It’s the most, wonderful time, of the year! Well, maybe you agree or disagree, however, like it or not, Christmas is around the corner. Crazy right!? Where did 2018 go? I have to admit, I love Christmas. The feeling in the air, the kindness of others, the beautiful snow against all the lights. Its cheesy, I know, but I have always loved this time of year.
Christmas however, is pretty commercialized. Shopping, cards, stockings, events, oh my! It can be pretty overwhelming. Amidst it all though, I absolutely love giving gifts. I love planning it out and finding something thoughtful from the heart to give my loved ones; something I know will absolutely make their day. A lot of years I make gifts, however, being on the road this year hasn’t left me with much space for getting creative.
I get asked quite a bit by people what they can get their adventurous girlfriend, daughter, sister, etc. People say girls are hard to shop for, which I disagree, but none the less, I get asked this often as an adventurous female myself.
So here you go boys, friends, family or whoever may read this; my gift-giving guide for the adventurous lady in your life. Here are 12 items of various price ranges that I know I’d sure be ecstatic and grateful to get under the tree this year. Items are in no particular order and the links to purchase are included below each item!
1) EXPERIENCE
This may not be a direct item to purchase, but I have always been about giving the gift of experience. Give her the gift of time, activity, and something new! I do this quite a bit with the little one’s in my life and its great to do with friends, family and partners as well.
Get creative! Perhaps she has always wanted to skydive and its an incredible day you could spend together. There may be a class she’s always wanted to try, or a place she’s always wanted to go. It could be fun to hike to an Alpine Club Hut! You could hire a guide for an extreme adventure. Whatever it is, giving her the gift of experience is something she will be able to look forward to and look back on with incredible memories. Time spent with loved ones is truly a gift.
2) KEEN’s
For someone who loves adventure, comfortable and practical footwear is an essential. Comfy feet, happy life right? Maybe I got that saying a little confused, but either way it really is true. I have tried and tested endless footwear options and I have to say without a doubt that KEENs are the way to go. I have never had a blister, a hot spot, or any discomfort in my KEENs.
The Terradora: a women’s specific hiker, lightweight, incredibly breathable, waterproof, and amazing. Seriously. I broke these in trekking in Nepal and had zero issues. Get her them now and she will never look back.
The Elsa Sneaker: an everyday sneaker, comfy, and stylish. Sometimes being an outdoor adventurer leaves you with a closet full of hikers and runners. Treat her to a nice sneaker that leaves her comfy, but makes her feel like she has something nice to wear for dinner and a beer.
3) Explore Magazine Adventure Box (or a subscription!)
This box is not only guaranteed to make her Christmas, however, a subscription will basically give her 4 Christmas’s for the year. It’s a seasonal box filled with awesome gear.
I received my first box right before a road trip through the states, and I cannot explain how often we use the gear inside of it. Most of the items we actually used on a daily basis. It was awesome.
You can get her one box, or grab the subscription! You choose. Either way, this box of wonderful gear surprises is sure to fuel her stoke and leave her smiling.
4) Clothes from Kind Apparel
Tights, headbands, neck warmers, and more; basically everything she could ever want in the brightest and coolest patterns. Better yet, its all made out of recycled water bottles. Sustainable, comfortable, and beautiful!
It is all handmade in Montana by Mallory- a creative, generous, genius, female entrepreneur. She rocks! Seriously. Not only would this gift wow the lady in your life, but it would also support Mallory and her dream (not to mention, support the environment).
These items have kept me warm and comfy ice climbing, rock climbing, trekking through the mountains, hiking in my backyard, and exploring the world. I cannot recommend them enough. The fabric is so soft, and the patterns are wonderful and fun!
5) Valleret Photography Gloves
Think warm hands and easy access to finger tips without taking the gloves off. I know, you might say “well isn’t that what tech tips are for?” I am not sure about you, but I’ve always found my finger tips freeze where those tech tips are. They aren’t very warm, and all the holes in my gloves have always started with those tips.
Valleret has found the solution with incredibly warm gloves, with removable tips to be able to take photos, use your phone, etc., without taking the gloves off. This is a personal game changer as someone who suffers from Raynauds. The more people I talk to, the more I realize so many others suffer from this condition as well, especially females.
Give the gift of warmth, suffer-free photography taking, and get her set up with a pair of these gloves. Her toasty hands will thank you.
https://us.photographygloves.com//?us
6) Sunday Afternoons Hat
Everyone loves hats. True or not, I’ve found everyone I adventure with to have a crazy collection of hats. Trucker hats, baseball hats, toques, headbands, you name it. Sun protection is key, especially adventuring at higher altitudes or areas with water, snow, or glaciers.
Sunday Afternoons have some amazing hats. My personal favourite being the “Mountain Trucker.” Its colourful, and features a design created by artist Christ Herbst. The artwork is beautiful, mountain themed, and so beautiful and bright.
Keep her eyes and skin happy by giving her the gift of a hat. I swear, its more exciting to her than you think.
https://www.sundayafternoons.com/p/mountain-trucker/?linkloc=artist_trucker&subloc=herbst
7) KOHI PRESS
If she’s a coffee lover, than this a must. Kohi makes it easy to enjoy coffee anywhere.
The Kohi Press is a portable, French press travel mug. All you have to do is brew, press, and go! It is made of stainless steal, its dishwasher safe, and is insulated to keep your coffee hot.
Warmth, energy, and easy. This mug will keep her adventures fuelled even on the cold days when its hard to get out of bed.
https://www.kohiplus.com/pages/kohipress-product-information
8) Epic Wipes
Give her the gift of a shower. That may sound lame, but to the adventurous female, being clean after an adventure is truly a gift.
Epic wipes are towel sized wipes, so that you can give your whole body a good scrub. They smell amazing, they stay moist even after you’ve used the whole thing, and they are biodegradable.
I’ve used my Epic Wipes on hut trips, climbing trips, camping trips, and am currently using them excessively on my seven-week road trip. You can shower anywhere, and when an actual shower isn’t readily available, these wipes will be your new best friend.
She will thank you, and other people will thank you for keeping her clean.
9) KULA Cloth
Leave no trace should be very important to the adventurous female. We love the places we play in and its our job to help keep them pristine for future generations.
One of the principles of leave no trace is “dispose of waste properly.” As an avid hiker, one of the most common pieces of trash I see on the trails and in the backcountry is toilet paper. People aren’t packing our their waste. Females typically use more toilet paper than males since we need it to pee, so thoughtful female entrepreneur Anastasia came up with a wonderful, sustainable solution- Kula Cloth!
An anti-microbial “pee cloth” is a reusable, hygienic, non-smelly option to toilet paper. You use it, let it dry on your pack, then use it again! The Kula Cloth has beautiful prints, an easy loop to hang it with, a reflective seam to make it easy to find in the dark, and did I mention it helps eliminate waste?
Gift it to her and give back to the environment by helping enforce one of these major leave no trace principles.
https://kulacloth.com/collections/all
10) Canadian Rockies Annual
This magazine is an annual publication for mountain lovers. Photography, mountain history, story telling, you name it! This publication contains all things mountain and is created by the local Bow Valley company Crowfoot Media.
This magazine is a must have on the book shelf of every adventurer. The content is captivating, with so many different things to read about and learn. All of the content is contributed and created by like-minded, local individuals. What a better way to support local businesses this season.
A beautiful piece on the bookshelf or coffee table, give her the gift of reading and learning this Christmas.
11) Reusable snack bags
Outdoorsy females sure can eat. As active individuals, you need to keep up nutrition, AKA snacks snacks snacks. When doing outdoor activities, this often means a lot of single use plastic bags.
I made it my goal this year to be more sustainable with what I choose for my outdoor pursuits. This included gear, waste, being selective about companies, etc.
One of the awesome things I discovered was reusable snack bags. Especially when backpacking, I like to portion my food so that I don’t eat it all at once. Guilty, its been done before. I bought give reusable snack bags from two different companies and I haven’t touched a Ziploc bag since! It doesn’t take many to buy, but the difference it makes is huge!
I have tried out Stasher Bag and Playful Peanut. Both have been amazing and I use both equally. I highly recommend either brand and both are easy to clean. Fun prints, easy maintenance, and a sustainable decision.
12) Journal
Adventuring contains so many memories to be had. Places we see, people we meet, experiences we have, lessons we learn, it can often be difficult to remember it all.
Journalling is an amazing habit to get into. Writing down your day each night allows you to reflect, wind down, and get in touch with your experiences. It allows you to look back on your memories with great detail.
Waterproof journals, stylish journals, take your pick. This simple yet beautiful gift of memories and writing is something to make her happy for years to come.
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=journal#internal=1
Well there you have it folks! 12 things that would be amazing to add to any lady of the outdoors’ gear collection. To me, Christmas should always be about giving from the heart. Whether that’s something you do, something you make, or something you buy, it truly is the thought that counts.
Enhance her adventures, gift her with memories, help her protect the places she plays in. The list of things you could give her is endless, but this list sure is a good place to start. I hope it helps and more than anything, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season! Peace, love, happiness.
The Average Adventurer 
I love this! It’s my new years resolution to be more mindful of my ecological footprint so I love some of your suggestions 🙂
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Oh I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂 it’s my same resolution, to get even better at it
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