OWAA’s staff chose some of their favorite outdoor gear to share with you in this 2023 holiday gift guide — including gear from brands who support OWAA as corporate members. This list is not sponsored, and we’ve filled it with gear that our staff have personally tested in the field and would recommend to friends and family.
These holiday gift recommendations are ideal gifts for outdoor media professionals and outdoor adventurers alike. You could also pick up some things for yourself to add to your gear closet (or gear garage).
Quick View List
- Outdoor Themed Books
- Breeo Portable Y Series Fire Pit & Accessories
- Oru Lake+ (Folding) Kayak
- Hillsound Equipment BTR Stool
- Dermatone Lip Balm
- Fin-Nor Tilloo Pure Fishing Sunglasses
- Fieldsheer Women’s Crest Heated Jacket
- Tom Beckbe Women’s Camden Quilted Jacket
- Solo Stove Pi Prime Pizza Oven
- Women’s Sitka Jetstream Vest
- Lowa Renegate GTW Mid Women’s Boots
- Free Fly Bamboo Hoodie
- Ibex Wool Aire Hoodie (Jacket)
- Uncharted Supply Co Vault Duffel Bag
- Outdoor Research Coldfront Down Jacket
- Eagle Creek Migrate 60L Bag
- RigtOnTrek Backcountry Meals
- Mpowerd Inflatable Luci Base Light
- Zenbivy Core Bed
- Tom Beckbe Canvas Backpack
Outdoor Themed Books
As professional storytellers, members of OWAA also love to read other’s stories too. These days, we’re all quite fortunate to have so many great books available literally at our fingertips. But you can narrow that field by first checking out the more than 100 guide books, instructional manuals, training guides and even works of fiction by OWAA’s own authors at Bookshop.org. Or review the wide array of outdoor offerings from our partners at Far Country Press and Mountaineers Books.
Breeo Portable Y Series Fire Pit & Accessories
The Breeo Y Series fire pit is ideal for someone who spends a lot of time camping and/or writes about camping. This fire pit is handcrafted in Pennsylvania, portable with a built in handle, has collapsible legs, designed to be used with wood, lump charcoal and pellets.
You can also find a lot of high-quality accessories for Breeo’s fire pits, like our two favorite add ons — Breeo’s Outpost Grill and Outpost Heat Deflector. You can also find inspiration on Breeo’s Instagram page where pro chefs share recipes and tips — some using Breeo’s Firemaster Seasoning Blends that make a great stocking stuffer.
Oru Lake+ Kayak
This folding “origami-style” Lake+ kayak is a great gift for outdoor photographers, avid birders and for outdoor media professionals who spend a lot of time on calm waters. This kayak easily fits into a compact car! It weighs around 18 pounds and sets up in about a minute once you get the hang of it. The adjustable backrest and custom footbar make this kayak comfortable for hours on the water.
Oru also offers high-quality kayak accessories like the Oru Gel Seat and Oru paddles. Our also offers bundles like the Lake+ Performance Bundle that includes a variety of accessories including a “backpack” style carrying case (highly recommended) that makes getting to the water even easier. With a weight limit of 250 pounds, this Lake+ kayak is durable and glides smoothly on the water.
Hillsound Equipment BTR Stool
This compact ultra lightweight stool weighs in at just 14.7 oz. for the 17″ model. It’s a great gift for anyone on your list who spends time outdoors backpacking, camping, fishing, hunting, photographing and traveling (sightseeing). The BTR stands for “Better Than a Rock” and it really is! Having a comfortable place to sit outside off the ground is a welcome bonus for outdoorsy folks. This stool can support up to 250 pounds and you can assemble it (like a tripod) in seconds.
Dermatone Lip Balm Gift Pack
Dermatone Lip balms are the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone on your list who spends time outdoors. You can get these balms in a ten pack with two of each flavor: Mango, Original, Green Tea, Coconut and Pomegranate. Each balm has sun protection, 30 SPF protecting both against UVB and UVA rays. These balms are also medicated and have a proprietary Dermatone moisturizing formula that protects against drying, chapping, wind and sun burn.
Fin-Nor Tilloo Pure Fishing Sunglasses
These sunglasses are ideal for people who do a lot of fishing. They give you good protection against sun glare out on the water. And they’re comfortable with a rubber nose pad and rubber temple pad.
Fieldsheer Women’s Crest Heated Jacket
This jacket performs well in cold weather. With a down fill core and heat in the chest, lower abdominal area and upper back, you’ll feel the warmth almost immediately after turning on the 7.4 v battery that fits in the pocket of this jacket. This jacket does run small and is fitted, so we recommend sizing up for ideal mobility.
Tom Beckbe Womens Camden Quilted Jacket
This jacket is sophisticated and functional. Constructed from a durable windproof, water-resistant synthetic shell it features an antique brass zipper and a snap placket. For photographers who bend down and move a lot in the field, the adjustable side vents are a huge bonus for mobility. The Camden jacket pairs well with Tom Beckbe’s men’s outerwear collection, like the Braddock Quilted Jacket.
Solo Stove Pi Prime Pizza Oven
For the people on your list who enjoy cooking outdoors, this outdoor pizza oven by Solo Stove is a great gift and can be used all year long. It’s also a great addition to an RV or for someone like a vlogger who lives out of their van. It’s simple to use with the ease of propane and it includes a pizza stone and a cover. This pizza oven cooks pizzas in about 90 seconds.
Solo Stove offers a lot of great pizza accessories, too, like a Pi Stainless Pizza Turnerand a Bamboo Pizza Peel. They also offer some of the most delicious frozen pizza dough — Neapolitan Dough Balls that are artisan-grade and work well with this pizza oven. (The dough is a must try!)
Womens Sitka Jetstream Vest
For women who cover hunting, this vest is one of the best softshell sleeveless jackets for stopping bone-chilling wind from getting through in the field. Sitka engineers used WINDSTOPPER by Gore-Tex Labs to help this fabric perform. It’s also extremely comfortable with a nice stretch to it and this vest repels light rain and snow.
Lowa Renegade GTX Mid Women’s Boots
For the hikers and outdoor photographers on your list, these Lowa Renegade (best selling) boots are made for rugged trail hikes and backpacking adventures. They absorb shock and rebound well and come in a number of color options. These boots go above and beyond and would exceed any seasoned hikers expectations. They’ll also last for many seasons of trekking on trails.
Free Fly Bamboo Lightweight Hoodie
For the people on your list who cover fishing or simply spend a lot of time out on the water, Free Fly offers some of the best lightweight tops. This bamboo hoodie (pullover) is available for both men and women. It’s perfect for all day on the water. And the viscose from bamboo blend in this fabric is buttery soft! This hoodie also offers UPF 20+ for light sun protection, it’s engineered with breathable fabric with anti-odor technology and has a complete neck coverage hood and thumbholes for better hand coverage.
Ibex Wool Aire Hoodie (Jacket)
This jacket is a staff top favorite! It’s lightweight, slim fitting and warm. It’s also filled with a proprietary merino wool insulation that helps regulate your body temperature. You can use this jacket as a mid layer or an outer layer for all seasons in western (colder weather) states like Montana. Since this jacket fits slimmer, we recommend sizing up one size.
Ibex’s leadership also focuses on a “Buy less. Buy better.” philosophy, which is the idea that you purchase less quantity but higher-quality gear. Ibex is also climate neutral certified and the brand’s leadership is dedicated to sustainability. 
Uncharted Supply Co The Vault 65L Duffel Bag
This is the ultimate gear bag for the people on your list covering winter sports, or any sport where you need to keep gear away from rain and snow when shelter isn’t an option. You can strap the Vault bag to a snowmobile without worrying about water seeping through. It’s a beefy dry bag that’s super high quality. The zippers are tough and you can compress it down to save space. This bag is also a favorite among survivalists.
Outdoor Research Coldfront Down Jacket
This top-selling Outdoor Research coat is warm and cozy! With 700+ (responsibly sourced) down insulation and 85% recycled VerticalX™ ECO tech in the shoulders and cuffs, this jacket is a great gift for the people in your life who spend long days outside in the snow. It fits a little oversized, so size down if you want a more snug fit. This is a wonderful gift for the media professional in your life who covers skiing. Pair this jacket with Outdoor Research Coldfront Down Mitts!
Eagle Creek Migrate 60L Bag
This Eagle Creek Migrate Duffel Bag 60L is a sustainable travel essential for outdoor media professionals — used frequently by our OWAA Executive Director. This bag is also crafted from 100% recycled materials and has a water-resistant construction. The built-in tuck-away backpack straps are a nice feature and it has a front zippered pocket, an expandable wide-mouth opening and internal storm flap for security.
RightOnTrek Backcountry Meals
For the backpackers on your list or the journalist working on a backcountry guide, these backcountry meals are a welcome indulgence outdoors. The Chicken Alfredo Pasta Meal, Cranberry and Walnut Oatmeal and the Blueberry Bliss Vanilla with Yogurt are three staff favorites. These meals are also made in small batches in Montana so they taste super fresh.
Mpowerd Inflatable Luci Base Light w/ Phone Charger
For the campers on your list, the MPowerd Luci Solar Inflatable Base Light gives off 360 lumens of warm white LED light and doubles as a mobile charging power bank — lasting up to 50 hours on a single charge. It has a strap and you can recharge it with USB or solar power.
Zenbivy Core Bed
This is another staff camping favorite for a comfortable night’s sleep in the backcountry. And it’s ideal for side sleepers! Zenbivy is known for their non-restricitve comfortable (and lightweight) outdoor sleep systems. The Zenbivy Core Bed 25 is one of their most affordable sleep systems..
Tom Beckbe Canvas Backpack
This pack is a great everyday carry bag for outdoor journalists with a 24L capacity. The waxed cotton/nylon canvas shell is weatherproof and the main compartment is spacious enough to fit a notebook, laptop (in the laptop sleeve), extra clothing layers, a camera bag, snacks and more. This backpack is also very comfortable to carry with adjustable padded shoulder straps and a padded mesh back. With a polished and rugged look, this bag fits Tom Beckbe’s overall aesthetic and lives up to the quality you’d expect from Tom Beckbe.
