Last Updated: Oct 18, 2023
Do you have an outdoorsy teen in your life who needs a gift for a birthday, Christmas, or just ‘cause?
Maybe they love camping, hiking, fishing, or rock climbing.
Or maybe your teen just loves to spend time outside at any chance they can get.
Whatever activity they’re into, it can be hard to find the perfect outdoor gift that you know your teen will love.
But fret no further, I’ve created this gift guide of over 30 gifts. I’ve got everything on here from camping journals to a fancy paddleboard.
So, whatever you’re looking for, there’s definitely something here your teen will get some great use out of.
Here’s how I’ve organized this guide in case you’d like to skip ahead to any specific section.
- Gift Ideas for Teens Who Love to Hike
- Camping Essential Outdoor Gifts for Teens
- Educational Gifts for Outdoorsy Teens
- Practical Outdoor Gift Ideas for Teens
- Fun Outdoor Gift Ideas for Teens
- Best Outdoor Gifts for Teens Under $50
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Table of Contents
5 Outdoor Gift Ideas for Teens Who Love to Hike
Hiking is such a fun and rewarding outdoor activity, but it does require more gear than you might think.
These gifts are perfect for making hiking excursions more fun, convenient, and/or comfortable for your teen.
Overnight Hiking Youth Pack
- Why it’s a great gift: Comfortable and well-sized backpack for day hiking or overnights
This backpack from Gregory Mountain Products is made for either a long day hike, or an overnight.
It has fully adjustable straps for growing teens, and tons of pockets and pouches to keep your teen organized. This bag comes in a 40L and 70L version, depending on how much this bag needs to be able to carry. Any teen who loves to hike absolutely needs a nice, comfortable backpack, and this one is my favorite.
And shop for more backpacks here: 15 Best Hiking Backpacks for Kids, Toddlers, and Teens
Solo Stove Lite Backpacking Stove
- Why it’s a great gift: No propane needed for this perfect overnight backpacking stove
The Solo Stove Lite is the best wood-burning backpacking stove on the market. It weighs just 9 ounces and packs up super small in the included carrying bag.
Plus, your teen won’t have to worry about lugging around propane canisters since the Solo Stove Lite is a wood-burning stove. This tiny stove is perfect for heating up MREs, or even hot dogs and marshmallows while on the trail.
And read my full review for more info on this awesome little stove.
Cook Set
- Why it’s a great gift: Lightweight cook set for hiking and backpacking
Along with the Solo Stove Lite, a cook set is one of the best gifts you can give to a teen who loves hiking and backpacking.
It comes with a stainless steel cooking bowl, which can be placed on top of a backpacking stove to cook soup, pasta, or MREs. It’s also great for just making coffee or tea. Two cups are included for serving.
Check the price on Amazon here.
Hiking Socks
- Why it’s a great gift: Hiking essential that every outdoorsy teen needs
Hiking socks aren’t a boring gift. For teens who love to hike, they’re super useful and absolutely necessary! These merino wool socks come in a pack of three. They’re heavy-duty and very warm but still breathable. Plus, the sizing is unisex so they’re perfect for teen boys or teen girls.
Packable Puffer Jacket
- Why it’s a great gift: small and packable layer for hiking and backpacking adventures
Hiking in variable weather means you absolutely need to bring extra layers. Even when summer hiking, temps can really drop at night. These Amazon Essentials puffer jackets pack down tiny into their included carrying bag. They come in tons of colors and Amazon offers the same jacket in lots of sizing for men and women.
Check the current price and color selection here.
Smartwatch
- Why it’s a great gift: Teens can easily track fitness and heartrate during outdoor activities
This Hengto Smartwatch tracks steps, heart rate, and sleep and can connect to any smartphone. It’s waterproof, so it’s perfect for outdoor activities, from swimming to hiking in the rain. It comes in four different colors and it’s perfect for teen boys or teen girls who love to stay active.
Check the current price and color options here.
6 Camping Essential Outdoor Gifts for Teens
Whether you bring your teen on family camping trips or they like to go out on their own, these six gifts are all essentials for their next camping trip.
In fact, purchasing all six together would be the ultimate camping starter pack for your teen.
Hammock
- Why it’s a great gift for teens: It’s a teen camping essential to hang out and relax in a hammock.
These Wise Owl hammocks are a perfect camping must-have for any teen. They come in tons of colors and have included carabiners and straps.
Anywhere there are two trees is now a place for instant relaxation if your teen has a hammock.
Check the price and color variations here.
Camping Pillow
- Why it’s a great outdoor gift: Tiny but comfortable pillow for any camping trip
The pillows we use at home are often just way too big to bring along on a camping trip.
This one from Therm-a-Rest is super comfortable but very compact. It’s great for camping and small enough for backpacking.
Check the price on Amazon here.
And read about more pillow options in my article here: 10 Best Camping Pillows for RVing, Backpacking & Tenting
Tent
- Why it’s a great gift: Simple and easy-to-set-up tent for any camping trip
Giving your teen the gift of their own personal tent gives them the freedom to head out on camping trips of their own. This two-person tent from Coleman packs up small and is really easy to set up. Plus it’s a great price.
Sleeping Bag
- Why it’s a great gift: Large waterproof bag for any season
If your teen’s going to do any camping, they’ll need a nice sleeping bag.
This Tuphen brand sleeping bag has a warm microfiber lining and is waterproof. It also unzips all the way and can be used as a blanket.
My favorite part is all the different colors it comes in so you can get personalized sleeping bags for your teen boy or teen girl.
Check the price on Amazon here.
See also: 11 Best Warm Weather Sleeping Bags
Camp Chair
- Why it’s a great gift: Comfortable camping must-have with tons of color options
Having a comfy seat by the firepit is one of the great joys of a camping trip. Give that gift to your teen with this comfy Kijaro chair that packs up small and offers two cupholders. It comes in TWELVE color options so there’s more than plenty to choose from.
Check the price on Amazon here
For chairs for younger kids, check here: The 15 BEST Kids Camping Chairs (Babies and Toddlers Too!)
Camping Blanket
- Why it’s a great outdoor gift: Perfect multi-use camping item any teen will love
Camping blankets are great for sitting around the fire, lounging in the grass, or adding extra warmth in a tent. These blankets from Rumpl are down-alternative insulated so they’re warm but pack super small and light. Plus they come in some really great color options.
Check their current price here.
And for way more blanket options, check here: The 15 Best Camping Blankets for Staying Toasty Cozy Warm
4 Educational Gifts for Outdoorsy Teens
If your teen is into nature and science, they’ll really appreciate any of these four gifts which can help them enjoy the outdoors that much more.
Binoculars
Why it’s a great gift for teens: Birdwatching must-have that’s great for hiking
Even if your teen isn’t the most avid birder, binoculars are awesome to pack along on long hikes.
They’re also nice for spotting bigger critters or just taking in the view.
Wildflower Identification Pocket Guide
- Why it’s a great gift: This pocket guide covers most flowers you’d see around a campsite or while hiking
A flower identification book isn’t just educational, it’s also really fun to use. Once your teen sees the flower a few times, they’ll be able to call it out by name without looking in the book.
Check the price on Amazon.
Field Notebook
Why it’s a great outdoor gift: Teens can keep track of field observations while hiking or camping
These field books are great for teens who love nature and science. They can keep notes on what they see on a hike or journal about all their outdoor adventures.
And for younger kids, check out my printable kids camp journal here: Easy and Cute Kids Camp Journal Printable [Printable PDF]!
E-Reader
- Why it’s a great gift: Stores hundreds of books and has a glare-free screen for reading outdoors
Any teen who loves to read will appreciate a Kindle or other e-reader. They can store hundreds of books and the battery lasts more than long enough for a weekend camping trip. Plus–they’re basically made for outdoor reading.
Check the 2023 current price on Kindle here.
5 Practical Outdoor Gift Ideas for Teens
Practical gifts aren’t boring, they’re necessary!
Buying your teen any of these five practical gifts means they’ll get tons of use out of them.
First Aid Kit
- Why it’s a great gift: Safety must-have for all outdoor activities
Doing outdoor activities without a safety kit is just, well, unsafe! This first aid kit comes with 298 pieces for all sorts of cuts, scrapes, and bruises. Plus, it’ll give you some peace of mind to know your teen is carrying all the first aid gear they need.
All-In-One Survival Tool
- Why it’s a great gift: 5-in-1 survival kit that’s great for hiking and backpacking
Any teen who loves to adventure into the wilderness will appreciate this all-in-one survival tool.
It’s a 5-in-1 tool with a compass, paracord, whistle, and it’s a Ferro rod for starting fires. This is a better gift for older kids (maybe not the younger ones).
Check the price and color options here.
Solar Power Bank
- Why it’s a great gift: Teens can charge their devices outdoors–no outlets necessary
This 36800 mAh solar power bank will give your teen the freedom to not worry about their phone dying while on long hikes or camping trips. It can be charged via an AC outlet before a trip, and then placed in the sun to maintain the charge.
Check the current price on Amazon here
Headlamp
- Why it’s a great gift: Inexpensive camping must-have
Camping without a headlamp is much more difficult than camping with one. They’re great for walking around the campsite at night, cooking on the grill, or lighting up a tent.
This inexpensive gift will be used a ton by your teen on any nighttime outdoor activity. This one has five different settings and uses just 3 AA batteries.
Check the price on Amazon here.
Camping Dish Set
- Why it’s a great gift: Lightweight all-you-need dish set for camping and backpacking
This dish set comes with a plate, bowl, spoon, fork, knife, and cup. It all fits nicely inside the plate/bowl, and the fork and spoon clip together to make an extended fork. This 6-piece set is really all your teen needs for dining at the campsite. It comes in blue, orange, and gray.
7 Fun Outdoor Gift Ideas for Teens
Okay, now for the fun stuff.
All these gifts are great for any outdoorsy teen who loves to have a great time and stay active outside.
Spikeball Set
- Why it’s a great outdoor gift for teens: Instant outdoor fun anywhere you are
Spikeball is all the rage these days. And even if your teen has never played, it’s super easy to learn. The great outdoor game is designed for 4 players but can be played with 2 and up to 6.
This set right from the Spikeball company comes with everything you need to play Spikeball instantly. It packs down super small and can be brought on trips to the park, the beach, or on a camping trip.
Check the current price on Amazon here.
Backpacker Guitar
Why it’s a great gift: Easy and portable music for musicians and non-musicians alike
Whether your teen plays guitar like a pro or they just love music, they’ll love this backpacker guitar from Martin.
It’s designed for travel so it’s very small and lightweight, and very durable. And even though it’s small, it sounds amazing. It’s also very easy to play so it’s great for new learners. Your teen will be playing all the greatest campfire song hits in no time.
Check the current price of this Martin & Co. guitar here.
Slackline Kit
- Why it’s a great gift: Outdoor fun for anywhere between two trees
Just like Spikeball, slacklining is a very popular activity for outdoorsy teens these days.
It’s kinda like walking on a tightrope–you secure each side of the line to a tree, ratchet it tight, and then try to keep balance while walking across. Even if your teen has never tried Slacklining before they’ll definitely have some fun with this kit. And don’t worry–it’s a very safe activity since the bottom line is usually just a couple of feet off the ground.
Pogo Stick
- Why it’s a great gift: Helps your teen burn off energy and have fun outdoors
Younger teens will have tons of fun with a pogo stick. They’re a fun activity your teen can do by themselves at home, or on whatever outdoor excursion they’re on, like camping or staying at a lake house. These pogo sticks are designed for older kids and younger teens. They’re pretty safe and come in lots of fun colors.
Check out those color options and prices here.
Paddleboard
- Why it’s a great gift: Fun and exciting water activity for teens
Paddleboarding is definitely my favorite water activity, and your teen will love it too. This inflatable paddleboard from Amazon can provide your teen with hours of outdoor fun. And while you’re at it, why not get each member of the family their own?
Check the current price here.
Walkie Talkies
Source: amazon.com
- Why it’s a great gift: Fun outdoor communication–no phones necessary
Walkie-Talkies may not seem like the most obvious fun gift for a teenager.
But believe me, these walkie-talkies will get tons of use from any teen.
They’re great for playing around in the woods, or just communicating at a campsite if the cell reception isn’t great.
Plus, these have a range of about 36 miles (if the conditions are right).
Check the price on Amazon here.
Corn Hole
- Why it’s a great gift: Portable fun for any outdoor space
This collapsible corn hole set is a lawn game that makes for an awesome gift for any teen. It’s a great version of this classic yard game.
Set it up outside in the backyard, at a campsite, or at the beach.
This outdoor game has enough bean bags for up to 8 players and folds down into the included carrying case.
Check the current price here.
4 Best Outdoor Gifts for Teens Under $50
If you’re on a budget, no worries!
There are plenty of great outdoor gifts for teens out there that are very affordable and will be just as appreciated as some pricier gifts.
Sunglasses
- Why they’re a great gift: Recycled sunglasses for any outdoor activity
These Sunski sunglasses are the perfect gift for any outdoor-loving teen. They’re comfortable, durable, and lightweight. Plus, the frames are made with recycled plastic, and the packaging comes with zero single-use plastic. They currently offer a bunch of different colors and styles perfect for any teenage boy or girl.
Check them out here.
And read my full review too! Sunski Sunglasses Review (Reasonable $ and Sustainable for the Outdoor Lover)
Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
- Why it’s a great gift: Great sounding music on the go
Any teen will get tons of use out of a Bluetooth speaker. And any teen who loves the outdoors needs a speaker that is both portable and waterproof.
This inexpensive speaker from JBL is both of those things! It’s tiny and fits in the palm of your hand. And it’s rated IPX7 waterproof, which means it’s been tested and can withstand being submerged in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. It has 5 whole hours of playtime on a full charge and it sounds amazing!
Check the current price on Amazon.
Waterbottle
Source: amazon.com
- Why it’s a great gift: Keeps water cold all day on outdoor excursions
A really nice water bottle is a perfect go-to gift for any teen who loves the outdoors.
This vacuum-insulated water bottle from Iron Flask keeps water cold for 24 hours, so you never have to worry about taking a sip of lukewarm water while enjoying time outside. It comes in tons of different fun colors and sizes from 14 to 64 ounces. Each Iron Flask comes with a straw lid, screw lid, and hot beverage lid for a variety of ways to drink.
Check the price and color options here.
Waterproof Camera
Source: amazon.com
- Why it’s a great gift: Snap film photos outdoors without worrying about damaging a phone or nice camera
This Fujifilm waterproof disposable film camera is an awesome throwback to the days of disposable cameras. These are super fun to bring along on camping trips and summer camps.
Your teen can take 27 photos on this waterproof camera and then get to have the enjoyment of seeing all the photos printed out once the film gets developed.
Check the price on this camera here.
Which Gift Will You Choose for Your Favorite Outdoorsy Teen?
Maybe you’ll opt to get your teen a cool pair of sunnies for their next camping trip.
Or, maybe you’ll go big and buy paddleboards for your teen, and every other member of your family.
Whether you go big or small, your outdoorsy teen will love any item on this list.
If you need more gift ideas, check out some of my other gift list articles:
- 48 Top UNIQUE Camping Gifts for Campers & Hikers
- 29 Best Camp Coffee Mugs + Gifts for Camp Lovers!
- 23 Gifts for RV Owners (2022) No Fluff, Just Great Gift Ideas
- Solar Eclipse 2024 Kids Printable Activity Pack! - April 8, 2024
- 11 RV Bathroom Makeovers to Inspire You! - April 7, 2024
- 13 Dreamy Hammock Camping Set Up Ideas + Pics - February 22, 2024
