10 Christmas ideas (under £20) for the outdoor enthusiast
Now December has arrived, my thoughts have finally turned towards Christmas!
If you're looking for inspiration for the outdoorsy person in your life, take a look at the ideas below which are all well loved products used by either myself or my husband - and they come in at less than £20.
CAC Beanie
These beanies from Climbers Against Cancer are super warm, colourful and cosy - with the added bonus that buying one gives funds directly towards cancer research organisations worldwide.
£20
Microadventures by Alastair Humphreys
Packed full of ideas to tempt you out into the hills, the Microadventures book is a great way to give you new inspiration and plan a day, evening or weekend of adventures. Even if you already do lots of outdoorsy stuff, it can refresh your thinking and spur you into action.
£11.99
OS Explorer Map
Always useful and fantastic for someone who is planning a trip to a new area in 2016 - especially if it's a tour covering lots of different regions as building up the relevant collection of maps can prove to be expensive.
£8.99 (or £14.99 for weatherproof)
Dry Bags
Brilliant for having in your rucksack to protect spare clothing or valuables - I have a variety of different sizes. There are a few different manufacturers, but check out these from Alpkit for an example.
£5 upwards (depending on size)
Dry bags from the Alpkit website
Image taken from Alpkit website
Emergency Bivy Bag
I have to admit to not having used one of these yet (thankfully) but this one is on my own Christmas list (hint hint)! Small and lightweight (apparently the equivalent of carrying an apple) this is something I hope to never have to use, but will feel better for having with me whenever I head out into the hills.
First Aid Kit
I always carry a basic first aid kit when I'm out and about - it's small and lightweight, but contains the essentials, including the addition of Ibruprofen tablets for my own use if something should happen to me.
Various options from £10 upwards
Buff
The humble buff is a versatile bit of kit and even if your friend/family member has one already, another one will still be useful - I have 3 already and would be happily open a gift of a 4th! Use it to keep your neck warm, your head warm or to tie your hair back.
£15
Mosquito Net
Not the most attractive looking piece of kit, but invaluable when spending time outdoors on warm, still, humid, summer days - whether at the crag or outside your tent. When the midges come out, the person you've gifted this to will love you forever!
£7 / £10
Climbing DVD's
During the depths of winter, it's lovely to spend an evening curling up in front of the fire with a glass of wine and a good DVD which makes you laugh and dream of adventures as you live vicariously through the lives of those in the film.
For the climber in your life, Posing Productions has a great range of DVD's.
£10 - £20
Ritchey Torque Key
This apparently is one of the most used pieces of technical kit by my mountain biking husband (stops you from over tightening bolts on your bike), enough said!
Image taken from Ritchey website