stream water completely safe?
Not on its own in every case. CDC says portable water filters don't remove viruses, so where viruses are a concern, disinfect the water as well, for example with chemical tablets, following the label.
Do satellite messengers need a subscription?
Yes. Garmin's manual for the inReach Messenger says you must have an active satellite subscription before you can use the SOS function.
More gift guides
Useful holiday gifts for an older parent: a weather alert radio, alarms that never need a battery change, lights that come on in an outage, and a warm throw.
Housewarming and holiday gifts for a new homeowner: linked smoke and CO alarms, a fire extinguisher, an escape ladder, a fire and water safe, a first aid kit.
Small, useful stocking stuffers under $25: headlamps, a power failure light, a water filter, an emergency blanket and bivvy, ice cleats and camp dinners.
Power stations, generators, safe indoor heaters and radios with live prices, our store-price deal check, and what you can skip.
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Sources (13)
- CDC: Water emergencies, making water safe
- Ready.gov: Power outages
- Black Diamond: Spot 400-R
- Petzl: TIKKINA
- Black Diamond: Astro 300
- Sawyer: Squeeze water filter system
- LifeStraw: Peak Series Gravity 3L
- Fire Maple: Polaris
- Motorola: Talkabout T470
- Garmin: inReach Messenger owner's manual
- Nitecore Store: SUMMIT Air
- Kahtoola: MICROspikes
- SOL: Escape Bivvy
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