Got someone to buy a present for but you don’t have a clue where to start? Well if they’re into the great outdoors then you could do worse than to select something from this top-ten list. On this page are ten great purchases that every outdoor enthusiast should have. We have attempted to explain what they are, why they’re not just cool but essential; and finally the best place to buy. And remember if you’re on the Will4Adventure mailing list you can qualify for our discount code to Cotswold Outdoors to get 15% off...
- Map cases are vital but so many out there are awful. The Ortileb document and map cases are made from soft rubber and are sealed at the top by a roll of Velcro. The soft rubber feels nice to the touch and because it’s totally malleable it never becomes brittle keeping it break and tear free: hence no leaks. The smaller wallets are perfect for protecting your mobile phone and cash too.
Price: £12.65 from RVOps. - Never venture into the hills without a head-torch. They weigh next to nothing, take up little space but are essential once the sun has set. So many mountain rescue call outs are down to the absence of this one little gem of kit. What to buy? Go for the Gamma from Alpkit. It’s a brilliantly designed piece of kit offering a selection of options for both front and rear lights and was voted best value head-torch by Trail magazine in February 2010.
Price: £12.50 from Alpkit.com. - Socks. And not just any socks but Bridgdale socks. Don’t be fooled into buying 100% wool or (worse) pure merino wool socks. They’ll be expensive and will wear out sooner than those that combine wool with modern synthetic materials. Bridgedale Endurance socks for example are a highly technical sock that fuses the very best New Wool with the most advanced synthetic fibres. Not cheap for a pair of socks – but vital for comfort and warmth and staving off the blisters!
Price: £10.25 from Simply Hike. - Imagine having a map for every square kilometre of national park land in the UK!? That’s all of the Peak District, the Lakes, Snowdonia , Dartmoor, Exmoor .... and soooo many more. Well, now you can with Anquet’s mapping downloads and CDs from £20.62. And with Toughprint’s waterproof paper for inkjet printers – you can print off your own waterproof maps at home on your own ink jet printer.
Price for the cd is £25.62 from Anquet and £10.79 for the Toughprint Paper from Pentagon GPS. - While we’re on navigation – how about buying a compass as a gift? Silva compasses are renowned for their build and reliability. A good model to opt for will have a magnifying glass (essential for the keen eye – which all good navigators possess) and a romer. A recommended model is the Silva Expedition 4. The normal retail price is £25 – but to be had from as little as £17.36 on Amazon.
- And if you want to push the boat out – buy them an altimeter. It would seem that the watch of choice for this purpose is the Vector Suunto. It’s a mammoth of a watch – no man could wish for anything else. It’s pure no-nonsense all functionality and usually in BLACK. Manliness aside they give you loads of features including a compass, barometer and thermometer too! Women’s models (with more form) available too! From SimplyHike.co.uk at a very competitive £125.
- For keeping hydrated whilst on the move a modern hydration system is essential; and that doesn’t mean a water bottle! Modern systems employ a flexible lightweight bag that come with a hose allowing the wearer to drink while they’re walking, climbing, biking, paddling etc. Presently the model that scores most highly in Trail and Outdoor Magic’s reviews of 2010 is the Source Widepac system. Top tip – keep it in the freezer when it’s not in use and this will save it from furring up.
Price: £17.73 from WalkandTravel.com. - For anyone that goes camping the right choice of sleeping mat makes all the difference to a good night’s sleep (and an inflatable lilo doesn’t cut the mustard in the outdoors). There are these days, self-inflating mattresses to be had. They’re not really self-inflating, but they don’t take much puff to make them a comfortable bed for the night. And trust me, once you spend a night on one of these babies you’ll never go back to roll mats. In my eyes there are two choices: first you could buy a Thermarest on Amazon (around £65) – the original brand and with a lifetime guarantee or alternatively head over to Alpkit.com who produce great kit at fair prices. Unless the user is a dwarf or has an OCD when it comes to counting the grammes – always opt for a full length mat. The Base 180 looks like a good bet from Alpkit at £30.
- Time spent outdoors in the UK will inevitably mean a day out in the rain at some point. Keeping your kit dry takes ‘good admin’ a bit of luck and ... dry bags! (No backpack is waterproof). There are lots out there and they seem to be getting better and better. You could stick with the original Wickes rubble bag and at £3.29 for a roll of twelve you won’t find cheaper – but it’s not much of a gift! A longer term solution comes once again from the team at Alpkit with their Airlok XTra dry bags starting at £5.
- Finally – you could buy someone an experience for a present... and they don’t come much better than the ones we offer here at Will4Adventure. From courses to guided adventures, there’s a load to choose from. Gift vouchers are on sale in multiples of £25 and are available here.
Hope you find this useful,
See you soon,
Will and the team
Please note: Prices shown above were correct at time of publication.