When it comes to gifting especially finding Christmas gifts for the outdoor lover, it can become a pretty daunting task. I feel like once we reach our late twenties, we all kind of have everything. Or what we want has such a huge price tag it’s not really gift-worthy anyways.
It can be hard to find a gift for the outdoor lover for a few reasons. What I find hard is finding a gift that’s personal or practical, unique, at a reasonable price, and ideally somewhat local. Those are 4 things that can be quite difficult to tick off.
I love Christmas and I love gifting. Many of my go-to gifts are small gift baskets with a variety of products I think the giftee would like. In the past, I’ve also donated in someone else’s name which is quite special especially if you know they’re passionate about a particular cause or if they really do have everything!
So, with some research and personal experience, I’ve put together a list of gifts for the outdoor lover that are under $50, New Zealand businesses and I’ve also added a section ofn registered charities in New Zealand you can donate to.
Outdoor gifts under $50
‘Solo’ by Hazel Phillips
Hazel Phillips shares her courageous story of trading her Auckland city life for the mountains of Aotearoa. This novel is sure to inspire female trampers that they can do anything they set their mind to. Solo can be found in New Zealand bookstores for $39.99.
Hansby Design
Artist Cathy Hansby creates stunning images of wildlife and botanicals in New Zealand and Australiasia. Her art is clean, bold and simple which makes for a perfect gift. She has a variety of giftware like keychains, travel mugs, tea towels and more. Along with beautiful pieces, with every purchase on her online shop, 5% of the profits is donated to Forest and Bird. Giftware ranges from $2.90 to $49+.
Hike Aotearoa
If you’re looking for Great Walk gifts, Hike Aotearoa is the place! They have beautiful posters, topographic maps and stickers of the Great Walks around New Zealand. The posters are printed on high-quality, FSC-certified paper. Stickers and posters range from $5-$48.
Georgette Thompson Art
I highly recommend Georgette’s Kiwi Christmas cards. The designs are hand drawn and printed on 300 gsm paper. The quality and designs are beautiful and really add to a gift. Also, with each purchase of a card, $1 per card goes to Life Matters which are dedicated to reaching Zero Suicide in the healthcare system, through education, support and awareness. Cards range from $7 each to 3 for $18.
Barrett Outdoors
Based in the Southland area, Barrett Outdoors specializes in cooking gear and utensils. They have various pots and cook sets but if you’re looking for a lower ticket price, check out their titanium utensils and folding fork and spoon. Utensils range from $15-$20.
Venture Outdoors
Based out of Auckland, Venture Outdoors has a huge range of tramping and adventure food. Stocked with a number of kiwi brands like Real Meals, Off Piste Provisions, the Crafty Weka, Nothing Naughty, Local Dehy and more. This is a great option to put together a tramping food gift basket or stocking stuffers!
Woolaid
Designed in Lake Tekapo, Woolaid has the perfect gift for trampers. They have created a bandages or ‘plasters’ that are made from wool. This means they are biodegradable, breathable, hypoallergenic and better for the planet. You can buy from one of their many stockists in both the North and South Island. Packs of 15 bandages are $14.99. These are a must have in every trampers pack!
Creepers socks
Based in Mid Canterbury, Creepers socks have solved the blister issue with their performance toe socks. Made from merino, the socks are breathable, durable and soft. Each toe is essentially individually wrapped up so there is no rubbing, hot spots or blisters. I’ve walked, run, biked and hiked in these socks and love them! They range from $26-$28 a pair and have both crew and quarter crew lengths.
Epic Coffee
Who doesn’t need coffee while out exploring? Epic coffee was started by a father-daughter duo wanting to share their love of coffee and adventure. They sought to create an on-the-go adventure coffee that was as good as local roasters and they nailed it! The coffee beans are roasted in micro-batches in Waipu, New Zealand and the company donates to and supports Surf Life Saving, Land SAR and Reforestation. You can purchase individual drip coffee from $2.99, gifts packs for $15.99 or coffee beans from $12.99.
Kor Adventures Co
Okay, I had to put in a bit of a shameless plug here but I do think a tramping or travel logbook or both makes a wonderful gift! Your friend or family member will have a beautiful way to hold onto their adventure memories and something to look back on as well. The logbooks are $22 each and avaialable online in the Kor Adventures Co shop or various stockists (see website).
Arias Design Co.
We outdoor lovers may love to spend most of our time outside with puffer jackets and athletic wear but it doesn’t mean we don’t like pretty things. Arias Design Co has a signature collection that is absolutely beautiful with designs of mountains, forests and flowers. Even more amazing is that 20% of the profits are donated to the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand.
nz charities to donate to
There are so many different charities in New Zealand and so many amazing causes to support. I’ve worked in the charitable sector before and even the smallest donations make a huge difference. This is a really thoughtful and meaningful way to give a gift but also give back as well. I’ve listed a few that focus on the outdoors, conservation initiatives and helping others get outside as well. You can donate online in whatever amount you’d like to give in the name of someone else.
kākāpō Recovery
There are only 252 kākāpō alive today. Donating to the recovery program supports the work to ensure a future for the kākāpō. 100% of donations go to work like hand-rearing kākāpō chicks, health checks, feeding and equipment to care for the birds like incubators.
Project Jonah
Project Jonah is a volunteer organization and registered charity whose sole mission is the help marine animals. The organization started the anti-whaling movement in 1974 and have been a strong advocate since. Donations go towards purchasing the vital equipment needed in marine animal rescues.
Dunedin Wildlife Hospital
The Dunedin Wildlife Hospital specializes in exclusively treating New Zealand’s native species including parrots, penguins, reptiles and sea lions. The care animals receive by the hospital’s veterinarians is crucial to their survival.
Himalayan Trust
The Himalayan Trust was founded in the 1960’s by Sir Edmund and Louise Hillary. It began when Sir Ed asked a Sherpa: “If there was anything I could do for the Sherpa people, what do you think that would be?” The Sherpa replied: “Our children have eyes but they are blind and cannot see. We would like you to open their eyes by building a school in our village.”
The trust raises money to bring education, better healthcare and safe water to communities in the Everest region in Nepal.
Kea Conservation Trust
The Kea Conservation Trust is dedicated to strengthening the Kea population in New Zealand. They work hard to educate the public and raise awareness of the threats to the Kea habitat and health. Donations primarily go to funding projects like Kea monitoring, predator control and education.
