Top Ten Christmas gifts for walkers and climbers

Posted by Sarah Stirling on 14/12/2014
With videos of the latest outdoor gear innovations

Sarah Stirling offers her top ten Christmas gift ideas for the outdoor lover in your life. There's something for everyone from walkers to climbers, campers to runners, and to suit every budget from quirky stocking filler to the latest gear innovations.

Check out our new Gear channel on BMC TV to easily watch the gear video clips.

Stocking Fillers

For the runner you love: Lowe Alpine Lightflite Hydro waistpack £22

Kit out the runner in your life with this glowing bumbag, and you'll be able to spot their shapely runner's bottom from far away (and so will car drivers). The 4-litre Lowe Alpine Lightflite Hydro waistpack holds a bottle neatly in the most stable position, flanked by four pockets (two big main compartments and two mesh).

Lightflite

The ultimate karabiner? Grivel Twin Gates from £11

An interesting solution to the drawbacks of screwgates and twistlocks. Quick, easy and safe: you don't have to remember to do up Grivel's new Twin Gate karabiners, and they won't come undone by accident. The largest in the range of seven is the chunky, pear-shaped Omega (84g / £12); the smallest is the tiny, double wire-gated Plume G (39g / £11). You can see them both in the video below.

For the outdoor enthusiast who has everything: Light My Fire Titanium Spork £14

Shave a fraction more from his or her rucksack weight with this lightweight, multi-talented and extremely strong culinary utensil.

Spork

To complete those outdoor breakfast in bed mornings: Aerobie Aero Press Coffee Maker £24.99

Other portable coffee-makers drip hot water onto a bed of ground coffee, which can ruin it, but this clever gadget uses gentle air pressure to make pure, smooth, rich liquid heaven... OK the coffee it makes doesn't have crema on top, but this is as good as it's going to get, unless you're planning on carrying an espresso machine into the hills for your romantic breakfast.

Aerobie Coffee Press

Make them look a little more fashionable in the hills: Sherpa Adventure Gear scarf £25

With the panache of a market trader, Kenton gives us a rundown of the benefits of this scarf in everything from snow to sandstorms.

No really, they’ll thank you for this, even if it does make them look like Captain Birdseye: Ortlieb Rain Hat £19

Designed by the masters of waterproofing, this Rain Hat will keep your loved one's barnet looking fresh, dry, stylish and ready for action, whatever the weather.

Rainhat

 

Ultimate Gifts

The perfect training partner for the athletic parent: Thule Chariot Cheetah 2: from £399

Strap your child into this aerodynamic and lightweight chariot via the 'five point child safety harness' and your partner can use them for a resistance training workout! Varioius 'kits' turn the lightweight buggy into a cycle trailer, a stroller you can run or hike with - there's even a ski kit!

Thule Chariot

Quiver of one for the modern winter climber: Black Diamond's new Fuel axe £199

The brand new Fuel (638g) is based on the BD Fusion axe, but is way better for ice. BD say: "No-one else in the industry is doing anything like the Fuel's one-piece hydroformed shaft. It's a quiver of one for the modern winter climber." 

The winter jacket that does it all: Montane's new Axion Neo Alpha Jacket £360

Top fleece manufacturer, Polartec, have branched out into new materials with staggering confidence recently, and to much acclaim. They described NeoShell, their first 3-layer waterproof fabric, as 'five times more breathable than 'the leading waterproof-breathable' (mentioning no names) and their first synthetic insulation, Polartec Alpha, as 'the first ever breathable puffy'. Montane is one of the first manufacturers to combine these two fabrics in one jacket. The Axion Neo Alpha Jacket (only available in Men's; 980g size Men's Medium) promises everything: to stop you over-heating when moving fast, and to provide warmth when you’re standing still. Matching Neo Pants on right.
 

Axion Alpha Neo Jacket


For the ultimate night out under the stars: PHD K Series Minimus Down Sleeping Bag £315

Peter Hutchinson has been at the forefront of outdoor down gear since the dawn of the industry, and PHD kit is all still made in the UK from ethically-sourced materials. The team's new K Series is filled with their warmest and lightest down yet - 1000 fillpower (yep, that's right) - and topped with superlight fabrics. Check out this K Series version of their popular Minimus sleeping bag.

PHD K Series

Check out the BMC online shop for more fantastic Christmas offers

We've got a range of special offers to make your life easier

 



« Back

Post a comment Print this article

This article has been read 483 times

TAGS

Click on the tags to explore more

RELATED ARTICLES

Active Outdoors: subsidised skills courses
1
Active Outdoors: subsidised skills courses

It is time to Get Active Outdoors. If you want to start hill walking, rock climbing, scrambling or learn winter skills, then check out the subsidised BMC Active Outdoors courses. Suitable for all abilities and levels of experience there is something for everyone.
Read more »

Help turn our Black moors Green this Friday
0
Help turn our Black moors Green this Friday

Is sphagnum the most important plant on earth? Instead of buying into Black Friday, we’re taking this opportunity to promote #GreenFriday – support the environment and plant one square meter of sphagnum moss to help return our moorlands back to their green and healthy state.
Read more »

Best of: the new BMC Peak District Grit guide
0
Best of: the new BMC Peak District Grit guide

Fancy sampling a sandbag? Not sure what we mean? Or how about something for the VS warriors? Well we've got it all here: Niall Grimes runs through the best of the new BMC select guidebook Peak District Grit. Buy it from the BMC Shop and get any other BMC guidebook half price!
Read more »

Post a Comment

Posting as Anonymous Community Standards
3000 characters remaining
Submit
Your comment has been posted below, click here to view it
Comments are currently on | Turn off comments
0

There are currently no comments, why not add your own?

RELATED ARTICLES

Active Outdoors: subsidised skills courses
1

It is time to Get Active Outdoors. If you want to start hill walking, rock climbing, scrambling or learn winter skills, then check out the subsidised BMC Active Outdoors courses. Suitable for all abilities and levels of experience there is something for everyone.
Read more »

Help turn our Black moors Green this Friday
0

Is sphagnum the most important plant on earth? Instead of buying into Black Friday, we’re taking this opportunity to promote #GreenFriday – support the environment and plant one square meter of sphagnum moss to help return our moorlands back to their green and healthy state.
Read more »

Best of: the new BMC Peak District Grit guide
0

Fancy sampling a sandbag? Not sure what we mean? Or how about something for the VS warriors? Well we've got it all here: Niall Grimes runs through the best of the new BMC select guidebook Peak District Grit. Buy it from the BMC Shop and get any other BMC guidebook half price!
Read more »

BMC MEMBERSHIP
Join 82,000 BMC members and support British climbing, walking and mountaineering. Membership only £16.97.
Read more »
BMC SHOP
Great range of guidebooks, DVDs, books, calendars and maps.
All with discounts for members.
Read more »
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Get covered with BMC Insurance. Our five policies take you from the beach to Everest.
Read more »