Shopping for someone whose idea of a perfect holiday involves powder, peaks or a well-chosen campsite? The Points Guy has pulled together its annual outdoor gift guide, and it covers every stripe of nature-lover: skiers, hikers, backpackers, marathon trainees and the camp-and-cozy crowd. Here's what made the cut, and who each pick suits.
For the winter sports obsessive, the obvious big-ticket option is an Ikon pass. The writer vouches for it from personal laps at Mammoth, Steamboat Springs and Killington, but the real draw is the global reach — including access to all four major resorts in Niseko, Japan, home to some of the finest powder snow anywhere. A splurge, yes, but one that pays off all season.
Hikers get two picks. Darn Tough's Hiker Micro Crew Cushion Socks are the everyday workhorse: cushioned without bulking up the boot, breathable, and durable enough for multi-day trips — tested, apparently, on plenty of granite scrambling in the White Mountains. For trail hydration, the Sawyer Squeeze filter earns near-religious devotion; it removes 99.99999% of bacteria and proved refreshingly simple on a four-day backpacking trip. Cheap, light and genuinely useful, it's the rare gift that suits almost anyone who ventures outdoors.
Backpackers should look at the MSR Pocket Rocket 2 stove — famously light, foldable, quick to boil and stable enough that even a self-confessed stove-fire incident veteran has had no trouble with it. Meanwhile, the Patagonia Nano-Air Light Hoody solves a classic problem: you wear it through start-and-stop activities without overheating or freezing, thanks to stretchy FullRange insulation that breathes when you're working hard and traps warmth when you stop.
Two lifestyle picks round it out. Outerknown's Blanket Shirt ($168, men's and women's styles in plenty of patterns) is the go-to for cold evenings at camp or cabin weekends in the shoulder seasons. For the runner in your life — and there always seems to be one marathon in training — the Salomon ADV SKIN 5 hydration vest holds up to five litres including two 500 ml soft flasks, with a low-bulk design and plenty of pockets.
There's even something for the food-minded: Patagonia Provisions' tinned fish variety pack, spanning lemon herb mussels to sardines in coconut curry, all sustainably sourced. Trail snack or pantry treat — it works both ways.
A few money notes worth knowing before you buy: Amex cardholders often get Patagonia statement-credit offers around the holidays; the REI Co-op Mastercard earns 5% back at REI; Capital One cardholders can earn rewards via portals on everything from Darn Tough socks at Cabela's to 10% back ordering Salomon through REI. And with a big purchase like an Ikon pass, a flat-rate rewards card makes the spend sting less.
Why it matters: this is a curated, field-tested list rather than a generic roundup, so if someone on your list is defined by what they do outdoors, one of these seven should land well — and several (socks, filter, tinned fish) make excellent stocking stuffers under the tree.
