12 Adventurous Gifts for Hikers, Backpackers, and Outdoorsy People

No matter what I’m doing outdoors, whether it’s hiking, running, kayaking, or even just sitting in a pool float, I somehow end up sweating off my sunscreen. Maybe that's just a me problem, but if you’ll be in the sun for an extended period of time, a wide-brimmed, packable hat is always a good idea. This lightweight yet sturdy one from Solbari is made of UPF 50+ nylon and cotton fabric that’s reversible.

There’s a colorful side (navy, pink, ice blue, or green) and a cream side—I’ve found that turning it to the cream side when the sun is extra strong helps to deflect light and cool things down. It’s also got a handy hole in the back for ponytails and braids, and the 5-inch brim in the front and 6-inch brim in the rear are longer than most hats of this style, to ensure you’re well-covered. It’s adjustable for different head sizes via a toggle in the back, and there’s a detachable chin strap, though for some reason this addition makes me feel like an elderly river-rafting guide, so I leave it off. (Though if it’s windy, it’s going back on—just call me Class Five Cloris.) —Kat Merck

This book changed the way I, and my kids, look at the world. I originally bought it 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.

What is camping without brewing coffee over a morning fire? And what is coffee if not from a moka pot? This is the classic Bialetti moka pot on which all other moka pots are based. It's made of heavy-gauge aluminum that heats evenly and won't complain if you put it directly on the coals (although the plastic handle will, so make sure your outdoorsy person puts it on the edge of the fire). It'll brew about a 4-ounce cup of very dark coffee (not technically espresso since it's not under pressure, but it's as close as you'll get outdoors).

If your outdoor person isn't a moka pot lover, other coffee options include this exquisite titanium French press from Snow Peak. It weighs just 6.3 ounces, so you can even hit the trail with it if you’re dedicated to your coffee. Then there's the tried-and-true Aeropress Go ($50), which can be used in a variety of ways and is light enough to pack on the trail and simple enough to use in a hotel room—and it makes all-around good coffee.

Did you notice the photo of the moka pot above? That was on top of this stove. You would not think that a 3-inch folding metal box designed to efficiently burn twigs would inspire an almost religious devotion, and yet here we are. Firebox stoves come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but my favorite is the smallest, the Nano, which I've used for years as both a wood stove and a gas stove, even a grill (also an alcohol stove). It's my top pick stove for cooking in the backcountry, but that's not why I suggest you get it for your outdoorsy friend. There are plenty of stoves out there. Your outdoorsy friend probably has at least two very practical stoves.

No, the reason I suggest you get this for them is because outdoorsy people are practical, and they will never buy this for themselves because they don't get it. Yet. You will help them get it. This stove is fun. It's practical, too, but ignore that for now and focus on the fun. With the Firebox Nano you can build a small fire out of twigs and cook a steak on it. Who doesn't love that? It's an amazing thing to realize how little fuel it actually takes to cook something. Grill asparagus, shrimp, homemade tortillas. I have done all of this and more and IT WAS FUN.

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. The fact that wool is also odor-resistant and very comfortable is just icing on the cake.

These T-shirts from Unbound are my favorite of the merino shirts I've tested. These 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 jiu jitsu 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.

VSSL's Java G25 grinder is nearly indestructible. I've been using mine every morning for about five years, most of that living on the road. I've dropped it on concrete, gravel, and more, and it's still going strong. In the same time, two glass grinders and one plastic grinder have broken and failed me. I know what you're thinking, and it is expensive, but it's an investment, and it lasts. Finally, this summer a thin piece of metal that surrounds the grinder gave way. I contacted VSSL (as a regular customer) and they sent out a replacement immediately, making this a Buy It for Life contender.

VSSL started life making ultra-durable camping tools—waterproof canisters with flashlights, compasses, first-aid kits, and more. The Java comes from that same lineage, made of aircraft-grade aluminum and built to survive the zombie apocalypse—or a bumpy ride to your favorite campsite. Despite all that, it's still relatively lightweight (about 14 ounces; you wouldn't bring it backpacking, but not too bad). The handle is clever. It folds out and gives a lot of leverage while you grind and can act as a hook to hang the Java when you're not using it. The conical burrs inside produce a nice, even grind, covering the full spectrum of brew possibilities, from French-press coarse to espresso-fine.

Traveler's Notebooks are legendary, and if your outdoorsy person likes to record their travels or observations, this is a wonderful place to do it. Originally released by the Japanese stationery company Midori, the simple, elegant leather cover with its myriad inserts proved so popular it was spun off as its own company. The leather cover is really just that—a leather binding which you can fill with whatever notebook (or notebooks) you want. For example, I use the process described here to keep three notebooks within the covers of my traveler's notebook. I have one dot-grid notebook for planning, one plain notebook as my journal, and one heavier paper notebook for sketching and using watercolors to nature journal as described in the John Muir Laws book linked above.

I will confess I used to dislike the slightly odd size. The full-size Traveler's Notebook is 8.7 by 4.9 inches, which is slightly narrower than A5. It's a little different, but I've grown to love it. There's also a “passport” size at 5.3 by 3.9 inches. Note that there are many imitators. I would avoid the cheap Amazon knockoffs; it's a gift after all.

If you're following along here, you'll notice we've suggested a tiny (but powerful!) wood-burning stove, and now, the key to starting a fire outdoors: a tiny bellows. I bought the collapsible bellows out of curiosity, not necessarily because I thought the Firebox needed it, but it is both helpful and fun. And it keeps your face out of the fire. I find it particularly useful for when a fire has burn down to a bed of coals, I've cooked on it, and now I want to get some flames going again—for the marshmallows, natch.

I probably use these more than most people since I heat my house with a woodstove and use this bellows at least once a day in the winter, but all that's done is given me more time to test. It works great. It's a telescoping tube of metal, and I'm not sure how it could malfunction. Your outdoorsy friend might not use this every day, but it's fun, friendly reminder that some of the best times you'll ever have outdoors will happen with friends and family gathered around a crackling fire.

After suggesting a wood-burning stove, and a mini bellows, you should have seen this coming. What you need to complete the full-fire package is Cooking on Fire, a gorgeous book of recipes and techniques for cooking over an open flame. Cooking on Fire has a good mix of recipes, ranging from simple and delicious veggies to slow-cooked meats that require hours. There's also plenty of background on different types of fires and cooking techniques, as well as all the equipment you might want to cook various things (for example: spits, forked sticks, cast iron pans, and so on). It's everything you—er, sorry, your outdoorsy friend—need to get started cooking on fire.

What I really want to try is the fire-inside-a-log technique pictured on the cover, but I haven't gotten around to that yet. So far I've only had a chance to make the grilled pork belly, with grilled carrots and “Krabbelurer” griddle cakes for dessert. All of them were excellent, though of course, perhaps that universal rule applies more so here than with any other form of cooking: Your results may vary. In the end, though, this isn't really a gift about cooking. It's a gift to remind us all to slow down and take our time, with food and everything else.