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Gifts for yourself or your favorite camping and hiking friends

Forest with sunshineThese are items especially for committed and maybe not-so-committed campers. Or, to put it another way, this is stuff I wish I had had on past years’ camping trips!

Some are distinctly for women – which makes them even more desirable!

Enjoy the shopping, and get ready for a great next outdoor trip!

Click on the images for full details and to check prices at Amazon.

Your own Swiss Army knife.

Victorinox makes more than 300 models of knife, with dozens of tool combinations.
Like a smaller, more compact knife? Consider this classic, the Spartan. (You can get it in different colors, of course.)

Want more tools, but not too many? Here’s another of the most popular models, the Hunter, with 12 tools (including the popular saw and scissors, which I always need!).


Either one of these will turn you into a lifetime Swiss Army Knife fan, if you aren’t already!

Planning an outdoors adventure that may involve some mist or dew?

Seriously, you need pants like these! Designed specifically for hiking. Roomy, light weight. Lots of pockets. Washable, quick dry.


And when you arrive at your campsite, why make it tough on yourself?

Relax in your own folding chair. (Of course, we have all managed at the rough wood picnic table, or balanced on a log around the fire, but hey! We’re grown-ups now!)

Another comfy item that I have longed for often . . .

and not just when camping! I’ve wanted one of these when biking to work, at sporting events, sometimes just when taking a walk around the block.

Don’t immediately recognize the image? It’s a BUFF – a stretchy tube made of merino wool that you can pull down around your neck, pile up on your head as a hat, use however you want to offset the chill!) This one is medium-weight; they also come in lightweight, and, of course, other colors. Totally chic, totally perfect.

Cold feet? That’s another story. But here’s something for cold fingers!

Another easily packable luxury – hand warmers! Pop ‘em into your pack, carry a few in the glove compartment. (I’d buy the largest pack, because my hands get cold easily!)

For the ultimate in warmth . . .

Wrap yourself up in a gorgeous Rumple synthetic down comforter. (Has its own stuff sack.) Add it to the folding chair, use it to supplement your sleeping bag. Whatever works — it’s washable!  And the Rumple patterns are really attractive.

Try an altogether new sleeping experience.

Use your comforter as part of this “sleeping experience,” too!  It’s a hammock! Honestly, I’ve never been in one myself, but my daughter has. And 2,948 customers at Amazon can’t be wrong! Who knew?

Get the fire going with ease.

Serious campers these days use a Tesla Electronic Coil Lighter to start the campfire. Works in the wind and rain, totally reliable technology. Different colors and styles.


This one  has a cool, engraved look.

Can’t bear to be disconnected?

If you’re heading out on more day trips, and really want to stay in touch via your phone and tablet, you really need a solar backpack to keep it all charged! This one carries a couple liters of water, too!

Not a one of these items on our Top Ten list is necessary. Heck, some hard-core campers might scoff at them. But when you’re looking for an outdoor experience that is really quite comfortable . . . well, then, consider some of these!  It may turn reluctance into enthusiasm!