As Americans and outdoors lovers, we are often trapped between a rock and a hard place when it comes to gift-giving. We want to purchase great hunting, fishing, and outdoors gear for ourselves and our families. But we're also aware that blatant consumerism and a lack of sustainable goods hurts the planet and the wilds we love.
That makes environmentally conscious gift-giving all the more important this year. The good news is that many brands and products out there give back to the environment. As a rule, look for companies that participate in the 1% for the Planet initiative. Others get a little more creative with their giving. Here are our favorite gifts for ourselves and others this season that give back to the planet.
Charitable Outdoors Organizations
The most direct way to give back is to provide a donation as a gift, in the name of a friend, family member, or yourself. There are wonderful non-profit organizations across the country, big and small, and you should certainly explore local options or ones that directly affect you and your loved ones.
Need a few starter ideas? These are our favorites:
National Parks Foundation
National Parks Foundation, RomanKhomlyak
The National Park Service's official charity foundation steers funds to where they're needed most among our parks. That's key to keeping your favorite places open and conserved. And during the year-end season, all gifts up to $400,000 are matched.
American Rivers
American Rivers
This foundation aims to protect our freshwater rivers. Successes this year include removing dams to improve salmon and trout habitats, aiding the process of a "simulated flood" through the Colorado River for habitat restoration, and promoting clean-water bills in Congress.
Trout Unlimited
Trout Unlimited
You don't have to be a trout angler to know about this top-tier organization, one of the largest and most active conservation groups in the country. The connection between fishing, conservation, and community makes this a great group for all anglers and beyond.
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Ryan Busse
Working on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife, this organization ensures that people who love the backcountry and the wilderness—and the widespread access to both—can continue to hunt and fish those lands and their thriving game for decades to come.
Brands That Give Back When You Buy
Not all give-back brands are not-for-profit. You can do right—or at least, better than otherwise—by purchasing from a number of outdoor brands that work toward sustainability efforts or give partial percentage of profits back to outdoors charities. Here are some of our favorites for gifts.
Simms
Darcy Baka, Simms
One of America's finest makers of waders and fishing wear is also philanthropically involved in giving back to groups supporting conservation and healthy and sustainable fisheries. It frequently has give-back campaigns for online sales and funds NGO (non-governmental organization) partners via a 1% contribution of sales at no cost to buyers. Those 1% funds go toward initiatives such as Trout Unlimited's Gallatin Home Rivers and Montana Freshwater Partner's Give Back to the Yellowstone efforts.
GORUCK
GORUCK
This veteran-owned brand makes incredible, military-grade packs and products. When you buy from it, you're not just getting a great gift. The company shares a percentage of profits with non-profit partners that serve the military and offer discounts for military members past and present.
Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a world leader when it comes to companies that give back. It has long participated in 1% for the Planet, a program that's donated over $530 million to eco-conscious organizations, along with other give-back efforts. In 2022, founder and owner Yvon Chouinard sold the company—valued at about $3 billion—to a specially designed trust and a nonprofit organization. "Hopefully this will influence a new form of capitalism that doesn't end up with a few rich people and a bunch of poor people," Chouinard told The New York Times. "We are going to give away the maximum amount of money to people who are actively working on saving this planet."
Parks Project
National Parks Project
They don't just have the best national parks apparel. Each hat, sweater, or T-shirt purchase funds a specific project at a specific park. That makes a gift from them a double-whammy for your friend who loves Bryce Canyon.
BioLite
BioLite
BioLite's FirePit+ is both fun and useful. It doubles as a grill and a campfire pit, with see-through mesh for safety and fans that help the fire's efficiency while limiting smoke. The company's vision is to "provide 20 million people with access to clean energy and to avoid 3 million tons of CO2e by the year 2025." To do that, it is investing profits in developing energy-smart technology in sub-Saharan Africa and India.
LifeStraw Water Filter
LifeStraw
LifeStraw products are great for outdoors enthusiasts: Its handheld water filters remove sand, silt, and bacteria from water. The magic of sucking straight from the stream doesn't get old. Nor does knowing you're also doing good: The company invests a percentage of profits to help provide clean, purified drinking water to schools in developing countries.
ENO Hammocks
ENO
Hanging between two trees shouldn't test your conscience. Eagles Nest Outfitters (ENO) lays out its sustainability efforts clearly, from using post-consumer recycled material and sustainable manufacturing processes to planting over 2.7 million trees in sub-Saharan Africa. It is minimizing its carbon footprint and giving back with 1% for the Planet. And back in the U.S., each purchase of its Special Edition Nest Double Hammock sends a portion of the profits to a number of national conservation nonprofits.
Bombas Hiking Socks
Bombas
Every Bombas sock, shirt, or underwear purchased means a pair is donated to those in need. That system has donated over 100 million socks so far to shelters, schools, and transitional housing. Good socks for all involved—what's not to love?
United By Blue
United By Blue
United By Blue's sustainability mission is baked into its business model. For every item purchased, it pledges to remove 1 pound of trash from an ocean or waterway worldwide. Since almost 40 million pounds of trash are dumped into the ocean every day, that's a problem that needs fixing. If you get a nice enamel-and-steel mug or Hario French Press out of the deal, there's a lot of happy liquids to go around.
Yellowstone Bourbon
Getty Images, Manuel Vinuesa
Since 2015, Limestone Branch Distilling has been bottling Yellowstone Bourbon, a throwback whiskey brand with a great taste. They haven't taken naming it after a famous national park lightly, either: Their commitment to the National Park Conservation Association included a donation of $250,000 in 2023. Drink easy, and know you're helping to keep our public lands safe.
READ MORE: The Best Gifts for Anglers This Year
