Outdoorsy people tend to make their adventurous lifestyle their whole personality, so it’s natural to look for great outdoor gifts during the holiday season. But technical gear like hiking boots and backpacks are often highly personal purchases; they probably already have a tent; and outdoor gadgets are not actually all that useful. The thing about outdoor adventures, though, is that they make you hungry—so upgrading your outdoorsy friend’s campsite kitchen setup is never a bad idea. This also applies to people who, like me, just enjoy cooking outside but don’t always want to hang around a Weber grill in their backyard.
As a former indoor cat who married a rock climber and now spends a lot of my PTO throwing dinner parties at the base of a mountain, I know a thing or two about maximizing creature comforts while hanging in the great outdoors. There’s nothing quite like enjoying a hot meal on actual plates at a real table during your next camping trip. So instead of getting a bunch of dehydrated backpacker chow for your friend who is trying to summit several mountains in the next year, buy them one of these gifts instead.
Some portable camp furniture
While there’s a certain charm to turning a few stumps and large flat rocks into a makeshift dining setup, it’s also really nice to sit in an actual chair at the end of a long day of hiking. I’m a huge fan of the Helinox café line for everything from car camping and climbing trips to beach days. They’re incredibly lightweight, pack small, and make any outdoor space feel like a proper dining room. If you want to bring the rustic-industrial-farmhouse aesthetic wherever you go, Yoka’s folding plywood table and chairs will upgrade any glampsite. And if you just want to eat on a level surface, the classic REI camp roll table is hard to beat.
A portable fire pit
Most campsites come with fire pits, but maybe you want to make dinner somewhere a little more off-grid. Or maybe you just want something for the backyard of your rental that you can stash somewhere when your landlord comes over. I love Snowpeak’s Takibi grill because it folds flat, sets up in literally one minute, and has a unique design that makes it easy to keep feeding the fire without disturbing whatever you’re cooking. For a smokeless option, go for the Biolite or Solo Stove options, both of which come with cooking-specific accessories.
One of the best backpacking stoves
One of my favorite fall traditions is hiking out to Artist’s Rock in the Catskills just before sunrise and making a pot of coffee with my JetBoil Java. In fact, for years I did all of my camp cooking with a JetBoil and a standard-issue campsite fire pit. Backpacking stoves are super small, lightweight, and versatile, and JetBoil makes the best ones. If all you need to do is boil water, go for the Java or Minimo systems. If you want to do slightly more involved cooking in the backcountry, the brand’s Genesis Basecamp System gives you two burners, a pot, and a pan weighing in at less than 10 pounds.
Outdoor knives
Indoor knives and outdoor knives are not the same. The best knives for outdoor cooking are either foldable, like my personal favorite Opinel knives, or come with a leather sheath or carrying case. If you’re giving knives to someone outdoorsy, go for an all-purpose knife rather than a unitasker, since space is usually at a premium when packing an adventure cooking kit.
Some durable, shatterproof tableware
Finding the right set of dishes for outdoor dining depends on where your giftee’s adventures tend to take them. Car campers and day trippers will love the vintage aesthetic of the GSI or Coleman enamelware sets, while backpackers will love the lightweight versatility of Sea to Summit’s collapsible silicone line. For something a little more elevated, Snowpeak’s stainless steel dinnerware set is the perfect blend of durable and sleek.
A sturdy apron
Let’s say you’re shopping for someone whose idea of a good time is spending the day tending to a fire while they slowly roast an entire animal. Even if that person already has a great apron, I promise they won’t be mad about getting a second (or third). Avid outdoor cooks will want something made from sturdy canvas that can stand up to the elements. Carhartt’s firm duck apron is a classic choice, while the waxed canvas options from Flint and Tinder and Hedley and Bennett will make them feel like they’re on an episode of Chef’s Table.
A high-performance cooler
A lot of outdoorsy people are also Yeti people, and that makes sense because Yeti makes some of the best coolers on the market. When I’m going out for a weekend camping trip and want to do a lot of cooking, the combination of a Yeti Roadie 24 and their soft-sided M12 Backpack cooler usually does the trick. If you want to branch out, Oyster makes a super lightweight aluminum cooler that’s great for hunting and fishing trips, and Cotopaxi’s Hielo Cooler Backpack is extremely stylish and functional.
Travel seasonings
Smoke, time, and fresh air are great ways to season your food when you’re cooking outside, but you know what else is important? Salt. Gift your outdoorsy friend a set of travel-friendly spice blends, or get them a kit they can fill up with favorites from their existing collection.
Some campfire-friendly cookware
Having the right pots and pans can make or break an open-fire, outdoor cooking session. For those who like to cook in their backyard, or anyone who likes to post up at a glampsite, cast iron is the way to go. I am a huge fan of Snowpeak’s Takibi cooking set, which comes with a three-piece stackable Dutch oven (a pot, a lid, and a skillet), heatproof cooking mittens, and a lifter set that is, no exaggeration, a game changer. Lodge’s five-piece cast-iron set is classic, and can easily be used both indoors and outdoors, while Stanley’s nesting stainless steel cookware is a better choice for anyone who hikes into their outdoor kitchen.
Outdoor kitchen gadgets
Outdoor cooks often like to see how much they can do with the least amount of equipment, but that doesn’t mean they won’t appreciate a helpful gadget here and there. Some of these options, like Kelty’s chef roll bag and the barebones suede leather hot pad, will make great additions to backpacker kitchen kits. Things like the Bricknic cooking brick and Snowpeak’s tramezzino are a little more niche, but no less delightful.
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