Great Outdoor Gift Guide: The Camper
- Gear lists
- Thursday 24th November, 2022
- By mrmattmcc
There is nothing quite like a good night outdoors. At Great Outdoors we love camping, in fact, most of us would regularly spend a night out under the stars for no reason other than, “why not”. We think this experience when paired with a deep understanding of outdoor gear results in us being able to put together a pretty great list of gifts for the camper in your life. Here is that list
When it comes to camping purchases all you need to know is the category of camper you are buying for. We have subdivided campers into; family, backpacker, and fast and light.
A new tent
You can go camping without a tent. It is definitely not as comfortable though! If the camper in your life has been using the same old or cheap tent for years, they would more than likely appreciate an upgrade.
Family pick is the Salewa LiteTrek
Backpacker pick is the MSR Hubba Hubba NX
Fast & light camper pick has got to be the exceptionally light F10 Project Hydrogen.
Lowe Alpine Backpack
If your camper fits firmly in the backpack g category, the need to have a good backpack. We have been using and loving the Manaslu backpacks by Lowe Alpine recently. Their 55:70L iteration of the bag is big enough for multiple-day hikes. They also make a larger 65:80L iteration for men that is in our “expedition” category. This would suit the camper that wants to go off for a week or two. Lowe Alpine also makes the Airzone line which are excellent overnight bags for the “Fast & Light” camper.
Therm-A-Rest Mat
Therm-A-Rest makes, in our opinion, some of the best sleeping mats on the market. They make something for every category of camper. Their range covers everything from ultralight to ultra-comfy!
Family pick is the Trail Lite Sleeping Pad
Backpacker pick is the NeoAir XLite
Fast & light camper pick is the NeoAir Uberlite mat.
Food cooler
If they spend most of their time in the family/casual category a food cooler is an excellent gift. A food cooler replaces your fridge on camp for a kitchen feeling in the outdoors.
Helinox Chair
Camping chairs have historically been cumbersome, heavy, and fragile. They are too heavy to bring backpacking and too fragile to be much use for the family either. Not anymore! Helinox has completely revolutionized the game. Their range of camp furniture is super lightweight and portable. So portable in fact that we would even bring it on a lightweight overnight. They are super comfortable too, taking a weight off on a Helinix camp chair after hiking for hours is an amazing feeling.
LEDlenser Headtorch
We would recommend all the head torches we stock for camping, however, the LEDlenser range we have at Great Outdoors is particularly noteworthy! The LEDlenser MH10 is a top-class torch that is perfect for the days you’ve been on the trail all day only to arrive at camp in the dark! No problem, you can easily pitch your tent, cook your dinner and read your book using the MH10. The MH7 is also an excellent torch that we have reviewed you can watch that review below and shop our full head torches range.
Dehydrated food
A perfect stocking stuffer for the camper in your life this Christmas. Get them a few different meals to try on their winter or spring hikes. Having warm food when you are out camping is definitely a mood booster. We stock “Adventure Food” and have been presently surprised by how nice they taste, especially after a day of hiking!
Camp stoves
To cook up your camp food or boil your water for coffee in the morning (we will talk about that in a minute), a camp stove is essential. We have an extensive range of stoves at Great Outdoors no matter what category of camper you are shopping for. We love the MSR stoves, the pocket rocket is a best-seller. The Jetboil stoves’ efficiency makes them hard to beat as well!
First Aid Kit
A first aid kit is a mandatory bit of kit for all outdoor enthusiasts but especially campers. When you are prepping food, pitching a tent, or lighting a stove, sometimes in the dark. The likelihood of an accident occurring is greatly increased. Make sure they can look after themselves with a first aid kit!
Stanley Pour Over
We told you we would talk about coffee! The Stanley Pour Over is the best way to easily brew excellent coffee outdoors. We made a video where we walk you through the process of brewing up coffee using this method. Trust us when we say, the coffee-loving outdoor-enthusiast will LOVE this. Why not pair this with a Stanley flask and a bag of their favourite coffee beans for the ultimate caffeine care package this Christmas?
Leatherman multitool
A good multitool is so useful on camp. The number of times you need to cut, slice, open, pry, saw, pull or screw something while on camp would shock you. A Leatherman multitool is the perfect tool to tackle these everyday tasks. We have been using the Leatherman Skeletool recently and have been loving the simplicity and functionality of it. Definitely a great gift for the camper!
Titanium Spork
No more broken sporks! If you have owned or used plastic cutlery you will know that it is not the optimal tool for the job. The Light My Fire Titanium Spork keeps all the functionality of its cheaper plastic cousin but ads an incredible amount of durability. Since the Spork is made of Titanium there is no weight penalty for this durability either! Pair this with a few dehydrated meals or maybe a pocket rocket for an amazing gift bundle for the camper in your life!
Platypus Quick Draw
Clean water is a life-saver. Literally! In Ireland there is often no shortage of water. We pass lakes, and cross rivers and streams regularly. Being able to easily filter water on the go is a huge benefit to the hiker or camper. This will mean they will not have to carry as much water with them as they will be able to drink as they go!
Phone Charger
A must-have for the camper in your life. After a day of taking photos, taking videos, navigating, and googling if the mushroom they passed was edible or not, they will more than likely have depleted the majority of their battery life. Being able to top up their battery for the next day of hiking, or to arrange being picked up, or even to call mountain rescue in case of emergency is super important!
An eVoucher
Let them pick their own gift! Our vouchers never expire and can be used in-store and online at greatoutdoors.ie.
