Adventure-worthy gift ideas for the outdoorsy folks in your life

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A tent is in our Gift Guide 2017 roundup of best outdoor gear.
They're probably going to want a tent.
Photo: Chad McDonald/Flickr CC

2017 Gift Guide outdoor gear Gear-shopping for your favorite outdoors-loving friends and family members can be as daunting as trekking up Mount St. Helens as she’s about to blow. There are so many options — and so much crap! Nobody wants to waste money on a gift that’s not going to get used.

To help you out with your holiday shopping, we waded through the endless lists of camping and hiking gear and gadgets that came out in 2017. The goal? To find the perfect stuff your special someone will love.

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Best outdoor gear 2017

Whether you’re looking for something for an adventuring buddy, or picking a present for someone you’d never want to be trapped in a tent with, we’ve found gifts for everyone. From hiking clothes to campsite gadgets, we’ve got you covered.

Patagonia MicroPuff hoody

Best outdoor gear 2017: Patagonia MicroPuff hoody
So light you can barely tell you’re wearing it.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Patagonia makes some of the best and most durable outdoor clothes on the market. For 2017, the company busted out its most innovative jacket yet: the MicroPuff hoody. The lightest jacket from Patagonia, it’s stuffed with PlumaFill synthetic insulation that makes it the best warmth-to-weight coat you can buy. And you can stuff the entire jacket into its front pocket, making it easy to bring on trips even when you’re not sure you’ll need it.

Buy from: Amazon

BioLite Base Lantern

Best outdoor gear 2017: Biolite Base Lantern
The light changes to your music.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Gas lanterns seem so old-school now that BioLite introduced the BaseLantern. The thing emits 500 lumens of light. You can change the color to set your mood, or link the BaseLantern to your iPhone and have it change to the rhythm of the music you’re listening to. During the daytime (when you typically don’t need a lantern), it doubles as a 7800mAh battery pack to recharge your iPhones via two USB ports.

Buy from: Amazon

GoPro Hero6

Best outdoor gear 2017: GoPro Hero6 action-sports camera
Just tap on the screen to zoom.
Photo: GoPro

The best action-sports camera in the game got a huge upgrade this year. The GoPro Hero6 adds 4K 60fps video, allowing creators to capture beautiful slo-mo footage using an incredibly tiny camera. We were blown away by the photo and video quality on the Hero6. It’s leaps and bounds better than the Hero5, thanks to a new GP1 chip that makes videos look richer and more vibrant than ever. It also comes with advanced video stabilization built in, so you don’t even need a gimbal to get great shots.

Buy from: Amazon

Yeti Tundra 45 cooler

Best outdoor gear 2017: Yeti Tundra 45 cooler
Yeti’s coolers are armored to the core.
Photo: Britt Lichty/Cult of Mac

Nowadays it seems like getting a Yeti cooler is a sign that you are a legit outdoors person. It’s not hard to see why, either. Yeti’s Tundra 45 cooler is the perfect combination of durability and versatility. Thanks to its 3-inch thick walls of insulation, the cooler will keep your foods cold and fresh, allowing you to spend more time outside. It comes with a five-year warranty, too, so you can beat it up as much as you want.

Buy from: Amazon

Forsake Phil Chukka

Best outdoor gear 2017: Forsake Phil Chukka
To be worn on the trails or city streets.
Photo: Forsake

Finding a hiking shoe that looks as good on the streets as it does the trail is usually an impossible task, but the folks at Forsake managed to pull it off with their Phil Chukka boot. The sneakerboot is made with genuine leather and features a water-resistant upper. Plus, its Peak-to-Pavement soles make it comfortable to wear anywhere adventure takes you.

Buy from: Amazon

Kitsbow Merino AM hoodie

Best outdoor gear 2017: Kitsbow Merino AM hoodie
The most comfy hoody I’ve ever worn.
Photo: Kitsbow

Even though Kitsbow’s Merino AM hoodie is specifically designed for mountain bike riding, you’ll love it no matter what activity you wear it for. Made of Merino wool, the hoodie feels super-soft on the inside. And yet’s it’s trail-durable on the outside, with elbow/arm patches for extra protection. Thumb holes prove especially convenient when you’re layering it with other jackets, and it’s so stylish you won’t look like a dork wearing it around town.

Buy from: Kitsbow — $195

OneWheel+ electric skateboard

Best outdoor gear 2017: Onewheel+
Onewheel+ can take you wherever adventure calls.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Hands down, the coolest toy I tried in 2017 was the OneWheel+. It rides like a dream, giving you the feeling of snowboarding year-round. You simply lean the direction you want to go, thanks to pressure pads on both sides of the OneWheel+. Other electric skateboards can go a bit faster, but no board lets you go on any terrain like this one. It’s shockingly easy to get used to riding. The battery lasts between five and eight miles, and fully recharges in just 20 minutes so you can get in another session quick.

Buy from: Onewheel — $1,499

Hoka Instict 2 trail running shoes

Best outdoor gear 2017: Hoka Instict 2 trail running shoes
The Instinct 2 offers a lot of cushion and durability.
Photo: Hoka

I’m usually not a fan of Hoka because the company puts insanely thick soles on its shoes. With the Instinct 2 training shoe, though, the company finally took a moderate approach and made a great trail runner that’s nimble, responsive and also feels great. The shoe uses Hoka’s PRO2Lite technology to offer a more cushioned heel and more responsive forefoot. That means you can race up mountains (and fly down them). It’s one of our favorite trail shoes of 2017.

Buy from: Amazon

Parrot Bebop 2 drone

Best outdoor gear 2017: Parrot Bebop 2 drone
The Bebop 2 is the perfect starter drone.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Looking to get into droning but don’t wanna splurge on an expensive drone you’ll likely crash? Parrot’s Bebop 2 FPV pack is the perfect starter kit for aspiring drones. We tested the Bebop 2 for a few weeks and loved how easy it is to fly. It has a 1.2 mile range, shoots HD video and captures 14MP photos. Battery life on a single battery clocks in at 25 min making it one of the longest flying drones available. It also comes with some intelligent flight modes making it easier to capture killer footy.

Buy from: Amazon

Sierra Designs Backcountry bed

Best outdoor gear 2017: Sierra Designs
This is unlike any sleeping bag you’ve tried.
Photo: Sierra Designs

If you’re still sleeping in a mummy bag, you’re doing camping all wrong. Sierra Designs’ Backcountry bed is the most comfortable sleep you can get from a sleeping bag. Instead of wrapping you tight like most sleeping bags, it works more like a comforter to wrap around your body in any position you want. Just put your sleeping pad in the bottom and you’ve instantly got a plush bed for the outdoors.

Buy from: Amazon

Big Agnes Copper Hotel tent

Best outdoor gear 2017: Big Agnes Copper Hotel tent
Camp in style with Big Agnes’ Copper Hotel.
Photo: Big Agnes

Getting outside a lot means you’re going to need a really good tent. Big Agnes’ Copper Hotel is the ultimate two-man tent, whether you’re car camping or trekking through the mountains for a few days. It features two pole-supported vestibules. One offers 9 square feet of storage space for your gear, while the second gives you 29 square feet of interior space. Thanks to the pole design, the Copper Hotel possesses steeper walls than most tents. So it feels roomy for a two-person design. The best thing? The entire tent packs down small and weighs a little more than 3 pounds.

Buy from: Amazon

Helinox Chair Two rocking camp chair

Best outdoor gear 2017: Helinox Chair Two rocking camp chair
Chair Two Rocker packs removable rocking feet, giving you the choice to rock out or not.
Photo: Britt Lichty/Cult of Mac

Get ready to unwind from your adventures in comfort with Helinox’s Chair Two rocking camp chair. The premium build quality is super-durable and strong enough to support up to 320 pounds. The entire chair packs down into a compact carrying case. And if you don’t like the rocking legs, you can make it a regular chair.

Buy from: Amazon

goTenna Mesh

Best outdoor gear 2017: GoTenna
Stay connected no matter where you go.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Exploring the outdoors usually means going without cell service for a day or two, but with goTenna’s Mesh devices you can stay connected with your adventure buddies. Perfect for outdoor events, goTenna Mesh gives you text and GPS capabilities, no cell service required. Just connect your goTenna to your iPhone and it will relay your texts to other goTenna users in your mesh network. Battery life extends to a full 24 hours. The range on the device goes up to 4 miles.

Buy from: Amazon

Yakima Showcase 20 cargo box

Best outdoor gear 2017: Yakima Showcase 20 cargo box
The Showcase 20 lets you bring more gear than you normally could.
Photo: Yakima

You’re probably going to need a place to store all this gear on road trips. Look no further than Yakima’s Showcase 20 cargo box. The Showcase 20 features a sleek design while offering 20 cubic feet of gear-swallowing space. The dual-sided opening allows you to get to your stuff from either side of your car. Plus, the Showcase 20 packs SKS locks to keep your gear secure when you don’t need it.

Buy from: Amazon

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