Got a friend or family member on your list who’s always traveling to adventurous locales or going off the grid in the great outdoors? Whether they’re into mountain biking day trips or through-hiking excursions that last months, your favorite wilderness enthusiast likely requires quite a bit of gear for their activities. Take a look at some of the latest, greatest gadgets out there.
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1. SONY SRSXB3 PORTABLE WIRELESS SPEAKER WITH BLUETOOTH; $118 – $148
This small speaker is made for your outdoor-loving friend who likes to stop and smell the roses—or listen to some tunes, as it were. It boasts a 24-hour battery life, extra bass for a rich sound, and Bluetooth, to easily connect to a phone or tablet. Bonus: It’s water-resistant, so they won’t have to worry about it getting damaged if there’s rain at their campsite or the speaker gets wet on a float trip.
Find It: Amazon
2. ISLE BOX STARTER BOX; $200
Know someone who’s new to outdoor adventures and they need everything? Get them this kit, from a company that hand-selects great gear and rounds it up in convenient packs perfect for gifting. This starter package includes all they need to get going—from a sleeping pad and head lamp to a stove, water filtration system, and a few freeze-dried meals.
Find It: Isle Box
3. STERIPEN CLASSIC 3 UV WATER PURIFIER; $50
For the person who hikes or camps for days: This portable, battery-powered gadget will guarantee they’ve got clean H2O on their trip. With ultraviolet light, it purifies 1 liter of water in just 90 seconds, killing more than 99.9 percent of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa—so they can sip safely.
Find It: Amazon
4. THE CHART OF COSMIC EXPLORATION; $38
The great outdoors isn’t the only place worth exploring. Pop Chart Lap’s color-coded map shows the entire solar system and traces the path of every spacecraft and instrument that’s ever completed a mission out in space.
Find It: Pop Chart Lab
5. THERM-A-REST SLACKER SINGLE HAMMOCK; $40 – $53
Even the most adventurous outdoorsman likes to kick up their feet after a long day in the wild. This portable hammock is made of ultra-durable rip-stop polyester. Plus, it folds up to store in an attached pocket and weighs just over a pound—so it’s easy to pack and take on the go.
Find It: Amazon
6. BAREBONES EXPLORER COOLER; $130
This rugged canvas cooler has a bottle opener on the zipper pull and can hold up to 36 cans—but it boasts an adjustable shoulder strap, so it’s comfy to carry as your outdoorsy friend ventures into the wilderness. Plus, it’s got a removable lining, making clean-up when they get home easier.
Find It: Amazon
7. BIOLITE POWERLIGHT MINI; $45
Ensure your nature-loving buddy is never left in the dark with this lightweight lantern. Its USB rechargeable battery stays strong for 52 hours and can serve as a backup power source for their phone. It can be easily clipped to a backpack or jacket during hikes or camping trips, or mounted to their bike for safety on an early-morning or nighttime ride.
Find It: Amazon
8. GOPRO HERO 5 SESSION; $300
This compact new camera from GoPro captures super-clear 4K video and 10 MP photos during any activity. It’s waterproof up to 33 feet, and has voice control so your friends can start filming even when their hands are full—or busy holding a fishing pole or climbing a rock wall. Afterward, it automatically uploads footage to a connected GoPro Plus cloud account.
Find It: Amazon
9. AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL PASS; $80
It’s not too late to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. The pass grants your nature-loving friend entrance to national parks and national wildlife refuges, from Yellowstone in Wyoming to Acadia in Maine, for an entire year. Plus, it covers amenity fees at national forests and grasslands.
Find It: National Park Service
10. GO TENNA OFF-GRID TEXT & GP; $200
Stay connected to your friends or family members who venture into the backcountry or otherwise go off-grid. The waterproof device connects with a phone or tablet via Bluetooth and generates its own radio signal so they can send texts or GPS locations to others with a goTenna, or download a map—even when they’re somewhere remote and without cell service or wifi.
Find It: Amazon
11. SCRATCH MAP; $26 – $40
Uncommon Goods’s Scratch Map begins in a basic brown hue but gets more colorful as your travel-loving pal treks around the globe: They can use a coin to scratch off the cities or countries they’ve visited, revealing bright pops of color underneath.
Find It: Uncommon Goods
December 7, 2016 – 6:00am