Best Christmas gifts for campers, tried and tested by an actual camper

Forget unwieldy multitools with corkscrews and tiny flathead screwdrivers: all your outdoor adventurer needs to get on in life is a good knife. And they don't come better than super sharp Opinel blades.

Opinel are French-made knives, and incredibly high-quality - they also come in a range of colours, sizes, steel finishes, and wood handles.

Over the last few years of use (and we wouldn't go anywhere without ours) we've found the no.8 to be best for longer trips away when you're doing lots of cooking, and the slightly smaller no.7 to be great for backpacking when you need it to slice up some cheese, or open a packet of something on the go.

This is a gift that every outdoors lover, no matter their level of culinary skill, will find useful. For that personal touch, you can even opt to have it engraved.

Everyone needs a good insulating flask, and the YETI rambler is one of the best we've tried. It doubles up as a camping mug for campsite mornings, but when lidded it keeps drinks hot for six hours (and cold drinks cold for 12).

It's a durable, dependable option that will slide into the useful gaps in a bag and provide glorious welcome hot drinks on cold, snowy days outside. (And sure, no one's going to stop you from using it on the commute either).

We like the secure locking twist opening mechanism and also love the fact it's completely leakproof, no matter which way it ends up. Overall, this is a lovely gift to receive and will be well-used whatever the level of camping or hiking your giftee enjoys.

If you know anyone outdoorsy, chances are they'll carry a Nalgene water bottle wherever they go. (Hint, if you know someone outdoorsy who doesn't have a Nalgene, then now is a good chance to buy them one).

Anyway, the reason nearly everyone has a Nalgene is because they're great: indestructible, wide mouthed for filling from streams, copes with boiling water, and the perfect vehicle for all your adventure stickers.

However, they come with one major design flaw, which is that when drinking in transit (in the car, while walking, on trains, planes, and boats) they often slosh water all over your face.

But with this handy sipper-accessory, say goodbye to wet -shirts and hello to a smooth drinking experience. It simply slots in onto the bottle neck and hey presto: no more sloshing.

Perhaps the perfect stocking filler we can think of for under a tenner, or a perfect gift bundle with the bottle for those in need of a durable, versatile drinking system.

While it's entirely possible to form an acceptable pillow out of a dry bag and some spare clothing, it'll never be quite as comfortable as a proper pillow - and as you'll see later on in this list, we think that giving the gift of good sleep is always a great idea.

The Forclaz Inflatable Pillow from Decathlon comes about as close to using a pillow from home that we can ask for, and for better value than we've seen elsewhere. It adds a surprising boost of overnight comfort and is so light (170g) and compact (0.7 litres) that they'll barely even notice it in their rucksack. A great stocking filler, and one they'll use all the time.

Socks are a classic present for the outdoor lover in your life - and always appreciated. So, why not treat their feet to the ultimate in warmth and comfort with Bridgedale's Merino Hiker Socks, designed for adventurous spirits who want to pad about in comfort on fells, forest trails, and everything in between.

I've been wearing my pair for the last three years (as you can tell from the photo), and they've held up amazingly well. Crafted from premium Merino wool, they offer top-notch warmth and impressive moisture management, so feet stay dry and comfortable mile after mile.

With a touch of Lycra, they hug the foot perfectly, ensuring a secure, slip-free fit that moves with you. And thanks to a fully cushioned sole, every step feels supported, whether she's wandering through wintry woods or scaling rugged peaks. These are a guaranteed winner of a stocking filler.

Is this the best invention I've ever come across for lightweight coffee-making on the go? Yes. Yes it is.

I absolutely love the S2S Collapsible coffee drip as it's so portable, packable and makes a fabulous cup of caffeinated go-juice. I've used this for the last six months everywhere from Spain to the Inner Hebrides and it's never let me down.

The main feature is that it collapses into something that slides down anywhere you have space for it; the case then folds out into the holder for the drip itself, which is a stroke of genius. Cleanup is generally pretty easy if you have somewhere to rinse it out.

Overall, this is one of my favourite bits of gear ever, and you'll be incredibly popular if you buy this for your most beloved wild-camper for Christmas.

I love this lightweight changing robe from Lifeventure. At £42.99 it's more expensive than your usual microfibre towel, but around a quarter of the price of other dry-robe style garms.

Coming in at 555g, this packable towel is always in our rucksack for coastal adventures, and would make a great gift for the camper that loves to swim outdoors too. It packs down to something a little larger than a Nalgene, and gives full coverage, including sleeves.

I also like the hood as it dries off hair in a matter of minutes with some vigorous rubbing. I think it's a fab option for campsite showers when getting changed back in your tent is the easiest option: it covers everything modestly on that usual long walk of shame without fear of anything slipping off halfway through.

Ever wanted to brew up on the beach using little pieces of driftwood? Or how about in the forest using just pine-cones and twigs? Well, now you can with the Petromax cup stove, perhaps the cutest mini wood stove I've ever seen.

If you get your fire going properly, you'll have boiling water in no time – and if you can guarantee a fuel source wherever you're headed, then there's no need to bring a bulky gas cannister with you, as the cleverly designed fire basket draws air from the ground up and makes a super hot, super efficient fire to boil water on.

I also like the fact you can roll up a dehydrated meal plus your lighter and a penkife, and fit it in the pot for storage. Everything is made of amazingly durable steel, which sure, isn't the lightest, but will take whatever you can throw at it.

Plus, the pot can be placed directly onto a larger fire to boil if you need it to. I've been using the cup stove for around six months, and absolutely love it – and for under £40, it's a surprisingly great value gift, too.

You might like disconnecting when off on a hike, and that's fair enough. But equally, you might like to keep your phone charged for taking photos - or for emergencies. We've found the best way to do that is with this small packet of power.

The tough, IP67-rated RUGD. Power Brick is smaller and carries a 10,050mAh battery, which is enough to charge a phone about three times. It has both USB-A and USB-C outputs, which makes it super useful for sharing around a group when you're away, or even recharging a headtorch or speaker if needs be.

Earplugs? As a Christmas gift? Well, while these may not be an obvious option for the camper in your life, they'll thank you a thousand times over when they finally sleep just as well at home as they do in a tent.

I've been using them on camping trips for the last month or so, and they block out tent noise, tent-partner noise and 5am birdsong just as well as foam earplugs, but with a lot more comfort – and they don't fall out halfway through the night.

While there are many to choose from on the site, I'd recommend the Loop Quiet (pictured) for good noise blocking, but treating your outdoor lover to a set of the Loop Dreams for the ultimate quiet night's sleep.

Coupled with a nice bottle of Scotch, this would make an amazing present for a rugged outdoor chap in your life. But as keen campsite cooks, the best use we've come across for it is actually for storing olive oil for backpacking, as it has a funnel, a leak-proof lid, is impenetrable to light, and boasts a reasonable enough capacity for extended trips.

But we'll leave that for the user to decide, especially at Christmas when good, warming alcohol abounds.

Either way, this weights just 64g empty and has a capacity of 120ml. The higher price in comparison to other metal hipflasks is because titanium is so light, strong and durable. This is a buy-once gift which will continue to give for years at a time.

Does your favourite nephew/niece/son/daughter/dad/pal need a Wee Banshee in thier life? Probably not an essential, but as we discovered, once they’ve used this lightweight micro air pump to inflate your air bed, sleeping mat, or camping pillow, they’ll never want to use their lungs again.

This USB rechargeable and highly portable pump comes with various adapters to pump up a range of inflatables, and can also be used for deflation too.

It also has a built-in light, and who doesn’t love a multi-purpose camping device? We certainly think it’s great, even if it does scream like a wee banshee when inflating!

Check out our quick YouTube video on the Wee Banshee in use

Give the gift of ever-hot coffee while camping with one of my top picks for this gift guide.

Lazing about at a campsite demands something a little larger and sturdier for making coffee than lightweight backpacking, especially if you're camping with a larger group.

Enter: the Hydroflask Insulated French Press, one of my favourite ways to both make and keep coffee warm outdoors, and adequately caffeinate up to four people at a time.

Designed with TempShield double-wall vacuum insulation, this coffee press keeps beverages piping hot for hours — ideal for crisp winter mornings outside the tent, when other ways of making coffee go cold before they've even been poured.

The fine mesh filter expertly captures fine coffee grounds, ensuring a rich, full-bodied brew. With a soft-touch ergonomic handle and a non-directional press-in lid, pouring is comfortable and spill-free.

Made from durable, pro-grade 18/8 stainless steel, it's BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and crafted to handle every adventure, from campsites to campervans.

It's not cheap, no, but this is a high quality item that will last a lifetime. I've been using it for nearly a year and it's never let me down. You will be loved forever if you buy this for someone, unless you decide that it's actually a great self-gift too (which it is).

Every outdoors enthusiast needs a good head-torch, but so many are gifted without a second thought, and many fall apart within a couple of months of use.

Not so with the BioLite Headlamp 425. This torch features a sleek, low profile design with the light unit integrated into the fabric headband and the battery pack positioned at the back for balance and stability.

Additional features include a 4-LED battery level indicator, button lock, and one hour of emergency reserve lighting in all modes.

The lamp charges via a USB-C port, supports passthru charging, and uses a non-removable 1000mAh Lithium-ion cell.

It's a great gift for the technically-minded adventurer in your life, and they'll be pleased that it only weighs 78g too, making it ideal for trail running, fast hiking, hillwalking, and backpacking.

Read our full BioLite HeadLamp 425 review

The Xero Pagosa is a beautiful shoe, and one that makes for a brilliant unisex Christmas gift for all sorts of campers (if you don't just buy a pair for yourself straight away). The Pagosa is a slipper, technically, but the supremely grippy sole, outstanding comfort and vegan wool upper makes it feel more like a soft and flexible clog.

They're certainly one of the most versatile shoes we've ever worn and feel perfectly at home in a tent, bothy, hut, or campsite as well as in your own house. They're absolutely ideal for those who own camper vans, and in fact do equally well as a shoe for surfers or swimmers when they're getting changed. We also like the fact you can wear them as a quick slip-on due to the collapsible heel, and they're also fab for driving in, post-walking boot.

Xero's schtick is that they're a barefoot-friendly brand, complete with thin soles, zero drop and wide toeboxes. So don't expect a highly cushioned sole - the 4mm removable insole does provide some comfort but the main selling point of these is that they fit your foot like a glove, moving with the natural flex of your feet.

They're also very easily packable, weighing just 138g for the women's size 37. A word of warning, however: if you're buying in the UK, order their usual size in the EU number and ignore the UK one - the sizing on Xero's website seems to be oddly calibrated.

A duffel so large you can zip a toddler in it? Yes please. The Vango Cargo 120 is by far one of the best value large duffels we've ever come across, and if you're looking for a super duper uber practical and useful gift for your native outdoor lover this season, this is it.

Its huge capacity allows gear such as ropes, harnesses, helmets and ski jackets to be stashed and stowed for week long adventures, all with a handy set of back straps and internal pockets.

The bag also comes with its own carry case for stowage when its not in use, but we've found that that doubles up well as a boot bag for muddy footwear. Wine not included here, but don't let us stop you from filling this duffel with something fun.

If you want to give the gift of a comfy night's sleep for under £100, we cannot recommend the Near Zero camping mat highly enough.

We've been using this sleeping mat for nearly a year and it's been tremendous. Near Zero is a reasonably small American outdoor brand that produces excellent value, high-performance kit that is designed to make wild camping and backpacking more accessible to more people.

Its insulated sleeping mat strikes a great balance between comfort, weight and price. It insulates well and is a good size (186cm is slightly longer than other regular-sized mats).

We liked how compact it is too, despite not being the lightest mat we've tested. So far for us it's held up well and is showing no signs of wear or tear.

Read our full Near Zero backpacking bundle review

With this Pure Woodland Glow rechargeable speaker and lantern, you not only get up to 9 hours of light, but you can also play your tunes for up to 14 hours through it via a 5.3 Bluetooth or AUX connection.

Power is supplied via a 5200mAh rechargeable battery, and it is water-resistant with an IPX6 rating. It's built from high quality materials, looks stylish, and the sound quality is pretty much top notch.

Oh, and the whole thing is entirely waterproof, allowing you to play your tunes even in the pouring rain.

This thing is indestructible. Trust us, we've tried. And for half the price of competitors like Yeti, it does the job just as well, and will make an excellent camping gift for the rugged car-camper or fishing enthusiast.

One of the things we like best about the Coleman Convoy Cooler, other than its excellent insulating capacities, is the carry-handle: made from ergonomic rope with rubberised handles, it can be swung over a shoulder and carried for at least a couple of kilometers, so you can keep your meat and drinks cool away from the road and other people.

We've also found it to be rugged enough to double up as a seat for camp, and the handy embossed ruler on the top is great for measuring fish length, should you be so lucky to catch one.

Give the gift sitting this In terms of comfort in a collapsible chair, we haven't tested anything that comes close to the Eno Lounger SL. It's been around for a few years now, so isn't in stock in as many places as it once was, but if you can get your hands on one, you won't regret it.

This low-slung chair feels more like a hammock than a seat, and in the 4 years we've been using it, it hasn't even come close to tipping over. It's lightweight and packable to the point that you won't mind carrying it short distances or stashing it in the front of something like a canoe or paddleboard, but isn't quite light enough to make it a backpacking option.

The Lounger SL is easy to set up with aluminium poles held together by a single piece of shock cord, plus it has a stretchy pocket on the right-hand side and a mesh back and seat to keep you cool. As good as it gets for a seat to relax in around a campfire.

If you really want to treat them this Christmas, then you can't do much better than a changing robe from paddle-board brand Red.

Everything from the build quality, to the fit, to the colour stood out as being top notch for me during our group test, and I've been living in this thing constantly for my campsite-based trips this year. It's the perfect layer to throw on when it starts to get chilly around the campfire

Features I love include the soft, deep-pile sherpa fleece, which kept me insanely warm after coming out of the sea, and was great for sitting around a campsite at night when the temperature plummeted to low single digits.

I also like the zip tag, which can be used easily with thick wetsuit gloves, and the drawstring hood and neck baffle, which makes keeping out the breeze, well, a breeze. 

Check out the men's version here

This is a fantastic product for the hardcore, back-to-basics camper in your life. The Bali-based brand is a World Fair Trade Organization member, and this tarp is both recycled and PFC-free.

At 250cm x 250cm, it creates a generously-sized shelter, whatever way you rig it, and the 20D nylon material is very durable and has a perfectly adequate waterproof rating of 1500mm HH. We also like that it comes with pegs and guy lines. It's ready to go.

Ticket To The Moon is a hammock specialist, and its tarps are designed to be used with them. What this means is that the Lightest Tarp, like the hammocks, needs a tree or post to rig, rather than trekking poles.

The Kinja from Swedish brand Primus is a fantastic bit of kit and would make for a stylish Christmas gift for just about any camping or camper-vanning enthusiast. It performs absolutely amazingly, with two powerful 1500w double ring burners and a clean, very scandinavian design.

We especially like the wooden handle which also locks the stove for storage. The entire thing feels beautifully designed and put together, especially the bronze regulator for the gas canister.

Additionally, the Kinja is relatively lightweight for a stove of this size and power, while staying quite compact at the same time.

It’s also one of the easiest cleanups on test. We’d recommend it for everything from car camping and campervanning through to base-camp backpacking and even just nights out at the park or at the beach.

If you really want to treat your favourite camper, buying them a lightweight backpacking tent is a sure way to their hearts.

While we've got many tried-and tested options to choose from, the affordable sub-brand of renowned Derbyshire tentmaker Terra Nova, Wild Country is known for turning out reliable tents at reasonable prices. And the Panacea 2 builds on that reputation, making it a near-perfect big Christmas gift from Santa.

This is a freestanding design that pitches outer first or all-in-one, with an external 'exoskeleton' hubbed pole system. It's quick and easy to set up yet feels very sturdy when pitched, with eight pegging points creating a wide, spider-like stance.

In really wild weather, you can also add extra stability by inserting your trekking poles into specially designed pockets in the flysheet. You also get two roomy trapezoidal-shaped porches and two doorways sensibly positioned at opposing ends so you can pick the most sheltered side to use.

Inside, there's decent headroom and a rectangular floor area with good length. Steep inner walls further improve overall liveability. Airflow is good too, thanks to four flysheet vents and twin zippered inner vents, plus mesh panels in the doors.

These do a good job of managing condensation. One surprising omission is a lack of inner storage pockets, though – there are only two, which are really only useful for stuffing the doors into.

Downsides are that at 2.85kg, it's more than double the weight of the lightest two-person tent tested here, but it can be found for under £300, which of course, is still a helluva gift, but represents great value for money.