Buy gifts for for outdoor enthusiasts, it’s almost impossible. Your outdoor hiking/camping/cycling-loving friends are often serious enthusiasts, meticulously sifting through reviews, guides, and the everlasting wisdom of Reddit users who count ounces to find exactly the right thing.
Don’t worry about trying to choose the right thing yourself. The chances of you discovering it and getting it as a gift are exactly zero. This doesn’t mean you should kick and buy an REI gift card— although they might like it, especially with REI’s annual anniversary sale happening at the end of May. But gift cards suck. Instead, give them something they totally weren’t expecting: one of those fun, useful, sometimes whimsical things that are almost guaranteed to not only delight them, but also use them outside.
And you ? While you’re here, don’t you need to replace your mattress? Don’t forget to check out the rest of our buying guidesincluding our Guide to the best sleeping bagsOUR Guide to the best barefoot shoesand our Best Merino Wool guide.
Updated April 2026: I added a Bluetooth speaker from Soundboks. But we stick with socks as our first choice. If you get nothing else, just get the socks. Trust us.
Merino wool socks
Photography: Scott Gilbertson
Yes, you read that correctly. Socks. SOCKS. You should offer socks. Outdoor enthusiasts can never have too many socks. We’re tough on socks, which almost guarantees this gift will be useful. What your outdoor enthusiast especially needs are merino wool socks. Merino wool is a super fiber. It will change their lives. Did you know that you can wear merino wool for days in a row without smelling like you just spent two weeks at a Phish meeting? Just kidding, Phish fans. But it’s true. Merino wool will change the traveling life of your friend or loved one. It’s comfortable, has virtually no odor no matter how long you wear it, and helps your body regulate temperature, staying warm when it’s cold, cooler when it’s hot.
We particularly like the Darn Tough socks because they’re comfortable, hold up to considerable abuse, and contain one of the highest merino wool contents of anything we’ve tested. They also come in a nearly endless array of fun colors and designs. If you want something hotter, I love it Expedition Weight Minus33 Merino Socks ($24).
A cozy blanket
Rumpl
Puffy Backcountry Cover
No outdoor person ever regrets owning a Rumpl Inflatable Blanket. (I have one on my couch right now!) We were using a Pendleton wool one, but it was heavy, wet, and difficult to wash. A Rumpl inflator is lightweight, like a sleeping bag. It’s made from 100% recycled plastic with PFAS-free DWR. Coffee spills, puddles, dog hair, and mud spill out of them – and if not, it’s easy to throw them in the washing machine and air dry. I have several and I especially like having one in the trunk of my car. It’s useful for an impromptu rain cover or picnic, for putting your dog in the backseat, and also as an emergency blanket if your car breaks down in a remote location. (I have a famous fear of to be cold.) Buy one for your outdoor enthusiast friend and one for yourself. —Adrienne So
