Well it’s December, the Christmas adverts are on the telly box, the town Christmas lights are on, the shops are playing non-stop Christmas music, and we’re being warned of “last order for pre-Christmas delivery” dates. So can you really blame me for turning my attention to the gifts I might want to give (and maybe also receive…) this year?!
My gift ideas for outdoor lovers post has become something of an annual feature here on Splodz Blogz. This year I’m actually offering two gift guides; this one is full of things you might want to find under the tree on Christmas morning, a second will focus on experiences over things.
01. Keep your outdoors loving friend warm and cosy by treating them to a fleece such as the Jasmine Jacket by Craghoppers. I don’t think I’ve ever liked a fleece as much as I like this one, it comes highly recommended from me. Or there is the Nikster by The North Face that is equally as warm (but maybe not quite as cosy). Basically, something (anything!) super warm and cosy will put a smile on my face – perfect for before, during and after adventurous days out.
02. I think because it’s turned so cold I’m focusing on things to keep outdoorsy people warm, and as a big tea drinker I never want to be out on an adventure without a cup of tea. so how about a flask? There are some really great ones on the market like this 32oz Hydroflask which keeps drinks warm for hours and hours and comes in ALL the colours (yes, I’ve dented mine… it still works!). The ToasTEA is a great little flask with a tea diffuser in the top so you can use loose leaf tea – perfect for the outdoors loving tea connoisseur!
03. Who doesn’t appreciate receiving chocolate for Christmas? I mean, make it nature themed creamy milk chocolate from Betty’s and you have to be on to a winner! These solid midnight owls and hollow pine cones are handmade from milk chocolate. And that hedgehog, well, he’s called Harry and he’s hand finished from rich Swiss Grand Cru milk chocolate. Seriously, this is good chocolate.
04. Keeping hydrated is so important, and you can help the outdoors loving person in your life by gifting them a new reusable water bottle this Christmas. I’ve got three of my own pictured here, all of which get regular use – the smaller Kleen Kanteen is their classic 27oz with sport cap, perfect for every day use whatever the activity, the 1 litre wide mouth SIGG bottle is super lightweight and easy to drink from for longer trips, and the larger classic 40oz Kleen Kanteen is ideal for road trips and touring when you need to carry a fair amount of water.
05. If you want to give your outdoors loving friend the means to have hot food and drink wherever they go for an adventure, a Jetboil is a great gift. It’s not cheap, so is definitely one for a “main present”, but I don’t know any adventurer who wouldn’t appreciate something that is both super practical and a little bit bling! I recently reviewed the Jetboil Flash here.
06. I don’t know any outdoors adventurers who don’t like to write down their adventures, whether it’s for other people’s reading pleasure or just their own memories. A journal or notebook such as one of these Moleskine classic notebooks is a great gift idea, and the beauty is you can never have too many! My personal preference are the large hardback notebooks with the squared pages; great for writing but also tables and charts when I’m planning, and the odd drawing and doodle here and there too.
07. Want to encourage your friend to get outside more, or provide someone with a bit of inspiration for their next adventure? The Great British Adventure Map is a fabulous double sided OS-style map with a whole host of ideas for places to visit and things to do here on our amazing island. It literally is bursting with ideas to get people out and about. Read my thoughts on this great little gift idea (the cover has changed since I got mine), and buy yours here.
08. If your outdoorsy friend is anything like me, they will be forever running out of battery on their phone, camera, gps device, and the rest. Give the gift of power! VARTA are a great bet for portable power, they know a lot about batteries. The pocket sized 5200 mAh power bank is perfect for keeping in the day pack for emergency topups, and the larger 18000 mAh version is perfect for keeping your phone (and therefore camera and gps device) topped up during a weekend away.
09. Any outdoors loving person in the UK has a constant battle with the weather… to use their phone and risk water damage or keep it safely in their bag? I’ve had expensive cases with all the features before, and they’re great, but keep coming back to the simple pouch design because they do the job without any fuss or bother. This range of simple waterproof phone and tablet cases by Lifeventure work brilliantly and are a great value stocking present or secret Santa idea. This one is the right size for a normal sized phone, and this one is for plus-sized phones.
10. Don’t knock the socks! Us outdoors loving adventurers, however much or little time we spend in the countryside, LOVE decent socks. My personal favourites are the Bridgedale WoolFusion Trail socks. Don’t think they’re a boring present, they’re probably the thing that will get the most use in the New Year!
If you’re looking for more suggestions then last year’s gift guide still stands and might be useful, or it might be worth checking out my Currently Loving posts for more ideas. And if you’d like any more information about the things I’ve mentioned here, give me a shout as they are all things that I love and use!
What’s on your Christmas list this year? Any of these things take your fancy?
A number of companies got involved with my gift guide this year by making suggestions and sending me samples to try. None of them required me to include them and so you can be sure they are real recommendations from me to you, oh, and no money changed hands either, no sponsored bits here.