We’ve already brought you a few gift guides this year for the reader, geek, and/or geeky reader in your life. But what about the outdoor junkie or travel nut? Buying gear for someone else is a bit like buying clothes. Everyone has their own brand and functional preferences, so we’re not about to recommend a certain brand of shoes, style of suitcase, or even type of tent. These are all very personal selections, and let’s be honest – they’d also make weird gifts.

Still, we know that walking into a store like REI can be a bit daunting if you don’t know what you’re looking for. We cover a bit of the ol’ outdoor world here at Roarbots, so if that’s why you stick around – or if you have someone on your holiday shopping list whose idea of a fun weekend involves fresh air rather than PlayStation – then we’ve got some good, unique, and relatively inexpensive ideas right here.

Midland X-Talker two-way radios

Who doesn’t love a solid pair of walkie talkies? More importantly, who doesn’t want a solid pair of walkie talkies without spending an arm and a leg? If you were like me as a kid, you had a pair and you and your friends would run around the neighborhood playing spy (or whatever) with a cheap pair of toy walkie talkies. Now that I’m a parent, I’m constantly amazed that you simply cannot find a cheap pair for kids to play with. Do a search for two-way radios, and most of the results are beefy, camo-colored radios meant for dudes in the woods playing soldier as they stalk helpless animals (i.e., hunters). And they cost a fortune.

I’m not saying these Midland radios are cheap toy walkie talkies. Hardly. Their affordable price means they COULD serve that purpose (heck, my kids use them to run around the house/neighborhood a lot), but this is also a really solid pair of two-way radios. We recently took ours hiking, and they’re great to have on the trail if you’ve got people moving at different speeds – or at camp to stay in contact when someone heads out for firewood… or when nature calls.

It’s added peace of mind, and they won’t weigh down your pack. The range is also pretty decent, unless you put a mountain or boulder between you.

REI stowaway camp chair

This one’s a bit of a controversial pick in my house. I love these chairs. My wife? Let’s just say that she “appreciates” them but isn’t a fan of how low they are. But that’s the point. These are low-to-the-ground camp chairs that put you near the campfire (and the heat). They also, obviously, keep YOU low to the ground, which makes this chair an ideal choice if you’re headed to an outdoor concert, fireworks, or somewhere else that will have lots of people.

Come on, we’ve all been to an event like that where everyone’s sitting on blankets, and some guy shows up with a huge folding chair that positions him WAY ABOVE everyone else – and thereby blocks everyone’s view. Don’t be that guy. These low camp chairs will keep you down near all those blanket dwellers and shouldn’t cause any festival fights.

I’ll be honest – they’re not totally ideal for sitting on the sidelines during the kids’ soccer games (or whatever) since you’ll likely be much lower than all the other parents in their “normal” height folding chairs, but I still use them. Just to be different. And ornery. But they’re fantastic to just throw in the trunk and have available whenever.

Lonely Planet’s “epic” books

Most people bitten by the travel bug have a bucket list of places they want to go, events they want to experiences, or goals they want to accomplish. Trust me, I know. If you’re a runner, you have a list of races you want to compete in. If you’re a hiker, you have a list of trails you want to do. If you’re a road-trip junkie, you have a list of jaw-dropping roads you need to see. And Lonely Planet is here to add to those lists in a big way. Epic Drives of the World, Epic Bike Rides of the World, Epic Runs of the World, and Epic Hikes of the World are flat-out gorgeous books that will inspire wanderlust and have you adding a bunch more items to your bucket list. Runners will be inspired to race along the Great Wall of China or along the Chicago shoreline. Hikers will be enticed to put boots on the ground in the Canadian Rockies or the Ring of Steall in Scotland. Roadtrippers will be planning to motor along Iceland’s Ring Road or southern Australia’s Great Alpine Road. And cyclists will want to challenge themselves to rides in 30 different countries. These books make fantastic gifts for anyone who loves travel and fresh air. And side note: I adore them.

Grayl Geopress water purifier

When I first heard about Grayl’s water purifiers, they looked entirely too good to be true. You use the container to scoop up water from wherever you want, then push the filter down into the container, forcing the water through. Voila – potable water in seconds. No, seriously. The days of iodine tablets and complicated pump filters are over. I’m here to say that the Grayl Geopress works like a charm. Scoop up water from a stream, lake, or river. Fill it with sketchy tap water from Chicago to Prague to Nairobi to Manila. Press, purify, and drink. And most importantly – don’t get sick! Grayl claims the Geopress removes/filters all manner of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, particulates, chemicals, and heavy metals. Which, again, since the process is so easy and quick, seems hard to believe. But I’ve been using one for a while now. I’ve drunk from the Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, from the Potomac River outside of Washington, DC (gross), from water sources entirely too near farmland in Newfoundland, and countless other places. And I’ve not gotten so much as a stomachache. The Grayl has become a must-have in my travel/hiking bag. And if you know someone who travels internationally or goes backpacking a lot, this is a no brainer.

MSR Windburner stove system

We gave the Windburner Duo a full review earlier this year, and we stand by the entire line. It’s a great addition to your camping/outdoor cooking arsenal. Actually, “addition” is probably the wrong word. This system is really all you need in your lightweight camp kitchen. Car campers might look for something a bit more robust if they’re not concerned about weight. But if you (or your gift givee) do any amount of backpacking, then this system should definitely be on your list.

MSR’s WindBurner system has a windproof radiant burner and pressure regulator, which maintain stove performance in windy and cold conditions. In other words, there’s no open flame for wind to blow out. This is an unfortunately proprietary modular system with almost every piece necessary for outdoor adventures. Solo? The Personal System (1.0 L) is the way to go. Two or three of you? The Duo System (1.8 L) is the better bet in that case. Is the whole family or a small group on the trail? You might want to think about the Stove System Combo (which includes a 2.5 L sauce pot and an 8″ skillet).

Not gonna lie – the WindBurner system is a bit on the spendy side. But it’d make one HECK of a gift. And if you’ve got a friend or family member who’s on the trail a lot, always looking for good camp recipes, and doesn’t already own this? You’re doing them a favor. And they’ll love you for it.

GoalZero Sherpa power bank

This one’s also on the spendy side, but it’s guaranteed to make you the recipient’s favorite gift giver this year. It’s also perfect for the trail, camp, car, and home, which probably makes this the most versatile suggestion on this list. Because let’s face it – we all have far too many electronic gadgets. And they all need more power. Thankfully, GoalZero is here to help with the second problem. (Narrowing down the number of gadgets you carry is YOUR problem.)

The key to the Sherpa’s appeal is – as I said – in its versatility. It wasn’t designed specifically for backpacking, camping, travel, or the home. Instead, it’s good for everything. Well, almost everything. This isn’t a generator; you’re not going to power your home if the electricity goes out. But if you need a backup power source for the campground, your car, the home, or your travel bag, this bad boy has you covered.

The Sherpa is airline approved (so TSA won’t hassle you about it), and it’s powerful enough to charge up your phone, tablet, laptop, camera, and Nintendo Switch – at the same time. It’s got two 60W USB-C ports, two 2.4A USB-A ports, a 110V AC inverter (i.e., a “normal” wall plug), and a Qi Wireless charging pad. When it’s fully charged, it’ll recharge your phone 8 times, your tablet 4 times, or your laptop twice.

Know someone who’s always traveling with a bag full of tech? They need this.

Adventure course gift certificates

OK, still not sure what to get that certain someone… or even if you want to get them more “stuff”? Might I recommend a gift card/certificate to their local zipline/adventure course? Odds are very good that there’s one relatively close to wherever they live. My local course is called The Adventure Park, and it’s a total blast. Don’t assume ropes courses are only for corporate “bonding” retreats or kids’ birthday parties. Like ski resorts, there are often courses of various difficulties (The Adventure Park goes up to a double black diamond that’s 65 feet in the air and is CRAZY hard), and plenty of adults are regulars. Know someone who’s into rock climbing? Know an adrenaline junkie? Know someone who simply likes unique experiences or spending an afternoon among trees? This could be the perfect gift without cluttering up their home with unnecessary “stuff.”