Holiday Shopping: 6 Awesome Gifts for the Camper in Your Life

Unless you’re buying for a minimalist backpacker, just about anyone appreciates the importance—and comfort—of a good camp chair. The main problem with most camp chairs out there is that they’re bulky and heavy. On the other hand, backpackers and campers willing to schlep an extra pound or two can find a packable chair, but they’re often so small as to be uncomfortable. But the Helinox Chair Two—as Goldilocks would point out—is just right. It packs down small enough and light enough to take on a short backpacking trip, but with a high back and a weight capacity in excess of 300 pounds, it gives up nothing in comfort or stability. Your camper will thank you.

For the camp cook in your life, the Firebox Stove Master G2 Kit will make the perfect holiday gift. The Stainless Steel G2 Firebox Stove can be used with gathered wood—saving you the hassle and expense of bringing along fuel—or can also be fitted to use with other camp fuels, including alcohol and gas. The stove is ultralight and folds down flat. The Master Kit includes several accessories, including a grill plate and an adjustable fire grate, as well as a camping cup with foldable handles, a water bottle, and three-quart cookpot.

BioLite's FirePit is an excellent piece of gear to have along when car camping—or just relaxing in your backyard. This portable fire pit can be used as a grill or simply to build a relaxing fire wherever it’s safe to do so. You can burn either wood or charcoal, and several cooking accessories, such as a lid and griddle, are available for use with the FirePit. The thing that sets BioLite's FirePit apart is its air circulation system, which is controlled by a rechargeable fan unit (which, in turn, can be used to charge your portable devices). The fan unit controls the size of the flames, and in turn, the heat, in the FirePit. A smartphone app is available to control the FirePit via Bluetooth technology. The best thing about the FirePit? The efficient airflow means very little smoke, so you can sit back and enjoy the fire from any side.

Campsite illumination is important: It helps you see where things are in your tent and to maneuver safely around your site in the dark. The drawback is that lanterns are often heavy or bulky and require batteries or fuel. The Luci Outdoor 2.0, from MPOWERD, solves all of these problems. The lantern is inflatable. So, it stows easily in a backpack as a compact disc, slightly larger than a hockey puck, that weighs only ounces. When inflated, however, you’ve got a waterproof lantern whose ultraefficient LED lights emit up to 75 lumens for hours on a single charge. The Luci has a built-in solar panel, so you can just set it outside your tent or hang it from your pack during daylight hours, and it will be ready to go when you need it at sundown.

If you’re looking for a great stocking stuffer for the camper in your life, check out the Sparkr Wick Multipurpose Lighter from Power Practical. The Sparkr Wick is a rechargeable plasma lighter—yes, it sounds gadgety, but it’s really quite handy. Because there is no flame, you don’t have to worry about wind or wet matches when trying to light a fire. The Wick’s long neck allows you to reach deep into your tinder to get a flame started. Finally, as long as you have a way to recharge the lighter via USB, whether a car or wall outlet, a battery pack, or a portable solar panel, you won’t have to worry about running out of fuel or matches ever again.

Few tools are as indispensable around a campsite as a good saw. A saw is more efficient for cutting and sizing firewood than a hatchet or an axe, expending less energy and wasting less wood in the process. A folding saw, like the lightweight (10.4 ounces) Silky Ultra Accel, is also much more compact than most hatchets, and easier to pack. A gift like this will certainly make for a happy camper.