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Buying gifts for the outdoor enthusiast is damn near impossible. Your hiking/camping/cycling outdoorsy friends are often serious gearheads, meticulously poring over reviews, guides, and the perennial wisdom of ounce-counting Reddit users to find the exact right thing.
Don’t stress trying to pick that exact right thing yourself. The chances of you figuring it out and getting it for them as a gift is exactly zero. That doesn’t mean you should punt and buy an REI gift card, though (although they might like that). Instead, get them something they totally didn’t expect—one of these fun, but useful, sometimes whimsical, things that are almost guaranteed to not only delight them but actually get used outdoors.
And what about you? While you’re here, don’t you need to replace your sleeping pad? Don’t forget to check out the rest of our buying guides, including our Best Sleeping Bags guide, our Best Barefoot Shoes guide, and our Best Merino Wool guide.
Updated October 2025: We’ve added several new picks, and swapped out some picks for things we’ve discovered we like more. But we’re sticking with the socks. If you get nothing else, just get the socks. Trust us.
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Merino Wool Socks
Photograph: Darn Tough
Yes, you read that right. Socks. SOCKS. You should gift socks. Outdoorsy people can never have too many socks. We’re hard on socks, which almost guarantees this gift will see some use. What your outdoorsperson especially needs are merino wool socks. Merino wool is a super fiber. It will change their lives. Did you know you can wear merino wool for several days in row without smelling like you just spent two weeks at a Phish reunion? Just kidding, Phish fans. But it’s true. Merino wool will change your friend or loved one’s backpacking life. It’s comfortable, has virtually no odor no matter how long you wear it, and helps your body thermoregulate, staying warmer when it’s cold, cooler when it’s warm.
We love Darn Tough socks in particular because they’re comfortable, stand up to considerable abuse, and have some of the highest merino wool content of anything we’ve tested. The also come in a nearly endless array of fun colors and designs. If you want something warmer, I love these Expedition Weight Minus33 merino socks ($23).
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A Cozy Blanket
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Photograph: Amazon
Rumpl Backcountry Puffy Blanket
No outdoorsy person ever regrets owning a Rumpl puffy blanket. (I have one on my couch and one in my car trunk right now!) We used to use a Pendleton wool one, but it was heavy, got wet, and was hard to wash. A Rumpl puffy packs down light, like a sleeping bag. It’s made from 100 percent recycled plastic with a PFAS-free DWR. Coffee spills, puddles, dog hair, and mud just roll right off it—and if not, it’s easy to throw into the washing machine and have it air dry. I have several of these and I particularly like having one in the trunk of my car. It’s useful for an impromptu rain cover or a picnic, putting your dog in the back, and also as an emergency blanket if your car breaks down in a remote location (I have a famous fear of being cold). Buy one for your outdoorsy friend, and one for yourself.—Adrienne So
