Outdoorsy Christmas Gifts for 2024


by Ben Roughton

Buying gifts is hard. Buying gifts for someone who loves the great outdoors is harder. Trust me. 

I know that because I'm that guy. The one whose blood pressure creeps up this time of year, fearful of disappointing my friends and family. Don't get me started on the office Secret Santa! 

I want to share something though. I might have a silver bullet for that monster called "gift-giving anxiety", and I'd like to share that with you.

This is my Christmas gift idea list for that special someone who loves the hiking, cycling and anything in the great outdoors.

Adventure Patch Company (£)

A series of Adventure Patch Company patches arrayed on a wooden table. These brightly-coloured embroidered cloth patches feature the trail name, distance, start and end points, and a distinctive central image to represent the trail.

The Adventure Patch Company produce the perfect little gifts to commemorate someone's achievement in completing a trail. The designs are so original, almost like the badges on a beer tap.

The fabric ones would be my go-to, but there are also fridge magnets, pins and vinyl stickers. National trails or national parks, specific summits or even your favourite counties: there are so many ways to help celebrate your favourite parts of the UK and beyond.

The best one is the teeny "My First Wainwright" badge, perfect if you're heading to the Lakes over the seasonal period with your kids or grandchildren.

A pair of brightly coloured trainers with a Boot Banana inserted in each. The Boot Banana is a banana-shaped deodoriser made of yellow fabric that pushes all the way down into the toe of the shoe, with one end protruding visibly from the top.

Banana Boot Deodorisers (££)

Your footwear goes through a lot in order to keep your feet dry and comfortable. Why not spoil them (and those around you) with some novelty deodorisers to make them smell better after a long day hike?

These banana-shaped Banana Boot deodorisers utilise natural salts and minerals to combat smells without synthetic material.

And no, despite the look, they don't smell of bananas!

National Trail signposts (££-£££)

Follow the National Trails on social media and see if you can snag a signpost. Occasionally they will sell off the old trail signs of your favourite hikes — real mementos from the path — as they are replaced with new signs.

Christine, Contours' Head of Customer Service, Product and Finance, has two trail signs on display in her campervan. This one is from the Cleveland Way, complete with the National Trails acorn cut into the well-worn wood.
Christine's signpost from the Pennine Way is emblazoned with the trail name.

These unique mementos sell out quickly, but you can also commission personalised signs on the Trail Shop website.

A vibrantly colourful Cotopaxi hip pack.

Fanny packs (££)

Apparently fanny packs are back in fashion! Why not wear a relic of the 80s with pride, especially as they are perfect for the outdoors. Cotopaxi make some good ones. There are some excellent designs, but this one certainly caught my attention (as all good hiking clothes should!)

Who Knows Where board game (£)

A close-up of the Who Knows Where boardgame, featuring four semi-transparent pyramid pieces and a di sitting on a map of the UK and Ireland with several cards laid beside them featuring famous places in the country.

Board games are a festive staple, but for those not wanting to fight over Monopoly or rupture something with Twister, we have a fun geography-themed game: Who Knows Where?

Test your knowledge of the UK and Ireland with a fun little game, racing around the country — but only if you know it well!

National Park posters (£)

Art of High Cup Nick, a glaciated valley visible from the Pennine Way in the Peak District.
Art depicting views over a viaduct and green trees in the Peak District.
Art depicting a view along the mounded shape of the Offa's Dyke earthworks.

A cool stocking filler to celebrate a favourite national park or trail, these posters featuring the Great British outdoors evoke that vintage rail poster design.

MetalTrail signs (£££)

A metal trail sign depicting the South Downs Way. The name of the trail is captured in block caps, with the twisting line of the trail captured in the middle.
A winding line of metal copies the twists and turns of the Great Glen Way to create the main feature of this metal trail sign, complete with Great Glen Way in bold text beside. This one sits propped against an old tree.

These are really cool designs, capturing your favourite hiking trail in metal.

Oddsocks (£)

Who said wearing odd socks was weird? This cycling-themed bundle is perfect for anyone who would rather be on two wheels, featuring vibrant renditions of six traffic-free cycle routes.

Three pairs of feet model Oddsocks' brightly coloured cycling bundle. The socks feature a bold coloured strip at the cuff and toe, with an outdoor design featuring a cyclist in the mountains, at the beach, in the snow and more on each. Safe to say not a single sock matches another.

Ben Roughton, Customer Services & Tour Pack Team Manager at Contours Holidays, covers part of a walking trail fingerpost to show his name.

Ben Roughton

Customer Services & Tour Pack Team Manager

If he’s not out walking or eating baked beans, he’s probably dreaming of one or the other.

Read more blogs by Ben Roughton



Originally published 26/11/24




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