It’s always hard to buy gifts for your camping friend who already has it all. You don’t want to get them something they don’t like or won’t use. But not to worry, as campers ourselves we’ve put together a list of camping gifts that a camping friend will actually love and use!
Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker
You don’t have to sacrifice the quality of your coffee when you’re camping. The Aeropress coffee press is light weight, portable, and easy to use. But what makes it so popular is the fact that it brews a super smooth cup of coffee without any bitterness or acidity. The total immersion design enables you to have a high quality coffee virtually anywhere in only a minute. It’s also super versatile, able to brew everything from regular coffee to concentrated espresso. Clean up is breeze – just rinse it out with clean water.
The only negative is that it’s sometimes hard to push the plunger down. It can sometimes require a LOT of force to push the water through the filter.
Baffin Unisex Cush Insulated Slipper Booty
Say good bye to cold feet! Light and comfy yet warm, these insulated slippers are perfect for lounging about the campsite after a hard day of hiking. Rubberized bottoms provide traction and prevent slips. Elasticized drawstrings keep them snug on your ankles, but these booties are still a cinch to take off when you climb into your tent. Each slipper packs down to about the size of a soda can. Pro tip – these tend to run a bit small so you might want to size up.
Advanced Elements 5 Gallon Solar Camping Shower
This is the perfect gift for the camper who like a little bit of luxury in the wilderness. The Summer Shower efficiently heats up and holds 5 gallons of water using just the sun. The sturdy, built in handle makes it easy to hang and it comes with soap and shampoo pockets and a temperature gauge. Control the flow of water with a simple on/off switch on the showerhead. When you’re done, just roll up this solar shower and pack it away.
Luminoodle LED Light Rope for Camping
The Luminoodle LED Light Rope is the new way to illuminate your next camping adventure. You’ll never go back to a regular lantern after trying this versatile, flexible camping light. Easily hang it from your tent (or anything else!) with the included ties and magnets or just wrap it around an object. You can also place the rope light in the storage bag to instantly create your own lantern. The Luminoodle is rechargeable via USB and comes in 5 and 10 foot versions.
Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow
You don’t have to give up a good night’s sleep just because you’re camping! The Therm-a-Rest Compressible pillow is a great choice for improving the quality of your sleep in the outdoors. The compressible foam puffs up to provide comfortable head and neck support while also packing down to a small size. It comes in several different colors and sizes to suit your needs. No more sleeping on a wad of dirty clothes! Pro tip – if your pillow looks deflated, wash it and dry it with some tennis balls to fluff it back up.
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter for Hiking, Camping
The Lifestraw is a great gift for friends who backpack, camp, or hike in the backcountry and need to treat their own water. It filters down to .2 microns, removing 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria and 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites. It only weighs 2 oz. and is small enough that you can even carry it as a piece of emergency equipment. With the Lifestraw there’s no need to mess around with hoses or waste time pumping water. You can just insert the straw directly into any water source and drink clean H2O.
BigBlue SolarPowa 28 Portable Solar Charger
We consider the BigBlue SolarPowa 28 among the very best portable solar chargers. It’s very quick to charge and reliable no matter the weather. Many other solar chargers struggle when it’s less than sunny, but the BigBlue SolaPowa 28 still works great when it’s cloudy. It has three USB-A ports, so you can charge multiple devices at once, but it’s faster to charge them one at a time.
The SolaPowa 28 folds up to about the size of a notebook (~ 11″ x 6″) so it’s small enough to fit in your backpack. While it isn’t the smallest or lightest option, it charges faster than competitors that are larger and heavier.
Overall, it’s a very well rounded solar charger that is fast, reliable, portable – and also affordable.
