As outdoorsy people ourselves, we figured we were up to the task of coming up with a big list of stocking stuffer ideas for people who love to spend their time outdoors.
We chose items we thought are useful, thoughtful, and affordable. That’s why we’re calling them “no-nonsense” stocking stuffers.
Other than stockings, we think that these ideas should work well for Secret Santa. In fact, these stocking stuffer ideas should be suitable for birthdays and other occasions too, not just for Christmas!
CHRISTMAS GIFTS: Looking for big gift ideas? Check out our list of 50 Gifts for Outdoor Lovers.
1. O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Cream
Dry, cracked hands are a constant problem for outdoorsy people. Add some reliable O’Keefe’s Working Hands cream to their stocking and help keep their hands moist!
2. Pro-Knot Knot Tying Kit
This plastic, waterproof instruction booklet is a must-have for any adventurer. It’ll help them remember how to tie all the different types of outdoor knots, and it’s the perfect size for a stocking stuffer.
3. LifeStraw
LifeStraw is great for backpackers and travelers who need lightweight, space-saving gear. Since it doesn’t take up much space, it’d be useful to take on trips as a backup water filter.
4. LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle
This LifeStraw Go water bottle can carry unfiltered water. The built-in straw does the filtering as you drink, and the straw makes it easy to drink on-the-go.
5. Sabre Frontiersman Bear Spray
Bear spray is a useful stocking stuffer for campers, hikers, and anyone who’ll be going to areas where bears are a concern. We hope your loved one never has to use it, but we certainly hope that they have a can when the situation calls for it!
Bear sprays expire because they eventually lose the pressure that’s needed to propel the substance, so get them a fresh can as a stocking stuffer.
6. Coghlan’s Bear Bell
A good way to make sure your loved one never has to use their bear spray is to get them a bear bell. A bear bell warns bears and other animals that someone’s there and encourages them to move away from the sound.
7. Swiss Safe Emergency Thermal Blanket
Emergency thermal blankets are thin, durable sheets of foil that can be used as a blanket, emergency shelter, sleeping bag liner, ground cover, and wind/rain/snow blocker. No matter the type of outdoor activity, these should be part of every outdoor enthusiast’s gear in case of emergency.
8. Stanley Classic Flask
We love the textured finish, shape, and vintage design of the Stanley Classic Flask. It’s a sturdy flask that’s perfect for outdoor use. What’s particularly great is the wide mouth, which you can fill without a funnel.
9. Black Diamond Spot Headlamp
A headlamp is an essential item for outdoor enthusiasts. The Black Diamond Spot is a small headlamp that packs a powerful beam. It’s a solid product and the perfect size for stuffing into a Christmas stocking.
10. Xenvo Pro Lens Kit for Phone
Cell phone lens attachments can improve the quality of photos taken from a phone. Using an attachment, an outdoor lover would be able to take stunning photos of nature without having to lug around a bulky camera and lens.
11. Walnut Studiolo Travel Cribbage Board
This beautiful travel cribbage board is a cool stocking stuffer for both kids and adults. Games are a must-bring item when going camping, traveling, or backpacking!
12. Buff Merino Wool Headwear
Outdoor enthusiasts love Buff and Merino wool. So it makes total sense to combine the two! Merino wool is warm, soft, odor resistant, breathable, lightweight, and quick-drying, which makes it the perfect fabric for making headwear.
13. Justin’s Nut Butter Squeeze Packets
Snacks and other consumables make great stocking stuffers. Justin’s nut butter packets are treats that can be eaten on-the-go, which makes them the perfect energy boost for the trail.
14. Mountain House Freeze Dried Meals
Mountain House makes a variety of delicious freeze-dried meals: Chili Mac with Beef, Beef Stroganoff with Noodles, Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Sweet & Sour Pork with Rice, Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, and for dessert, Raspberry Crumble. Get them as stocking stuffers and help an outdoor lover replenish their stock.
15. Darn Tough Socks
Darn Tough Socks are a popular choice of sock among outdoor enthusiasts. The product is just as the name suggests, and the company offers a lifetime guarantee to back it up: “If you can wear out our socks we will replace them free of charge”. Sounds like the perfect stocking stuffer to us!
16. Kuju Single-Serve Pour Over Coffee
These single-serve coffee pouches are a simple way to make coffee out in the field. You don’t need anything other than a mug and some hot water, which makes them great for minimalist backpacking and camping trips.
17. JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder
In our opinion though, nothing tastes better than coffee brewed with freshly-grounded beans. If you know someone using ground or instant coffee, help them graduate to better coffee with a compact, portable coffee grinder that they can bring on all their adventures.
18. Black Diamond HeavyWeight ScreenTap Fleece Gloves
These Black Diamond gloves are designed for touchscreen use. We love that they’re warm and not too bulky. They’ll be perfect for cold winter days.
19. Smartwool Merino Wool Tech Compatible Gloves
These Merino wool gloves by Smartwool are also compatible with touchscreen devices. They’re super soft, lightweight, and warm.
20. Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent Lotion
A bottle of this DEET-free lotion will do the trick in keeping mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, sand flies, chiggers, and biting flies away. This lotion doesn’t feel greasy and doesn’t have a strong odor.
Picaridin, also known as icaridin, doesn’t cause irritation like DEET and is considered to be more effective in repelling insects than DEET.
21. Sawyer Permethrin Insect Repellent Spray
Permethrin spray is bug protection for clothing, tents, and gear. This product will keep insects like ticks from attaching onto clothing.
For maximum bug protection, get your stocking stuffer recipient Picaridin lotion for the skin and Permethrin spray for clothing and gear.
22. Sun Bum Sunscreen Lotion
Sun protection is another essential outdoor item. It works well as a stocking stuffer because it’s something that always needs replenishing. Sun Bum sunscreen lotion is hypoallergenic and free of parabens and other nasty ingredients!
23. Leatherman Wave Plus Multitool
A high-quality multitool should be something a hardcore outdoor enthusiast has, but if you know someone who doesn’t have one or someone who lost theirs, slide a Leatherman into their stocking this Christmas.
24. Gerber Bear Grylls Fire Starter
The Gerber Bear Grylls fire starter is both a cool and useful survival tool. We love that the ferrocerium rod and metal pieces have thick handles that make it easy to hold and strike together.
At one end of the fire starter, there’s a little waterproof compartment that can store cotton balls to be used as tinder. As a bonus, this fire starter comes with an emergency whistle.
25. Exotac Waterproof Match Case
This beautiful and functional match case will keep matches dry. Inside, there’s a red phosphorus striker that can be used to light up matches. This is a no-nonsense match case that you can bet your life on.
26. Coghlan’s Waterproof Matches
Waterproof matches are crucial for those who don’t have a good-quality waterproof case. These Christmas-colored waterproof matches would make great stocking stuffers.
27. BearVault Bear Canister
Bear canisters are actually mandatory at many National Parks. While they may not fit inside a Christmas stocking, they’re a great item to pick up for someone – especially campers.
28. Sam Splint
Every outdoor first aid kit should include Sam Splint. This lightweight, pliable foam is used in emergency situations to secure bone and soft tissue injuries. It can be cut with ordinary household scissors as well as cleaned and reused.
29. BRS Ultralight Stove
This BRS stove is great for backpackers. It’s so small it fits in the palm of your hand like a set of keys.
30. Snow Peak Titanium Cup
Titanium is strong and lightweight which is why outdoor enthusiasts love cups, cutlery, and cookware made of titanium. A titanium cup will last an outdoor lover a lifetime.
31. Gerber Compleat
The Gerber Compleat is a super functional four-piece (spoon, fork, dual-sided spatula, multi-tool) set of cutlery that can be used in so many ways.
The spatula has a serrated edge for light cutting duty and a silicone edge for scraping and cleaning. The multi-tool is a veggie peeler, bottle opener can opener, and package opener. When you combine the fork or spoon with the spatula, you can turn them into a pair of tongs.
This has everything that an outdoor enthusiast will need to cook and eat, and in such a compact package!
32. Suunto A-10 Compass
The Suunto A-10 compass is a simple, fast, and accurate compass that will (hopefully!) keep someone from getting lost. This is a great stocking stuffer for hikers and geocachers.
This compass doesn’t have an adjustable declination correction scale, but for getting a basic impression of north, east, west, and south it’s perfect.
33. Hydro Flask
Hydro Flask makes insulated drinkware that can keep cold beverages cold and hot beverages hot for hours. They’re well-designed, easy to carry, and durable both inside and out.
34. Anker PowerCore 5000 Portable Charger
A compact portable charger makes a great stocking stuffer because of its size, but it’s also great for backpackers or travelers who need to keep their load light. This portable charger contains 5,000 mAh of power and will be able to charge most phones once or twice. It’s not a lot to carry for what it can do!
35. SOL Emergency Bivvy
Who should have an emergency bivy? All outdoor adventurers! You can never predict what might happen! The SOL Emergency Bivvy is a thin waterproof, windproof, reusable sleeping bag that can be wrapped around the body to retain 90% of its heat.
Some people use emergency bivies to provide additional warmth over a sleeping bag. And some people use it as their sleeping bag on ultralight trips during the warmer months.
36. Rite in the Rain Notebooks
For outdoor adventurers in need of writing material, get them Rite in the Rain notebooks. The all-weather paper is waterproof, sweat-proof, grease-proof, and mud-proof. It’ll even survive the laundry!
37. Nuun Hydration Tablets
As you can probably tell, we love survival products. They tend to be compact, which means they’ll fit perfectly inside Christmas stockings. Plus they’re extremely useful.
Take these Nuun tablets for instance. They’re packed with electrolytes to rehydrate you and restore electrolyte imbalance caused by fluid loss from physical activity. They’re great for backpacking, hiking, and situations that require an energy boost.
38. GSI Outdoors Compact Scraper
The GSI Outdoors Compact Scraper is handy for scraping leftover bits and pieces stuck on pots, pans, and grills. It doesn’t scratch and makes things super easy to clean while out in the wild.
39. Sea to Summit Pocket Shower
The Sea to Summit Pocket Shower is an ideal solution for those who don’t have access to shower facilities. It holds 10 liters of water which will provide a 7 to 8 minute shower. When not used as a shower, the sack doubles as dry sack to transport clothes or a sleeping bag.
40. Epsoak Epsom Salt Bath Soak
Muscle soaks are a thoughtful gift for outdoor lovers. Once back from their trip, muscle soaks can help them relax and relieve muscle aches and pain.
41. Yankee Candle “Outdoor” Candles
Candles that smell like the outdoors will make awesome stocking stuffers. They’ll remind someone of the wonderful scent of the forest or the fresh mountain air.
42. Jetboil Jetpower Fuel
Gas canisters are one of the things that you can never have enough of, which makes them a solid choice for stocking stuffers.
43. Opinel No.8 Folding Knife
The Opinel No.8 folding knife has been unchanged and relied upon by outdoorsmen and women since 1890. Featuring a carbon steel blade, this knife is made for all-around use: whittling, food preparation, etc. The No.8 is small enough to be used as a pocket knife and large enough to handle many types of tasks.
44. Matador Pocket Blanket
When folded, the Matador Pocket blanket is small enough to fit, well, in your pocket. When laid out, this blanket can accommodate 2 to 4 people comfortably.
The blanket is lightweight yet water and tear resistant. The built-in stakes are a nice touch. This is yet another handy stocking stuffer we can suggest.
45. Bee’s Wrap Reusable Food Wraps
We love Bee’s Wrap food wraps! These food wraps are plastic-free and fully biodegradable. They can be washed and reused for up to a year.
46. Stasher Reusable Food Bags
Want to get something sealable instead? Stasher bags are a great choice. They’re strong, plastic-free, and non-toxic.
47. Opsak Storage Bag
These Opsak storage bags are great for storing non-food items like clothing, passports, phones, cameras, batteries, medication, and even human waste. They’re airtight, leak proof, and keeps odor inside the bag.
48. ClimbOn Lotion Bar
Hikers and backpackers will love using this lotion bar to soothe their feet from cracks. In fact, it’s great for anyone suffering from cuts, scrapes, and blisters.
49. Hampton Adams Phala Tape Wrap
Some people say that the Hampton Adams Phala tape is like duct tape and moleskin had a baby. Very true! This tape can be applied on feet to prevent blisters or wrapped around wounds to prevent further irritation.
50. Uberleben Kuksa Mug
Kuksa mugs are simply beautiful. Kuksa refers to a drinking cup traditionally crafted by the Sami people of northern Scandinavia. It’s held an almost sacred place in the hearts of hikers, bushcrafters, campers, and pretty much all outdoor lovers. What’s not to love about a beautiful, traditional wooden mug? Besides, it gives coffee, tea, and even water a unique flavor.
51. TheTentLab Potty Trowel
Though not exactly the kind of topic you’d bring to the dinner table, we love talking about responsible human waste burial! A potty trowel makes digging a hole easy and would be the perfect stocking stuffer and tool for backpackers and backcountry campers.
52. Walden by Henry David Thoreau
This Pocket Penguins edition of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden is the perfect size for someone to bring along on their trips. And of course, Walden is always a great read.
53. Feast by Firelight by Emma Frisch
Feast by Firelight is a recipe book for cooking outdoors. It includes stunning photos of food and is written like a journal. This book will give someone new recipe ideas and help them plan meals for their next adventure.
54. SAS Survival Handbook by John Wiseman
The SAS Survival Handbook is great entertainment. It’s an outdoor manual that covers every conceivable disaster scenario. It’s a fun read and who knows, you may even save your loved one’s life!
55. The Kindness of Strangers
The Kindness of Strangers is filled with uplifting stories shared by adventurers and travelers that will restore your faith in humanity. They each recount a time when they had to rely on help from a complete stranger. A stranger that could have easily walked away but didn’t.
Visiting a foreign place often means embracing risk and uncertainty, and this book shows what it’s like and that maybe the world isn’t the scary place broadcasted all over the news, but filled with strangers just like us.
56. Fjallraven Woodsman Winter Cap
The Fjallraven Woodsman is a quality winter cap that will last a lifetime. Warm, functional, and stylish, this is a great addition to any wardrobe.
57. Coal Headwear The Bridger Hat
The Bridger Hat by Coal Headwear is another great outdoor cap for winter. It’s unique, stylish, and functional.
58. Fjallraven Singi Trekking Hat
The Fjallraven Singi Trekking Hat will provide good protection for hikers and trekkers. Made out of Fjallraven’s signature water resistant and hardwearing G-1000 material, this hat is durable, stylish, and practical.
59. Grangers Down Wash Kit
Grangers Down Wash can be used to wash all down sleeping bags and outerwear. Synthetic-filled clothing and equipment can be washed with this product too, but this is definitely the thing to use for outdoor down equipment.
For best results, dry items in the tumble dryer and use the dryer balls that come with the kit to prevent the down from clumping.
60. Revel Gear Trail Hound Camping Light
The Revel Gear camping light is awesome. Powered by USB, this 30-foot long light can be wrapped around a tree or hanged any way you want. It adds a nice touch of ambience and provides endless hours of relaxing illumination in the great outdoors. Talk about camp vibes!
61. Eagle Creek Packable Daypack
A daypack is a handy gift. It can be used for travel, hikes, and single-day excursions. It’s small enough to bring anywhere without taking much space and small enough to fit in a Christmas stocking!
62. Woodcut Memory Game
This game is made for tree lovers of all ages. It’s a simple memory game using beautiful images of tree rings. We think this would be a nice gift for a young outdoor lover.
63. Sierra Dawn Campsuds Biodegradable All-Purpose Soap
Campsuds biodegradable soap can be used as body wash, shampoo, or dish detergent. This all-purpose soap will be the only cleaner one needs to bring on an outdoor adventure. The concentrated formula can clean lots with just a few drops, which means this little portable bottle, despite being small, will last many adventures.
64. YogaToes
YogaToes are great for outdoor enthusiasts because they’re always on their feet, and these will help stretch out aching toe and feet muscles. Besides providing relief, YogaToes can also help strengthen feet and improve existing feet problems.
65. Demon Hyper X Ski & Snowboard Wax
Help a skier or snowboarder replenish their stock of wax this Christmas!
66. Dynaflex Gyro Hand Exerciser
This hand exerciser will keep hands, wrists, and forearms agile and muscles healthy. Get this as a stocking stuffer for a rock climber or mountaineerer.
67. Platypus Collapsible Water Bottle
The Platypus collapsible water bottle is an invaluable item when space is a premium. It can hold up to 2 liters of water. When not in use, it can be rolled or folded up. And it can easily fit in your pocket.
68. National Geographic Trail Maps
Slip a trail map into someone’s stocking and inspire them to visit a new place in the upcoming year! These National Geographic trail maps are highly detailed, offer interesting history, and provide a lot of valuable information.
69. Burt’s Bees Lip Balm
Out in the wilderness, lips can get chapped easily. Slip this special holiday pack into a Christmas stocking and help someone keep their lips moist.
70. Chocolate
It’s never a bad idea to slip some chocolate into a stocking. After all, chocolate will provide a good boost of energy on the trail!
71. Ghirardelli Premium Hot Cocoa
Delicious hot cocoa is never a bad idea either. Nothing beats a delicious cup of hot chocolate around the campfire!
72. Therm-a-Rest Z Seat
This super-light, foldable seat pad is great for outdoor adventures. Instead of sitting over rocks, logs, or wet surfaces, this insulated pad will provide cushion, comfort, and warmth.
73. Sun Company Mini Thermometer
Getting a read on the temperature will make decisions on what to wear much easier. This mini keychain-style thermometer will definitely come in handy during any adventure.
74. Gear Aid Tenacious Tape
Tenacious tape patches up sleeping bags, down jackets, tents, and other gear instantly. It does what duct tape does without leaving a sticky mess. It’s an indispensable item to bring on trips for making emergency repairs.
75. Zippo Rechargeable Hand Warmers
Zippo produces a line of rechargeable hand warmers that are great for keeping hands warm and double as a charger for electronic devices. This 9-hour model features 6 adjustable heat settings and a 5200 mAh lithium-ion battery with enough juice to fully charge a phone once or twice, depending on the phone model. This will make an awesome stocking stuffer for an ice fisher.
76. Fjallraven Greenland Wax
Fjallraven Greenland Wax adds a layer of protection against rain and wind to jackets, pants, and gear. It’s applied by rubbing directly onto the garment and using a hair dryer or iron to “melt” the product evenly into the fabric.
77. Pocket Discs
Pocket discs make fun gifts for outdoor lovers. Made out of fabric, they’re easy to pack and super fun to toss around. Since a large playing area is needed, this is the perfect thing to bring on outdoor trips!
78. Tough Outfitters Cooling Towel
On hot summer days, this cooling towel is a must-have. It’s great for activities like hiking, camping, running, yoga, gym workouts, construction, gardening, and more!
79. Coghlan’s LED Micro Lantern
This little lantern is the stocking stuffer that everyone wants! Small but powerful, it’s super useful for lighting a large area around the campground or tent. With a runtime of 25 hours on a single battery, and two light modes (“on” and “flashing” for emergency), it will provide long-lasting and potentially life-saving illumination in the dark.
80. Coghlan’s Inside Cooler Lid Light
Wouldn’t it be great if coolers could light up when you open them, just like the fridge at home? Well, they can actually! This cooler light is attached to the lid and activates by motion. When you open the cooler it’ll light up and save you from grabbing the wrong drink at night. 😉
81. Delta Bike Wall Mount
This bike mount might be just a tiny bit too large – OK, OK, it’s way too big – to fit inside a stocking. But this would make a great little – or big? – gift for a cyclist nonetheless!
82. Roam Bike Phone Mount
A phone mount will help secure a phone to the handlebar. It’s the perfect solution for navigating a GPS while riding a bike. This universal phone mount will work on most bicycles and motorcycles.
83. Nalgene Travel Kit
Nalgene travel kits are probably not the most exciting gift you can get someone, but they’re a huge part of any outdoor lover’s gear! They save space and cut down on unnecessary weight from toiletries, soap, and condiments like ketchup, mayo, mustard, hot sauce, olive oil, vinegar, or soy sauce.
84. Formverkert Octopus Shower Caddy
This shower octopus is the perfect thing to keep those Nalgene bottles organized in the great outdoors! Each octopus can grab up to 9 bottles of any size.
85. Favofit Heavy Duty Carabiner
Carabiners, used to hold and secure just about anything, are a handy outdoor item that you can never have enough of. Capable of supporting over 2,500 pounds of force, these heavy duty ones will do some serious lifting.
86. A2S Protection Paracord Bracelet
Paracord is a lightweight rope that has many survival applications. Outdoor enthusiasts will typically wear their paracord, which is woven into a compact “survival bracelet”, on their wrist.
Like this A2S Protection bracelet, survival bracelets may have other useful built-in features such as a compass, fire starter, emergency whistle, and emergency knife. This stocking stuffer idea will ensure your loved one comes home safe!
87. SOL Slim Rescue Howler Whistle
We love this whistle by SOL because it’s slim, ultralight, and loud. That’s pretty much everything you’d want in a whistle. You can hear it from a mile away.
88. QuikClot Clotting Gauze
Accidents happen all the time outdoors, and when they do, the best game plan would be to have all the equipment to deal with the situation. When it comes to stopping a stream of blood, QuikClot clotting gauzes will put a halt to it fast!
89. PackTowl Personal Towel
PackTowl towels are super absorbent, super light, super compact, and super quick to dry. These features make them the perfect towels to bring to camp, the beach, or backpacking. Use them to dry off after a shower or a swim. You can choose between four sizes: face, hand, body, and beach.
90. Klymit Roamer Throw Tarp
The Roamer Throw Tarp by Klymit is a functional, lightweight tarp that can be used as a blanket or shelter. A tarp is an awesome stocking stuffer for an outdoor enthusiast because they’ll find hundreds of ways to make use of it. We love that this tarp provides a great amount of coverage (78” x 57”) yet packs down small.
91. Toaks Titanium Long Handle Spoon
You’re probably wondering why we’re suggesting a spoon. Wouldn’t a spoon be something someone already has? Yes and no!
The problem many outdoor lovers have, especially when eating out of freeze dried bags, is that regular spoons simply aren’t long enough to reach to the bottom without getting gunk all over their wrists and arms. These long handle spoons will also make cooking more pleasant.
Made out of titanium, this Toaks spoon will last a lifetime.
92. Gear Aid Revivex Odor Eliminator
Gear Aid Revivex Odor Eliminator eliminates odor like magic. And let’s be honest, outdoor people aren’t always at the top of their game when it comes to personal hygiene.
Either used as a spray or added to laundry, Gear Aid Revivex Odor Eliminator can remove odor from mildew, mold, pets, and perspiration and can be used on outerwear, tents, clothing, shoes, and other outdoor equipment.
93. The Crotch Pot
The Crotch Pot is kind of a gag gift, but it works! It’s the most natural way to rehydrate and warm up a meal! The idea is to place the Crotch Pot you-know-where before heading out on a long hike. By the time your hike is over, your food will be ready to eat.
94. Fyre Ready to Eat S’mores
Fyre ready-to-eat s’mores can be enjoyed just as they are, anywhere and anytime. They’ll sure bring back memories from the campfire.
95. Nutella Packets
Small packets of Nutella like this are convenient for adventures. Nutella tastes especially great outdoors.
96. MSR Groundhog Tent Stakes
Tent stakes that come with tents leave a lot to be desired. They can be too heavy, too short, and plain difficult to use. But those can be replaced with a good set of tent stakes like these ones by MSR.
97. Outdoor-Themed Decals
Decals are a fun way for outdoorsy people to show the world they love the outdoors!
98. Surviveware Biodegradable Wet Wipes
These wet wipes will start to decompose in about a month and take 6 months to fully decompose. Outdoor enthusiasts will absolutely love these for their eco-friendliness. And of course, running water is not something they’ll come across very often so they’ll be delighted to find these inside their stocking.
99. REI Gift Card
For good measure, include a REI gift card inside a Christmas stocking. Gift cards from outdoor retailers are always a good idea.
100. Candy Canes
Because it’s Christmas folks!
Thanks for reading our long list of stocking stuffer ideas!
May your eggnog be spiked, your powder be deep, and your sweaters be ugly!
Happy holidays!