20 Practical Outdoor Gifts for Men This Holiday Season

Most outdoorsmen probably have a dedicated drawer where they stash all the multitools and kitschy gifts they've received from well-meaning loved ones over the years. This year, we're helping you give the men in your life outdoor gifts that are actually useful and meaningful.

If your dad refused to admit he was a little too cold while camping this fall, treat him to a warm, military-style blanket made out of soft virgin wool. And if your husband complains that his favorite duck hunting shotgun isn't ejecting shells correctly (because you know it's perpetually caked in mud), maybe he'd appreciate a compact, travel-friendly cleaning kit to keep in his truck.

This holiday season, let's give back to the outdoorsy men we love by making their lives a little easier. Take a look at these cool gift ideas for every outdoorsman.

1. A Highly Packable, Ultralight Fishing Rod

Dudes who love to keep their fishing gear at the ready will love Tenkara Rod Co's Beartooth fishing rod. Tenkara fishing is very similar to fly fishing, but this fishing technique doesn't use a reel. This telescoping rod packs down to just 14 inches long and weighs a mere 2.3 ounces. As a result, tenkara rods are highly packable and fit in any backpack or glove box. The outdoorsy dude in your life will love catching fish on this fast-action, ultralight rod.

2. A Hat to Wear on Adventures or on the Town

Snapbacks with accent ropes are all the rage right now. If you know a cool guy who loves to look hunter-casual in the duck blind and out on the town, pick him up a Duck Camp Mallard Hat. Even nonhunters can recognize and appreciate a greenhead, especially if they're into birding. The best part about this hat is that the embroidery looks super realistic, not silly and borderline cartoony like other wildlife-centric hats.

3. A Handy Hatchet With Waterproof Storage

Hatchets are excellent survival tools that every outdoorsman should keep in his truck or strapped to his pack. Gerber's Bushcraft Hatchet is a lightweight, multipurpose hatchet that does more than just split kindling at a great price—it also features a hammer and a waterproof storage compartment that comes with a paracord and fits a mini lighter or other fire starting supplies inside. Weighing only 2.4 pounds and measuring just over 15 inches, this little 5-inch-blade hatchet isn't too big to tote around or too light to not be effective.

4. The Best Camping Chair for Two

It's tricky to fit a dad and a kid (or two) all in one camp chair. Thankfully, Kelty is here to help. Kelty's Low Loveseat Camp Chair easily fits two adults and holds up to 400 pounds. Its low height means it's easy for little ones (or their pup) to climb into. Plus, its carrying case is padded and can be turned into a comfy dog bed or a safe place for your kiddos to sit or play.

5. A Heated Work Jacket

Not every outdoorsman likes to admit that he gets a little chilly sometimes—and as a result, he might not openly ask for heated gear. However, if you know that your husband can get cold when he's down in the shop or during early mornings in the treestand, snag him one of Gobi Heat's heated workwear jackets this winter. Available in sizes small through 4XL, this jacket features low, medium, and high heat levels, and the removable battery lasts for nine hours. The best part? It's machine-washable!

6. A Portable, Smokeless Fire Pit

It's one thing to have a bonfire in your backyard. It's another thing to pick up your fire pit and take it to the beach, a campsite, your buddy's house, or even your deck. The Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 stove is a portable, smokeless fire pit that turns any outdoor location into a warm and cozy hangout spot. The removable ash pan makes cleanup easy. Plus, Solo Stove offers tons of attachments for the Bonfire, including a heat deflector, a tabletop that surrounds it, and more.

7. A Tool That Can Sharpen Every Other Tool

Sharp tools are important for any outdoorsman. The problem: Hunting, filet, and pocket knives—and even ax heads and serrated blades—all inevitably become dull over time. Enter the Ken Onion Edition of Work Sharp's knife and tool sharpener. This electric tool can sharpen just about everything. It'll make your boyfriend's favorite hunting knife like new after he skins his elk this year. Your grandpa's old hatchet may have seen better days, but your brother can sharpen it up with this tool's sanding belts.

8. A Leather Dog Collar for His Best Friend

Any dog-owning dude wants the best for their pup, especially if they regularly go on outdoor adventures together. Whiskey Leatherworks' dog collars are not only high-quality, durable leather dog collars made in the USA, they also feature gorgeous patterns found in nature. The designs include brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout, tarpon, bass, striped bass, redfish, and ruffed grouse. They even make matching leashes!

9. A High-Quality Backpack Cooler

From hardcore elk hunters to leisurely hammock loungers, every type of outdoorsman appreciates a cold beverage out in nature. It's even better when he can carry his cooler on his back instead of toting around a hard, cumbersome box. That's where the Yeti Hopper M12 Soft Backpack Cooler with reinforced straps comes in. One of the coolest parts is that the top closure is sealed with magnets instead of an awkward, chunky zipper. Now, your favorite outdoorsman can bring his preferred beverages and cold snacks into the backcountry and, hopefully, share them with you.

10. An Incredibly Warm Wool Camping Blanket

Wool is one of the absolute best materials that outdoor gear can be made from. It holds heat and, unlike cotton, continues to keep you warm even if it gets wet. Any guy who sleeps in his truck, tent, or camper—or wants to be extra cozy around the fire—would love Arcturus' Backwoods Wool Blanket. Weighing 4.5 pounds, this heavy-duty 80% virgin wool blanket isn't messing around. Not only do these blankets have a lovely classic look, they're fire-resistant, machine-washable, and built to last a lifetime.

11. A Do-It-All Gun Cleaning Kit

If you're shopping for your hunting buddy whose guns are always caked in mud, look no further than the Otis Elite Universal Gun Cleaning Kit. This kit has the equipment necessary for cleaning 16 different calibers and gauges of guns ranging from the classic .22 to the culty 28-gauge and everything in between. In addition to the specifically sized bore brushes, it comes with cotton patches, cleaning cables, and lubricant. It also includes obstruction removers that help dig out snow and mud.

12. A Canvas Tent That's Built to Last a Lifetime

To be frank, thin and flimsy tents should be a thing of the past. Men who love to take their families camping or host hunt camp with their buddies deserve to upgrade to a heavy-duty canvas tent. White Duck Outdoors' Avalon Bell Tent, made from a water-repellant canvas, is a great option that fits everyone and only uses two poles, which makes setup and takedown super simple. The Avalon is also wood stove-compatible, so this tent will keep you warm and dry in any weather or season. This may be a splurge, but the outdoorsman who receives it will never need to buy another tent again.

13. Exceptional Lightweight Binoculars

For outdoorsy dudes who hunt, bird, or get bored easily on camping trips, a great pair of binoculars can be invaluable. The exceptional quality of the Maven Optics C1 12x42 comes at a fraction of competitor's prices. Clunky, blurry, foggy binos are the worst—so rest assured this option is both ultra clear and crisp, and it's lightweight at just 24 ounces. As a bonus, Maven even offers a lifetime warranty in case someone gets rough with its gear.

14. The Best Outdoor Kitchen for the Camp Cook

If your dad or husband is always the one managing the Coleman grill on an old picnic table—haphazardly managing all of his supplies in grocery bags or plastic tubs—he deserves to be treated to the best camp kitchen there is: the SylvanSport Dine O Max. It features bamboo work surfaces you can safely put a camp stove on, shelves with zippered covers that act as a pantry or a storage area, a trash bag holder, and more. The best part is that it packs down into a compact carrying case that is easily transported in a truck bed or SUV.

15. A Two-Person Sleeping Bag With Built-In Blankets

Mummy-style sleeping bags just don't cut it sometimes. It's hard to get into a comfortable sleeping position, and you definitely can't fit two people in them. If you and your partner want to snuggle in the tent, or you're shopping for a larger man, check out Kelty's Tru.Comfort Doublewide 20 sleeping bag. I personally sleep in this one, as I enjoy having a little extra space—plus, it has built-in blankets!

16. Rugged Walkie Talkies So He Can Find You

Hikers, bikers, trail runners, hunters, anglers, climbers, skiers, and more would love to be gifted a set of Rocky Talkies this year—the most durable radios you can buy. They're splashproof, snowproof, shatterproof, and impact-resistant; and the lightweight carabiner leash they come with easily clips onto backpacks, chest harnesses, and belt loops. They work up to 35 miles away via line of sight and up to 5 miles away in forested or mountainous areas. And the rechargeable batteries last up to four days, even in the cold. The peace of mind these radios offer makes them worth every penny.

17. A Pellet Grill For Cooking Wild Game

If the man in your life is always inviting you to his barbecues, give the gift of a grill upgrade. The Camp Chef Woodwind Pro pellet grill uses both a wood pellet hopper and a smoke box, which means your favorite grillmaster can use wood pellets, chips, chunks, and even charcoal to cook burgers, steaks, wild game, and more. Just be sure you gift this with a clear expectation of dinner invites to come.

18. The Best Socks an Outdoorsman Can Get

Get the guy you know has more than one hole in his socks a pair of Darn Tough Men's Hiker Micro Crew hiking socks. Darn Tough makes an incredibly resilient and comfortable hiking sock that can carry them through the woods and keep them cozy on the couch. Plus, they come in a bunch of different colors and styles. Trust us: Socks aren't a lame gift when you go for the good stuff.

19. A Tough Smart Watch That Withstands the Elements

Is your guy obsessed with their smartwatch? They'll be thrilled to upgrade to the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar, which goes above and beyond others on the market. Not only is it water-, shock-, and heat-resistant, it's also got a built-in GPS system that tracks you no matter what type of adventure you're on. Its Bluetooth capability connects to the Garmin Connect app for your phone, Garmin InReaches, and other Garmin GPS systems (including dog e-collars). It does all that while tracking health data such as sleeping patterns, heart rate, steps, and more.

20. The Best Camping Shower

Does the outdoorsman in your life smell a little ripe after just a day spent outside? To help fight the stench, give him the gift of the best portable camping shower out there: Nemo Helio Pressure Camp Shower. It doesn't need to be hung awkwardly in a tree to work. Instead, it sits on the ground, and you use a foot pedal to pump the water up the hose. It only needs to be pumped a couple times to run for seven continuous minutes, so it's super simple to take a hands-free outdoor shower after a day working up a sweat.

READ MORE: The Best Fishing Gifts of 2023, According to Real Anglers