The holiday season is quickly approaching, and it’s time to start planning thoughtful gifts for the special people in your life. Whether you’re shopping for your significant other, best friend, or family member, the perfect present is out there waiting to be discovered. To make the hunt for the perfect gift easier, we’ve created the ultimate gift guide for outdoor enthusiasts. Our list includes everything from experiences to hiking gear and even life-changing underwear! So, whether you’re shopping for someone who loves adventure or simply enjoys being outdoors, we’ve got you covered.
Under €35
1. Outsider Mugs
Price: €16.99 – €20.00
We have to start this list with a product that is very close to our hearts. Our very own enamel mugs. We have restocked them for the Christmas season but when they are gone this time, they are gone forever! These hard-wearing enamel cups are the perfect companion in any swim bag or hiking pack. Equipped with fun inspirational quotes and John Short’s Dry Robe Sketch, they make the perfect gift.
Shop Now: Outsider.ie
2. Hiking Socks
Price: Prices vary
A pair of socks might seem like a gift lacking in imagination but we guarantee a good pair of hiking socks will always be gratefully received, and more importantly, well used. Great Outdoors has a wide range of technical hiking socks that will wick away sweat while keeping your feet warm and dry. A good pair of socks will also play a crucial role in blister prevention too. When it comes to items like socks where there is so much choice we like to ask the experts, so we would advise visiting Great Outdoors and asking their experts to find out what model would be best for your gift!
Shop Now: Great Outdoors
3. Outsider Map: Leinster Edition
Price: €9.95
We are delighted to launch our all-new product, the Outsider Adventure Map series. We have worked long and hard to come up with a product that puts the knowledge we have gained from exploring Ireland for the past 20 years into your pocket. This easy-to-use, interactive guide syncs seamlessly with the maps app on your phone and provides you with useful information like routes for your hikes as well as links to experiences. We hope you enjoy it. The rest of the provincial maps are coming soon!
Shop now: Outsider.ie
4. Saxx Quest Boxer Brief
Price: €30.00
Of course, we had to follow up socks with a pair of underwear! These underpants however are no ordinary pair, oh no! These are life-changing underwear! As we get older, boxers, just like socks, become a lot more desirable at Christmas! You genuinely can’t beat a pair of SAXX. A good pair of boxers is essential to staying comfortable during long days on the go thanks to their soft, breathable material, and unique “ball-park” technology which keeps everything in place, if you know what we mean! There are some amazing designs to choose from as well! A pair of SAXX is our most underrated recommendation of what to get your loved one this Christmas!
Shop Now: Portwest
Product We Love: Saxx Underwear
5. Kambukka Etna Flask – Insulated
Price: €29.90
A flask is a great gift for the outdoor enthusiasts in your life! Believe us when we say that outdoor enthusiasts love to go off the beaten track. This is often challenged by our equally strong pull towards a good coffee shop on our weekend hikes. Thanks to the Kmbukka Etna flask that we have been using during these colder months, instead of going to a café to meet a friend we began bringing our coffee to our favourite outdoor spaces. The Etna Flask was excellent for this. It keeps your brew warm enough for you to enjoy it mid-hike!
Shop Now: Kambukka
6. Stanley Pour Over Coffee Filter
Price: €41
Honestly, we love this product. It is one that we use on nearly every camping trip (or even an Airbnb trip when the coffee setup provided is not up to scratch!) We bought ours in Great Outdoors in Dublin and have not looked back. You simply sprinkle in your favourite ground coffee (coarse grind is fine), and pour in your hot water, we love to brew straight into one of our very own enamel mugs or into our Kambukka flask if we are on the go. Within 4 minutes you’ll have a warm brew to enjoy! Pair the Stanley Pour Over with one of our enamel mugs and a bag of great coffee for an all-in-one gift!
Shop now: Great Outdoors
7. Be Kind Insence
Price: €8.95
One of our favourite ways to wind down after a day outdoors is to light a Be Kind Insence and relax. They sell many different types of incense which have unique scents that are inspired by different wild spaces in Ireland. Each different scent is packaged beautifully in a box with an image of the area on the front. This is a lovely small gift for someone who needs a bit of help winding down.
Shop now: Be Kind
8. Nikwax Proofer!
Price: €11.95
One of the most practical gifts on this list. Proofer comes in a variety of forms from spray-on to wash-in, for everything from jackets to tents. Having a bottle of proofer readily available in your gear shed when you get back from a muddy, wet hike is incredibly handy. We are big fans of the Nikwax spray-on proofer.
Shop now: Great Outdoors
9. Wild Derrynane
Price: €25
Wildlife blogger and coastal outdoor educator Vincent Hyland takes us on a captivating journey through his latest masterpiece, ‘Wild Derrynane: A Visual Natural History of the Greater Skellig Coast’.
The book is available at selected shops nationwide including:
Kenmare Bookshop – Kenmare
Sneem Bookshop – Sneem
Skellig Giftstore – Waterville
Quirke’s newsagents and Bookshop – Cahersiveen
Polymath Bookshop, Tralee
Under €200
10. Craghoppers Andersen Cagoule
Price: Was €200 NOW €60
We like the Craghoppers Anderson Cagoule as it is a breath of fresh air. The Anderson Cagoule is a welcome break from the intense hillwalking and mountaineering rain jackets that we often see. The jacket is also made using recycled materials which is a great step forward. Craghoppers have been making huge changes in recent years to their production to incorporate as many eco-friendly initiatives as possible into their business.
Shop now: Craghoppers
11. Trail Runners
Price: Under €200
Hoka Speedgoat 5
A popular shoe for good reason. If you attend any mountain or trail running race in Ireland you are bound to see a few pairs of Speedgoat 5s. The Speedgoat line is a staple in Hoka’s trail shoes and the 5 is the latest iteration. It is a comfortable, soft, grippy shoe that is totally at home on Irish trails.
Shop now: Great Outdoors
Dynafit Ultra 100
Possibly the best trail runner you have never heard of! The Ultra 100 is a cushioned trail running shoe which has good grip and a precise feel. We have been running in the Ultra 100 a lot over the past few months and have enjoyed using it for a variety of different runs on different surfaces. It also looks super cool!
Shop now: Wild Side Sports
12. Hiking Boots
Price: Under €200
HOKA Kaha 2 GTX
The HOKA Kaha 2 GTX is a soft hiking boot that is exceptionally comfortable for longer hikes. HOKA are known for their range of runners with soft mid-soles and this translates perfectly to their line of hiking footwear too. The Kaha 2 is soft and comfortable while still maintaining a good level of stability underfoot which is essential on uneven terrain.
Shop Now: Men’s
Shop Now: Women’s
Salewa Mountain Trainer Mids
The Salewa Mountain Trainer Mids are an excellent “all mountain” boot for Ireland and Europe. They are as supportive as a conventional mountain boot but feel like a mid thanks to the flex collar design and light construction. A brilliant present for the serious hiker who does not want to be limited by their footwear!
Shop Now: Men’s
Shop Now: Women’s
To The Test: Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid
13. Coucon Changing Robe
Price: €176.95
The changing robe is somewhat of a cult product, they are everywhere. And with so many brands to choose from, it can be difficult to figure out what to get your loved one. Luckily we have done the hard work for you and can highly recommend the Coucon. An Irish brand, the Coucon offers the softest fleece lining, couple with the coolest range of colours out there. You may even have spotted the range on the recent series of Bad Sisters.
Shop Now: Coucon
We’ve Found the Best Changing Robe Out There and It’s Irish!
14. Columbia Omni-Heat
Price: €140.00
Columbia is a brand that is synonymous with the outdoors. The American brand was founded in 1938 by Paul Lamfrom and ever since they have grown massively in popularity. Over the years they have made every outdoor clothing item under the sun from trail runners (that broke the Wicklow Round Record in 2018) to rain jackets to base layers. However, there is one category that we would trust more than any other for Columbia products, insulation. Columbia is always coming up with new and exciting ways to keep you warm and comfortable in the outdoors and their newest Omni-Heat Gold does just that. Small reflective dots in the jacket’s lining reflect your body heat back to you, keeping you that bit warmer with no added weight.
Shop Now: Great Outdoors
15. Helinox Camp Chairs
Price: €140.00
We genuinely believe that Helinox makes the best camp furniture. All of their product is super lightweight while still being durable and practical. If you are shopping for an outdoor enthusiast who seems to have everything under the sun, a Helinox chai may just be the perfect gift. They don’t just make chairs either, they make tables too, so you can fit your entire camp sitting room in a 30L backpack and head outside!
Shop Now: Great Outdoors
To The Test: Best Camp Furniture? Helinox Ground Chair
16. Dare2B Skiwear
Price: Varies
If your loved one or family member loves the snow then Dare2B might be the place to look. Dare2B specialize in quality skiwear to keep you comfortable on the slopes. Their ski range consists of technically advanced and trend-lead skiwear using ARED 20/30 fabric that provides durability, waterproof protection and breathable performance.
PLUS, it offers AEP Kinematics technology, which is a 360-degree stretch fabric, allowing you to be free-moving and super comfortable when you hit the slopes.
Shop Now: Dare 2B
17. Nuasan Recovery Giftset
Price: €79.95
We have been using Nuasan’s products for the past year and have enjoyed them. Their recovery gift set includes a few of our favourite products. We have particularly enjoyed the Active body moisturizer and the Active Body wash. We have genuinely noticed a difference in the way that our muscles feel after using them as part of our post-training routine.
Product We Love: Nuasan Active Body Moisturiser
Shop Now: Nuasan
18. Support Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team
At Outsider we spend a huge amount of our time in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. The Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team are a voluntary group of trained mountain rescue experts. They are on call 365 days a year to help ensure that we stay safe when we are out and about in the Dublin and Wicklow hills. The team are unpaid and they receive very minimal funding from the government. Because of this they get a large amount of their financing from events and their DWMRT shop. Why not get the outdoor lover in your life something from the DWMRT shop this Christmas?
Shop Now: DWMRT
19. A Leatherman Multitool
Price: €79.99 – €179.99
Shopping for a scout, a tradesperson or an outdoor worker? We advise you to consider getting them a Leatherman tool! We have spent some time with a few different models over the past year and have concluded that everyone should have a multi-tool, especially when they are in the outdoors. Here is a brief overview of the tools we have tested:
The Leatherman Skeletool is an excellent everyday tool. Our top pick for a scout.
The Leatherman Surge is the ultimate multitool. Packing a huge 21 tools into 1, this is one for the professionals.
The Leatherman Signal is our top pick. Packing some incredibly useful tools for an outdoor lifestyle into one, we highly recommend checking it out!
Shop Now: KnivesAndTools.ie
20. Ledlenser HF8R
Price: €141,95
The Ledlenser HF8R is a next-generation headtorch for all outdoor activities. Not only does the HF8R adapt to the ambient light, it also adapts the torch’s beam depending on the user’s field of view. In practice, this means that you have a totally hands-free visual aid for activities in the darkness. It works like magic.
Shop now:
Over €200
21. Helly Hansen Verglas Infinity Shell
Price: €440.00
This waterproof shell would be really good for Irish conditions. The large pit zips make it nicely ventilated and the fact that it is lightweight and easy to pack away makes it a no-brainer to bring along all year round, which is necessary for Ireland! We have been testing the Verglas Infinity in the warmer summer months and on cooler mornings and evenings we have not been sweating too much in it.
We would recommend this waterproof shell to an Irish hillwalker who is in the market for a new waterproof shell. In our opinion it is a hillwalker-centric waterproof shell given the fit, however, it could be worn on very bad weather days running or cycling as well. The large pockets on the chest also make it a good option for skiing as you often need storage for gloves, goggles, or even skins.
Product We Love: Our Favourite Helly Hansen Waterproof Shell
Shop Now: Helly Hansen
22. Aqua Marina 2-person Inflatable Kayak
Price: €949.00
This 2 person kayak is the perfect gift for a couple who are hoping to spend more time on the water in 2024. These inflatable kayaks are the perfect holiday companion for all levels of kayaking from total beginners to seasoned paddlers. They may even let you have a go from time to time!
Shop Now: Portwest
23. Vision Take Off Surfboard
Price: €399
In Ireland, we are spoilt by the sea. We get some of the best surfing in Europe yet surfing somehow remains a relatively fringe sport here. It is our firm belief that much like a good pair of hiking boots or a good GoreTex jacket, everyone should own or have access to a surfboard in Ireland. Some of the best craic is to be had in the surf! This Vision surfboard is a soft-top which means it is beginner-friendly and brilliantly suited to weekends in the West of Ireland!
Shop Now: Great Outdoors
24. Therm-A-Rest Neo Air Topo Luxe Sleeping Mat
Price: €205.00
Last year we had the pleasure of visiting Thermarest’s European HQ in Midleton in Co.Cork. While there we experienced the team making a Neo-Air Topo Luxe sleeping mat. Later that day we slept on one! Therm-A-Rest’s mats are at the pinnacle when it comes to camping gear and this sleeping pad is no exception. It is lightweight, compact, and keeps you warm with an R-value of 3.7 and a thickness of 10cm, you’ll never know comfort when you camp until you try out this Therm-A-Rest sleeping mat.
Explore Now: Basecamp
25. Coros Apex 2 Pro
Price: €399
An outdoor sports watch is an essential accessory for those looking to take their outdoor movement more seriously in 2024. They allow the user to track their distance, pace, effort, and elevation as well as keeping them on track with in-built routes and maps. We have used a few different watches over the years but most recently conducted some hands-on testing of the Coros Apex 2 and we really like it. The battery life is monumental, it is comfortable and has some very smart features. Our full review will be out shortly.
Shop now: The Run Hub
Events & Experiences
26. Wander Wild Festival
Photo credit: Adrian McCarthy, Grandview Media.
This unique adventure and wellness festival set in the lakes and mountains of Killarney National Park will take place from 22-24th March 2024. The programme which will be officially launched in the coming weeks, has grown with new exciting additions for the body, mind and soul to be announced!
Pat Chawke, Wander Wild Festival Chairperson, said, “The festival supports over 60 local businesses, the majority of which are small businesses, from one man operations upwards. Every booking and sale is so important to them and to our local economy. Wander Wild is about offering adventure and new experiences to visitors to Killarney – what better guides to have than locals? You can support them, their businesses and the festival by purchasing a gift voucher or by booking an activity for next year’s festival.”
So this Christmas, support local and pick up a Wander Wild gift voucher on wanderwildfestival.com.
Wander Wild Festival is sponsored by Nature Valley and supported by Fáilte Ireland, Kerry County Council and Killarney Chamber of Commerce.
For updates on new activities follow WanderWildFestival on Instagram and Facebook or email [email protected]
27. Quest Adventure Race Series
Price: €120 – €135
While entering someone into an adventure race without consulting them may seem a bit mean, we think entering an adventure race with someone is a perfectly acceptable thing to do! If they have expressed an interest in giving an adventure race a go we would advise you take a look at the Quest Adventure Series and enter on of the many races and distances that are on offer!
Book now: Quest Adventure Series
28. Wicklow 200 Cycle
In 2023 we took on the route for one of the longest running endurance events in Ireland the Wicklow 200 cycle. This epic 200km route takes in some of the most iconic roads in the garden county and is a very worthwhile event to put on your calendar for 2024. They also have a 100km route option which is also a brilliant challenge in it’s own right. The event doesn’t take place until June so there is plenty of time to get training!
Book now: Wicklow 200
29. EcoTrail Wicklow
Price: €54 – €79
EcoTrail is fast becoming one of the most talked about trail races in the summer in Ireland. Attracting thousands of runners to the trails of Wicklow EcoTrail is a hallmark event on the Irish outdoor calendar and an entry worth gifting your trail running buddy. With a range of distances from 19km to 80km and a welcoming atmosphere there is something for everyone. We showed our Instagram followers around the 30km course this year, you can catch up by watching the reel we posted on our page!
Book now: Ecotrail Wicklow
30. Tickets to a Dubin City Kayaking Concert
Price: €42.00 per person
City Kayaking offers this unique experience called “Music Under the Bridges”, where you basically kayak along the River Liffey in the City Centre behind a boat filled with musicians who will play for you under the bridges along the Liffey. It’s probably one of the most unique activities in Dublin, combining both exercise and a concert so you get the best of both worlds. The experience lasts about two hours.
Shop Now: City Kayaking
31. Lessons with Surfdock
Price: €35.00 – €65.00 per person
The Grand Canal Dock is where many Dublin windsurfers learned the ropes. These sheltered waters offer the perfect place to practice and learn this fun sport. Surfdock teaches in small groups of four so you’ll get plenty of 1:1 time with your instructor. The class is around 2.5 hours long as well, giving you plenty of time to pick up as much of the basics of windsurfing as possible. This is the perfect gift for a water lover who’s yet to try windsurfing.
Shop Now: Surfdock
32. Pass To Their Favourite Sauna
Price: €80
A brilliant experience-based present is a multi-use pass for the seaside sauna. Saunas facilitate you going for a sea swim when you may not have done so otherwise. The mix of hot ad cold is not only brilliant for your health but it is also a great way to socialize with friends.
Shop Now: Fad Saoil Sauna, Samhradh Sauna, Sweathouse Sauna, HotBox Sauna
33. Pass To Their Favourite Climbing Gym
Price: Varies
If they are keen climbers a monthly or annual pass for their local climbing gym is an excellent present. You never know, they might even invite you along for a few climbing sessions!
Shop Now: The Wall Sandyford, Awesome Walls, Suas, Boulder World
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