Christmas Gifts for Outdoor People

Here are some great gift ideas for the outdoor lover and lightweight enthusiast in your life, sure to put a smile on their face on Christmas morning!

These Goosefeet down socks have become a staple of mine over the last year’s trips, no matter where or how far I go. When I first got the pair it was sort of an impulse buy. I read a bunch of reviews swearing by them but never even thought about the idea of down socks before. They’ve revolutionized my comfort level for those cold mountain nights! I got a great night of sleep every time they were slipped on. I quickly realized that my feet were always the last part of my body to warm up at night and it was in fact keeping me from reaching a good core warmth sooner. Now I sleep like a rock and wake up in the morning with renewed vigor and ready to tackle whatever the day has in store. Ben Smith of Goosefeet makes these socks super lightweight with lots of varied materials and colors.

photo courtesy of Goosefeet

A great alternative for that backpacker on your list that likes simplicity is the Sawyer Inline Water Filter. About five years ago, I was struggling with my MSR Hyperflow Filter wondering why by the end of every trip it was getting increasingly harder to filter water even though I cleaned it after every trip. I was getting eaten alive by the mosquitos while trying to push water through a filter that barely worked! I did extensive research into the various options and the ideas were many. Steripens, gravity filters, and weird chemicals that would all do the job, but none of them seemed right for me. I finally found the Sawyer Inline Filter (2 oz.) and because it’s so simple and easy to use, I haven’t used another form of filtration since then.

photo courtesy of Sawyer

Over the years, I have tried several varieties of pillows/stuff sack rigs finding them either uncomfortable, or too bulky for serious consideration. Then last year my friend Erin told me that she swears by her Exped inflatable pillow so I figured I would give one a shot. She has the regular model that has two valves, a soft micro fleece on one side which is very cozy, and weighs in at 3 oz.  There’s an ultralight version which weighs 2 oz, has only one air valve, a less plush feel and is about ten dollars more. I went with the ultralight version and have had no issues with it whatsoever. One thing I really like about this pillow style is it doesn’t get squashed into a thin pancake like a down pillow, so it’s good for side sleeping. It’s been very durable so far and stays firm the whole night with very little air escaping.

photo courtesy of Exped

Hope you and yours have a very merry holiday season!