5 Top Holiday Gifts For Avid Campers They'll Actually Use, According To Outdoor Adventurers

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If you're not into camping, it can be difficult to figure out something that will be fun and useful for the avid adventurer in your life. Fortunately, for this holiday gifting season, I have compiled some of my favorite camping gadgets from this past year, so that you have a place to start. Having spent much of my life camping, and still managing to get quite a few camping trips in every year, I know what campers actually need and want. This list features personal favorites, including budget and luxury items, as well as recommendations from review sites, shopping sites, and fellow campers. At least one item on this list might just be the thing to make your adventurer smile.

But before you decide what to get, it's best to consider what kind of camper your loved one is. Are they hardcore wilderness adventurers, or do they prefer to camp like royalty? Does every last gram matter for that trek up the mountain, or do they mostly like to car camp? Some of these items may be impractical for individuals who likes to camp light, but all of them will enhance the experience.

While a bit on the heavier side due to the spring-action rocking mechanism (13.9 pounds in total), the GCI Stowaway Rocker is a personal favorite. There's nothing like unfolding this chair around a campfire and rocking back and forth. It even includes side pockets for a large beverage and a phone. When you're done for the night, it folds up and can be packed in standing straight beside boxes or bags, or can be carried by a convenient shoulder strap or handle.

Reviewers praise the stowaway rocker for being comfortable and portable. "I love these chairs," said one buyer on Amazon. "So comfortable I could sit in them for hours. I'm a bigger guy at 6' and 330 lbs. Plenty of room and the outside of my thighs don't press against the frame the way some other chairs will. This is my go to chair any time we need outdoor seating."

Because of the weight, the GCI Stowaway Rocker isn't the right gift for those looking to trek halfway up the mountain. That said, it's perfect for car campers who want to connect with nature in comfort. This rocker retails for $90 and comes in several color variants, including pastel green, soft navy, and stealth camo.

The Sea to Summit Detour Stainless Steel Collapsible Dinnerware Set is very lightweight and packing-friendly, especially thanks to its space-saving design. This set comes with two stainless steel plates, and two collapsible mugs and bowls that have food-grade silicone along the sides. Altogether, their weight is a little over 1.5 pounds, but your camping friend may choose to only bring a bowl and a cup, or just a plate. In that way, this set is adjustable to anybody's needs.

Here's what one reviewer on Amazon had to say: "When car camping in the past, I've gone the route of disposable dishes, but frankly, I got sick of it. There's always so much trash, and the cost adds up. This is the best way to avoid that! Sea to Summit's Detour series is everything a car camper could want. I love that the dishes are made of stainless steel, because it makes them easy to clean, and prevents them from getting too messed up if they rattle around."

This gift is perfect for those who are always talking about saving space in their pack, but it's also great for those who want to have a little bit of civilization without the plastic and paper. Sea To Summit also has a variety of collapsible cookware, including the Frontier UL Collapsible Kettle and the Frontier UL Pot, which could round out this collection nicely. The Detour Set retails for around $150.

Another personal favorite, the Nestout FAN-1 Portable Fan is one of those camping items that you won't want to leave at home during the summer. It comes in a modular system that connects to the Nestout Battery, or can even plug into the wall via USB-C during warmer months. There are four fan speeds and a metal hook for easy hanging, as well as three oscillation angles. You can set it to arc 40 degrees, 70 degrees, and 100 degrees; you can also set up to a 90-degree tilt. Your adventurer won't even have to worry about turning it off, because it also has a built-in timer. The best part is that it's whisper quiet, so it won't drown out the relaxing chirps of crickets or the patter of rain.

"Love this fan! Well constructed and the various settings are wonderful," a reviewer on Nestout shared. "The breeze setting was a nice surprise as it provides a constant flow of varying air flow. The oscillation is steady and the fan is almost dead silent, even on the highest setting."

This portable fan is perfect for adventurers who are always complaining about those warm summer nights, but it's also great for daily life, too. RVers and campers alike will appreciate how easy it is to set it up and place it in weird angles. The fan retails for $64.99 to $69.99 and comes in two colorways: black and beige. Paired with Nestout's 5000mAh Outdoor Battery, which currently retails for $44.99, you can get up to 15 hours of usage.

If your adventurer likes to grill, Snow Peak's Takibi Fire & Grill might just be the perfect gift. Designed in Japan with avid campers in mind, this grill set is made to be portable for all of your adventurer's wildest journeys. The set comes with a cone-shaped fireplace that folds out, with legs that slide into the baseplate to protect the ground. Add in the grill bridge and the grill, and you're good to go with just a bit of charcoal. Once you're ready to pack up, everything folds neatly into a canvas bag with handles.

"These fireplace kits are wonderful," wrote a reviewer on Snow Peak. "I've using nothing but the large Takibi Fire & Grill set for nine years while camping fifteen-twenty trips per year. Zero problems. These sets require no maintenance and I douse them in water to put out the fire each night. No rust, no dents. Solid and supremely durable."

The experts agree; in 2021, this grill set earned the prestigious Japanese Good Design Long Life Design Award. Takibi has since expanded its line to include add-ons like Fire Side Gloves and a Folding Torch, which are sold separately. Today, the Takibi Fire & Grill set retails for $319.95.

No matter how you camp, a great lantern is essential. If your adventurer doesn't have a nice one yet, consider the Lighthouse 600 Lantern from Goal Zero. This lantern illuminates with 600 lumens, and can change from 180 degrees to 360 degrees of light with the turn of a dial. On the highest setting, it can last up to two and a half hours, but if you want to conserve battery, the lowest setting lasts for 180 hours (a week!) of continuous use.

You can also use this lantern to charge phones, which makes it a great two-in-one option. Recharge the lamp with USB, or you can use the hand crank to generate power (ten minutes of low light for every one minute of cranking). If the hand crank doesn't sound appealing to your loved one, you could also charge it using a Nomad 10 solar panel, which currently retails for about $100.

"I have used this so many times in so many situations and can't say enough about how awesome it is," shared one reviewer on REI. "Besides the functions of lighting one side or both, the option to charge my electronics it's plain perfect. I have no qualms about this product, and have noticed a lot of my seasoned camping/backpacking friends own them too!" The Lighthouse 600 Lantern sells for around $80.

In curating this list, I relied on my own extensive experience. While I am an avid camper, and have camped in convenient spots as well as roughed it, my personal camping style considers both comfort and convenience. Each item featured has been personally tested across several camping trips this year, or has come highly recommended by a combination of personal acquaintances and reviews on such outdoor shopping websites as backcountry.com or REI. For more camping gear suggestions, try our best accessories for spending a night under the stars or these five outdoor gadgets that campers can't stop buying at Costco.