I hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday season. If your family and friends gather to exchange gifts and you want to impress, here are my favorite things for my own off-road camping trips.
These gift ideas are best suited for the outdoor enthusiast, camper, off-roader or adventurous type. Basically for people that enjoy getting off the beaten path as often as possible.
All of these items I personally use myself. There are no paid placements, I just really like these things, and thought you, your friends, and family would, too!
Gifts under $50
Storage, Log Carrying, First Aid, & Straps
I recently bought a house up in the mountans, and it gets cold up here. We run the fireplace stove insert to warm the whole house. So, I go through a ton of wood. I use the Inno Stage Wax Canvas Log Carrier to move my wood from the outside rack to inside the home. It’s heavy duty and lasted through last winter. I suspect it will last through a few more winters. It’s also great to gather wood around the campsite and carry to your fire pit.
When you are out camping, or doing dersert day trips, you need to be as prepaired as possible for anything. That’s one of the reasons I carry the Swiss Safe 2-in-1 First Aid Kit. It’s always in my Jeep and ready for any emergency, even if it’s just a bandage for my granddaughter.
My camp kit is pretty dialed. I try to stay organized and keep stuff compartmentalized. I found the best way to do this is with the Small Plano Sportsman Trunk. It’s 56 quarts, is tough enough to stack, has latching lids, and holds everything from dry goods and sundries to cooking utensils and my stove. (Also on Amazon)
Strapping things down in the Jeep is essential while off-roading. If you aren’t careful, stuff will fly around and get damaged or worse, hit a passenger. I use the over-engineered, super high quality Austere Manufacturing 1″ Tactical Cam Strap. These are made by a small company, and at roughly $30 a strap, aren’t for the ultra budget minded shopper. But, if you want your gift to be the strongest, most well made, handy lil’ strap ever, these are what you’re looking for.
Gifts for $50 to $100
Auto Tire Deflaters, Portable Air Compressor, Mini Propane Tank & Camp Stove
When driving off-road, it’s almost always best to deflate your tires to spread them out, increasing the tread footprint for better traction and flotation. It can help keep them from getting damaged. Plus there is the added benefit of increased comfort as well.
The Coyote Vortex Automatic Tire Deflators are one of the best investments I’ve made in my off-road kit. You can pre-set the desired pressure to deflate down to, then just screw them on your tire’s valve, pull the ring, and they will get to the preset pressure and shut off. They’re awesome! (also on Amazon)
So, what do you do when you’re back on pavement after finishing an off-road adventure? You air those tires back up and head home. To do that, I use the Viair 88P Portable Air Compressor. It’s a powerhouse lil’ unit and inflates my Jeep’s 33″ BF Goodrich KO2s from 18psi to the factory 37psi in around 3 mins each tire. Not the quickest, but for the price it’s quick enough.
Camp cooking for most people includes those lil’ 1lb green disposable propane tanks. They’re convenient, but I found them to be quite wasteful, and well, a real hassle. I no longer use them. I’ve been using a small refillable propane tank for the last 4-5 years until I found Ignik Outdoors.
Their Gas Growler 3.8 Deluxe is a small refillable 3.8lbs propane tank. That’s the equivalent of 3.8 of those lil’ 1lb green bottles, kids, so it lasts longer and keeps those green bottles out of the landfills. It’s compact, comes in a really great carrying case, and includes a hose that connects to most standard camp grills and other propane accessories. It’s perfect.
I don’t get fancy when it comes to my camp stove. I like low cost and low tech. Coleman is no stranger to camp gear, so when looking to replace my camp stove a few years ago, I chose to KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid) and went with the Coleman Classic Camp Stove. Sure, there are higher tech stoves out there, but this two-burner stove works great, and boils water for coffee quickly. At $79, it can’t really be beat.
Gifts for $100 to $250
Rugged Outdoor Clothing, Jeep Tailgate Table
When outdoors, things can get rough. Dressing appropriately – comfortable, dry and warm – makes it less so.
Mountain Khakis have been around for a while and know a thing or two about outdoor clothing. I rely heavily on their Camber 107 Pants for every one of my outdoor adventures. Crafted from 8.5oz cotton canvas, they are warm tough and ready for adventure. They have a handy “drop-in” snap side pocket, which makes it easy to open and close with gloves on. They sport an action crotch gusset, and double layer knees. They are a “classic fit” cut, so they have been comfortable on many multiple day overlanding trips.
Another staple in my rugged outdoor apparel, but one I use at home in the mountains, is my Mountain Khakis Highland Field Quilted Jacket. This coat has been a lifesaver when the temp dips below freezing up here. The jacket is heavy and comfortable, and made with 100% premium waxed cotton from Halley Stevensons.
It’s a dry wax finish, so it’s actually quite light, but ultra durable, weather resistant, and still breathable and washable. The insulated quilted interior is 80g on the body and 60g on the sleeves. This makes it warm but still light enough to get those chores done around the cottage or campsite. I love this jacket!
Lastly, let’s talk about my convenient Drop Down Tailgate Table from E-Cowboy. This thing has been a game changer. It’s allowed me to have a place to prepare and eat food, and a place to set my laptop and get some work done. When folded up out of the way, it makes zero noise, and zero rattles, even on the toughest, most stutter-bumped Jeep trails out there.
It also sheds some weight, as I no longer need to bring a table or two. Now, stopping on the trail for snacks and lunch is easy and simple. It provides a decent size space for prepping food and even has a bamboo pull-out side table/cutting board. It’s a must have gift for the Jeep owner in your life.
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