Seeking the perfect gift for that camping enthusiast in your life? Or perhaps you're curating your own outdoorsy wishlist?
At Campfire Magazine, we've scoured the market and curated a list of exceptional camping-themed gifts. From innovative rechargeable lightropes to the intriguing portable camping washing 'machine', we've found treasures for every budget.
In a hurry? If you don’t have much time using the links below to quickly find our favourites. You can be assured we only choose the best products…
Everyone loves a classic, time-tested and just perfect at what it does.
Uco make a range of candle-powered camping lanterns, including this nice brass model. Refills are readily available and they’re nicely warm as well as illuminating.
We're smitten with this set of six cushion covers! The delightful designs featuring joyful campers on each one are absolutely charming. They'd spruce up any camper, caravan, or tent, making them feel even more like your home away from home and are an absolute bargain!
For all the campers out there, the LED Light Flashlight Gloves are awesome. Ever struggled fixing your tent in the dark? These gloves offer a third hand, illuminating your workspace without needing someone to hold a light for you. They fit snugly and comfortably, with a user-friendly on/off button. If headtorches aren't your thing, these are a fantastic alternative. They're not just functional but also a thoughtful gift for any outdoor enthusiast.
BEST VALUE
A brilliant series of guides that help you discover lovely landscapes, places to swim and camp, unusual and special places to eat and more.
There are guides to Scotland, Central England, the Lakes and Dales, Wales, Portugal, Cornwall and the South West, Scandinavia and wild swimming in the UK, Italy and France.
Thermarest’s Honcho Ponchos (now out of stock almost everywhere) are cosy, water-resistant, versatile and very packable.
Y-Only make their own poncho version that’s almost as good (but not quite).
It’s an insulated coat that doubles as a blanket. Perfect for sitting around the campfire. It folds easily into the included bag and has an adjustable hood, side press-studs and a choice of colours.
How lovely! Pretty and sweet-smelling wax ‘cakes’ for lighting your campfire or barbecue.
Lots of choices from £5 upwards.
Go for pinecones, maybe, or jars of wax ‘sweets’.
If you like to make your own Christmas presents, use them as inspiration for your own creations. You’ll just need a bag of soy candle wax and your choice of ‘ingredients’ – pinecones, cinnamon sticks, dried flowers…and more.
A great gift for a swimmer, kayaker or anyone into watersports or wet weather walking.
Big enough to fit keys, phone, a first aid kit and a bit more, this is a lightweight waterproof bag that can handle submersion but won’t sink!
What do you buy the person who has everything? Or at least the person who already has a VW T1 lego kit? Lights!
This set is for Lego set 10220 and includes dot lights, strip light, expansion boards, connecting cables, battery holder (batteries not included), adhesive squares and instructions.
EDITORS CHOICE
We love ours!
Luminoodle is an LED light strip that has integrated magnets and loops, plus clever cable clips so you can hang it anywhere – stick it on the side of your van, drape it over your tent. Bright enough to read by.
Stuff the rope into its bag and you have a lantern. Different lengths to choose from, a set with rechargeable battery pack (that you can also use to charge your phone) and other accessories too. Just Brilliant!
Stunning enamelware in a range of designs based on porcelain plates, wallpaper and museum pieces.
See more plastic-free camping tableware in our special feature.
Just imagine how many of those 5l plastic containers of screenwash get chucked away every year.
And just imagine how sort of delighted someone would be to get screenwash for Christmas…maybe!
P1 Autocare screenwash pods save masses of plastic, work just as well and work out cheaper.
Just add one to your empty container and fill with water.
TOP PICK
It was our friend Kathy who introduced us to the wonders of these lightweight binoculars. For birdwatching, a pair of carryable binoculars is a really good idea.
These Nikon binoculars are the best we’ve tried for portability and clarity. We’ve spotted a golden eagle, seals, yellowhammers and a naked man having a shower next to a green bucket on the beach! Who could that be?
Who wouldn’t be delighted and amazed to open this nifty little package?
The MSR Pocket Rocket 2 is a micro-sized stove with BIG power. Even if you have a full-size camping stove, one of these is a great back-up or an option for quick cuppas.
It’ll boil a whole litre of water in 3.5 minutes and the flame is beautifully adjustable so you can actually simmer. It weighs only 73g.
You’ll need to buy MSR IsoPro fuel (or a similar canister with thread) separately.
Bells to go on bags or any of your kit you don’t want to lose to thieves.
Probably the simplest theft alarm we’ve come across. Some readers have even attached them to triplines around their campervans and caravans.
There are more anti-theft ideas in our campervan security Beat the Burglar article (we learnt the hard way!).
This is the sort of present that doesn’t get an immediate ‘wow, thank you so much’, but boy, will they thank you for it later.
Indispensable for safe walking in the winter months, ice grips just fit on to ordinary shoes or boots and let you stride off with confidence!
The extra spiky Unigear ones are best in snow (and you’ll definitely need to remove them before going indoors). You can also get ones with smaller lugs and popular Yaktrak grips with chains – these are more useful if you’re going from street to shop or campsite to inside the shower block.
The Scratch Off Map UK by Atlas & Green is a camper's and traveller's dream gift. With its beautiful nebula watercolour design on thick gloss black paper with gold foil, it's not just a map but a piece of art. Beyond tracking travels, it covers the entirety of the UK, including National Parks, offering a delightful exploration experience for its owner. Perfect for capturing memories and adorning walls or campervans!
Every camper needs a good headtorch, and Petzl make the best, especially our favourite rechargeable hybrid, the Actik Core.
Many of the Petzl torches will also fit into the neat Noctilight. It’s designed to turn your headtorch into a little lantern. You can even turn it on and off when the box is closed. Ingenious and only around a tenner (torch extra).
This Actik Core headtorch has a USB rechargeable battery, but can also take AAA batteries if needs be.
We like Rubbastuff’s waterproof ponchos, and we love these carry-all bags.
They’re lightweight, waterproof wipe-clean base, reversible and very strong.
The bag has a simple shoulder strap and enough room to fit in an A3 size thingy. When empty, it becomes a waterproof sit mat. Loads of designs too.
Really lovely hardback book that’s (almost) guaranteed to get children interested in nature and wildlife.
Month-by-month guide with beautiful illustrations.
Nature spotter guides, indoor and outdoor craft and activity ideas, seasonal recipes and celebrations of religious festivals and special days.
We came across Voited when looking for a lightweight insulated blanket for camping trips. We were after something that packed reasonably small, had good insulation and withstood damp and drizzle.
Voited’s blankets have it all and more. Use them as a blanket, a wraparound, a sleeping bag and a pillow. Plus they’re made of recycled fabric. There’s a choice of gorgeous designs and colours (I have the Bahia), as well as models with a fleecy lining.
Voited also do camping in-out insulated slippers, coats and caps. Keep an eye on them as they add even more to the range.
One for the stocking. This little disc uses the sun to give you a windproof, waterproof lighter. Gets VERY hot and sure to be a talking point.
The best cup of coffee we’ve ever had? Honestly.
Wacavco – a portable, hand-powered espresso maker that gets to the same pressure as a barista machine in a café.
Double shot version and a pod version (if you must).
After using a serving spoon for the job on our last trip (not recommended), I knew I had to get more professional.
Use this JUPSK trowel for digging a toilet hole on wild camps, or for sawing, chopping, cutting branches, pulling out nails and more. Use it for weeding at home.
Brilliant and HUGE range of notebooks and journals that you can write on even when they’re wet.
Hard and soft covers, all sizes, even printing paper. Affordable and recyclable too. Now you can write your novel while camping in the rain.
Etsy – for sheer loveliness
We can’t recommend Etsy enough if you’re looking for something unusual, handmade or vintage.
We love this fire lighting kit really well made, compact and an ideal gift.
For those who love cooking this portable spice rack is great in a lovely carry case and a variety of spices its sure to be a hit!
And for tent campers, this camping-themed bracelet.
These enamel mugs can be personalised and look really fab, who doesn't love a good mug!
And for campervanners, these tea towels are great.
But there’s oodles more. You can choose to have only UK gifts, widen your search to Europe or go worldwide. Postage is free or reasonable and you’re supporting smaller businesses.
How could you resist a brick-built bear?
Although, we don’t like plastic stuff, Lego is a bit different because it’s usually kept for generations rather than being ditched after one play.
There are some fun Lego and Duplo sets with a camping theme so you can get the kids in the spirit in time for your next trip.
Most sophisticated of the bunch is the Lego Creator Vacation Getaways shown above. You can rebuild the motorhome to become a cruiser or a summer cottage and the detailed interiors are soooo exciting! Plus don’t forget that there’s a brick-built bear about to nick your sausages off the barbecue.
We had great fun putting together our campervan set 60283 and it now holds pride of place in our camper.
We like the sunshine surfer campervan Lego set. A camper that converts into a lifeguard tower with beach buggy.
We also like the Lego Great City Vehicles van and caravan
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Plus a three-in-one Creator caravan, car, campervan and lighthouse kit for around £65. And a kayak and buggy set
The Orlando books are gorgeously illustrated. This one is perfect for young campers.
Here’s a marmalade cat exhausted from his camping holiday!
When I first researched and wrote our round-up of reusable cups and insulated mugs, plant-based cups were fairly rare.
They’re everywhere now, but not all can stand up to our tests!
Our favourite that is both green and insulated is the fabulous BioGo mug made of rice husk.
It’s the perfect shape for drinks holders, keeps contents hot, feels nice, doesn’t scald your lips and can even be put in the dishwasher. Great!
A portable pumped shower that recharges by USB.
The kit includes a showerhead, a thumb-trigger spray attachment and a jet nozzle. There’s a charging cord, hanging thingy and instructions – all in a neat carry case.
The pressure is surprisingly good and it’s easy to use. You can use the Colapz bucket, the Colapz utility bags or any standing water (bucket, lake or whatever).
Great on this wild camp in the Lakes during Storm Gareth, though. Ask the freezing guinea pig!
Our favourite camping cookbooks
We’ve liked Luci’s inflatable camping lights for a while, but they’ve come up with two great options we’re definitely adding to our kit.
The Base is the biggest Luci to date – four settings with a top illumination of 300 lumens. It’s claimed to last up to 50 hours on a single charge (solar or USB) And it also acts as a power bank for mobile charging – 4,000 maH capacity. Oh, and it’s fully waterproof.
The String is such a neat set of fairylights. 10 pairs of LEDs on an 18′ string that all packs away into a tiny cylinder. Up to 20 hours on a full charge (again, solar or USB).
The Wonderbooms 2 speaker is marvellous.
Rugged and waterproof (even floats), connect two for true stereo for use at home, tiny form, big sound…what more do you need?
Oh. and the battery lasts 13 hours. If that’s not enough, you can choose your colour too.
For more gadgets check out our gadget section in our Camping Must Haves Article
You’ll probably have already come across individual cotton and beeswax (or vegan wax) wraps? Well, we’ve just found this fantastic plastic-free wrap on a roll.
Cut the size you need for wrapping sandwiches, using to seal bowls or for wrapping around loaves to keep them fresher. We struggled to find individual wraps big enough for large loaves, so this is a super alternative.
You can rinse it in cold water and use it over and over. There’s also a vegan version that uses plant-based wax.
See more green camping ideas in our special feature.
A nice set for playing in the garden or for taking on camping trips.
See more game ideas in our Best Camping Games Article.
The OS and ST&G have come up with a great set of fun maps, each with a theme.
Choose from music, film, food, literature, British wonders and more.
Tricky one, this. I know someone whose wife left them after he bought her a vacuum cleaner for Christmas. So be careful who you buy this for.
On the other hand, a couple of cooking sessions and they’ll be VERY grateful. This Zyliss hand-powered processor is fantastic for taking camping because it doesn’t need power. We also use ours at home because it’s easy to clean.
Make purées and houmous or chop vegetables and nuts.
This little beauty by Lixada folds flat and can burn twigs, leaves, solid fuel blocks, spirit or charcoal.
You can even buy a teeny gas burner to fit inside. It’s made of stainless steel and weighs just over 200g.
Put your clothes inside this clever bag, add laundry liquid, rub for 30 seconds to three minutes and woohoo.
It’s the lightest washing ‘machine’ in the world at just 145g. The secret is in the flexible washboard inside. The Scrubba people say it’s twice as effective as hand washing.
The bag doubles as a dry bag or to transport wet swimming things. Oh, there’s a mini version available now.
Treats for vegans and vegetarians
Something for the Christmas tree
Definitely too much plastic at Christmas, so choose these glass campervan baubles instead.
Or how about a glass festival tent with a hanging ribbon that can be personalised with a special message?
And for caravanners, a pretty handmade felt tree decoration