Stocking stuffers have always been my favorite part of the holidays. There’s something special about the anticipation you get when discovering what your loved ones were able to stuff inside an oversized sock hanging on the mantle. I also love finding the perfect gifts to stuff into each of my kids and husbands’ stockings (I will admit it puts my old-school Tetris skills to the test some years!).
This list is packed full of goodies to load into the stockings of the camping lovers in your life. From the perpetually cold kiddo to the safety-conscious parent, you will find something for them here, and at various price points. Many of the items and links included are more generalized to allow you to browse for the perfect option for every personality. We hope this list will help take some guesswork out of your gift-buying this year!
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
Tis the season for warm drinks and tasty eats. Spread some of those treats to the stocking stuffers with these delicious camp snacks and meals and the tools needed to enjoy them.
Camping Spork
My boys love having their own special spork in their favorite color to use while camping. Sporks are also super handy when prepping meals, stirring up hot chocolate, and playing a rowdy game of Spoons while relaxing at the campsite. The ones linked here are currently less than $3, and I can attest that the knife portion is actually usable.
Collapsible Cups
When packing light and tight, a collapsible cup is a must-have. They also work well to keep those sensory-seeking kiddos occupied for a few minutes while you set up camp. You can find regular drink cups, insulated mugs, and even tea kettles and cook sets in a collapsible option! With different color options, you won’t have to worry about mixing up the drinks (which means less sibling fights! Hooray!).
Freeze-Dried Meals
From the classic Astronaut Ice Cream to the delicious Thai Chicken Coconut Curry, you can find a wide variety of dehydrated meals, snacks, and treats to enjoy in nature. I try to put one in each stocking to take on our first camping trip of the year. It gives everyone something to look forward to and a fun tradition to celebrate a new camping season.
Packaroons
The tasty, guilt-free Packaroons from Heather’s Choice are always a hit. There are various flavors to choose from and the individual wrapping makes them an easy trail snack to throw in each adventure pack. I bust open a pack or two of their seasonal flavors and distribute them between each stocking (including my own!). They are Vegan and free of gluten, soy, eggs, peanuts, and dairy.
Stay Toasty Warm
A warm, cozy camper generally leads to a better overall experience. These items will help keep your hands, feet, and head toasty warm on those chilly nights in the tent.
Beanie
You can never have too many hats according to my boys (husband included). I tend to agree with them. Stuffing a new beanie into their stocking always puts a smile on their faces and keeps their ears nice and toasty for their next cold hike or snowball fight. We always find great deals on REI co-op and Smartwool beanies this time of year.
Socks
When I was a kid, my older brother bought me a giant pack of white cotton socks for Christmas. Needless to say, I was not amused. As an adult, I’ve learned to appreciate the gift of high-quality socks, and my kids love finding new brightly colored wool-blend hiking socks in their stockings (the more outrageous the pattern, the better!).
Gloves
Early morning or late evening adventures can get chilly, especially for little ones. Keeping those fingers nice and warm can extend your outdoor adventure and stave off the “I’m cold!” complaints a bit longer. Many styles now come with touch-screen-friendly finger pads so you won’t have to remove your gloves to get those action shots or check the trail map.
Hand Warmers
We always like to carry hand warmers on cold camping trips or hiking adventures. We try to stick with reusable options like the hand warmers that double as a power bank (linked above). You can also find non-electric options made from materials such as beaver fur (like these from Aurora Heat) that naturally keep extremities warm for hours.
Relax By the Fire
There’s nothing better than relaxing by the fire, taking in the sounds of nature surrounding you. These four gift ideas will help pass the time and add some fun to the campsite downtime.
Card Games
Card games are a great way to spend those relaxing hours at the campsite between activities or before bed (or when you find yourself in an unexpected downpour). We generally bring along Uno and the camping version of Spot It. In addition, you can’t go wrong with a crisp new themed deck of playing cards in the stocking, especially if it matches a beloved theme of a loved one (such as Minecraft, fairies, National Parks, etc.).
Knots Practice
This handy, portable kit includes a water-proof fan deck with instructions for 23 important knots. It also comes with two cords and two carabiners to practice with and attach to a pack. My older son likes to practice the knots listed while sitting by the fire, and his younger brother has already asked for this set for himself (I can only imagine the knot-tying mischief that awaits).
Pocket Guides
These handy little guides cover topics such as emergency first aid, outdoor survival, animal tracks, and even weather forecasting. They have tabs allowing easy access to each subtopic covered and are dirtproof and waterproof. We always include a small book in each stocking, and these fit perfectly. They are also handy reference guides to study while hanging around camp.
Campfire Stories Deck
This handy deck always leads to laughter and some hilarious stories. I generally suggest letting the kids start since their imaginations can spark the sometimes-dormant imaginations of their adults (it’s in there, buried under all the no-nonsense practicality caused by years of adulting). There are various ways to play, so you can tweak it to meet the needs and ages of your group.
Keep it Practical
Some gifts just make sense and make for a better camping trip. These practical gifts will likely be used on every camping adventure and fit easily into a pocket (or stocking).
Headlamp
You can’t go wrong with adding a headlamp to everyone’s stocking. Even if you only camp a few times a year, headlamps are handy for everything from building epic forts, rummaging around in the attic, power outages, etc. Depending on their preferences, you can find a quality option at just about every price point (we like the options from Biolite and Black Diamond).
Sunglasses
Add some cool factor to their gift haul with some new sunglasses. We prefer choosing sunglasses that can take a beating (because kids aren’t exactly gentle with their gear) while still offering full UV 400 eye protection. We’ve had good luck with the Knockaround brand, and they aren’t too hard on the wallet if they get lost.
Multi-Tool
It’s pretty much guaranteed that a multi-tool will come in handy at some point during your camping adventures (or misadventures). We’ve used them for everything from cutting hotdogs when we forgot utensils, sawing through smaller branches for the fire, removing tent stakes that got buried, etc. This will be the first year we add a simple multi-tool to our older son’s stocking (he learned knife safety and how to utilize tools with our family camping multitool).
Carabiners
This may sound silly, but this is possibly the most versatile item on this list. In addition to rock climbing, we’ve used them for attaching water bottles to packs, hanging light sources inside the tent, hanging baby and toddler toys to baby carriers, and so much more. As with everything, the color variety makes these fun for kids and useful for keeping track of (and preventing fights over whose carabiner is whose).
Safety First
Safety is always a top priority when camping and adventuring in nature. These selections will make those safety-conscious parents and accident-prone kiddos happy on their next outing.
Power Bank
A good quality power bank comes in handy for those multi-day camping trips and as a backup power source if you forget to charge your gear ahead of time (such as chargeable string lights and headlamps). They are remarkably small and some can recharge devices multiple times. We have the Anker 737 power bank, which we have used to charge two phones simultaneously without depleting the battery more 50%.
Life Straw
There are times when the water sources available on your adventure are questionable at best (or your young kiddo dumps the entire water bottle at the start of a long trek). The straws and filter bottles from Lifestraw (both of which fit in a stocking) are convenient and easy to use when you don’t want to test the water quality of the surrounding sources.
First-Aid Kit
We’ve gotten to the point where our boys generally carry the 10 Essentials with them whenever we are camping and hiking. They usually need the first-aid kit more than anyone else with their tree-climbing, trail ninja antics. Various options fit nicely into a kid or adult pack, with size differences depending on the type of adventure and the number of people present.
Satellite Messenger
This is the ultimate stocking stuffer for the safety-conscious person on your list. This is also a great gift for those on your list who adventure in the backcountry with no cell signal. I generally recommend the Garmin inReach Mini 2 for its compact size and ability to messages, SOS, and location coordinates.
Looking for more recommendations on gifts for campers this holiday season? Check out our gear and book recommendation posts:
- Camping Gear for a Cozy Night
- Camp Kitchen Must-Haves
- Gear for Relaxing Around Your Campsite
- Best Books for Adults to Take Camping
- Best Books for Kids to Take Camping
Rebecca is a transplant Coloradoan living in Virginia with her husband (Derek) and their two boys. She’s a teacher turned freelance writer/ homeschool mom working towards exploring as much of the east coast as possible before the next move takes her family elsewhere. You can follow her family hiking, kayaking, SUPing, geocaching, camping, and all things outdoor adventuring on Instagram @frazzlednaturemom
