Ten Great Camping Gifts

Looking for a special gift for the campers on your list? There are a number of useful gadgets, tools, and outdoor-friendly items that any camper would love to receive. Here are ten suggestions to get you started:

1. Rolla Roaster

Every camping trip involves s'mores or something roasted over a campfire, so why not add a little bit of whimsy to the experience with a Rolla Roaster. This gadget is your typical two-prong fork-like roaster with a couple of twists. First, it telescopes out, which improves its portability, packability, and overall camp-worthiness. Second, it has a little knob close to its hardwood base that you turn with your thumb to make the roasting prongs rotate, ensuring your marshmallow of a nice, even burn. The Rolla Roaster is always a hit with campers of any age. A set of two to six makes a perfect gift for a scouting troop leader or for a family.

2. Kelty Sun Shade

There are so many things to love about the Kelty Sunshade. They come in different sizes to suit your needs, the larger size fits neatly over a picnic table, one person can assemble and disassemble it, the poles are sturdy and reliable, it is relatively light in weight making it easy for one person to carry, and it provides a lot of shade. The Kelty is best for car campers (not for backpackers) or river rats who need to bring their own shade. Kelty customer service, by the way, is second to none, so if you have any type of problem, don't hesitate to call them for assistance.

3. Pie Iron

The pie iron is a nifty piece of Americana for the car camper, especially those who like something sweet to eat either for breakfast or for an after-dinner treat. You butter a slice of Wonder bread (also works with wheat bread or even tortillas) and line one side of the pie iron with it, butter side down. Then spoon a couple of dollops of fruit pie filling in the middle and top it with another slice of buttered bread. Close the iron and toast it over a campfire. In just a few minutes, you have pie. The pie iron is also an excellent way to make grilled cheese sandwiches, although once you have pie iron grilled cheese, you'll never want to make regular grilled cheese again. Fortunately, the pie iron also works in the fireplace, just be careful with the hot pie iron inside the house.

4. Spork

The spork is a combination spoon and fork. Some brands even include a serrated knife side as well. The spork is a useful gift for the backpacker, who will appreciate the utility of it, as well as for the cabin or car camper, who will appreciate having to wash only one utensil instead of two or three. Kids in scouts can tuck a spork in their mess kits. Even non-campers find sporks useful, especially those who pack a lunch to work.

5. LED Lantern

New LED camping lanterns are my favorite go-to gift these days. My favorite of the moment is the Coleman LED Quad lantern, which puts out an amazing amount of light. This is a heavy lantern with a long battery run time. We are able to use the LED Quad for a three-day weekend without a worry. The Quad has four light panels that detach, so you have the ability to leave the main lantern in place and take one of the panels out to run a chore or go to the tent or bathroom. It's incredibly versatile and useful, particularly for a family or a group camping situation. A really well thought out lantern.

6. Backpack Chair and Canopy

A good camp chair is always appreciated, especially one that is easy to transport, is lightweight, and is easy to set up and break down. The Kelsyus brand backpack chair meets these requirements, and comes with a great UV canopy top that strategically blocks the sun. Kelsyus also makes a kid's version of their canopied chair, which is an excellent choice for parents who want to teach their children to minimize their exposure to the sun during peak hours. If your gift recipient does a lot of beach camping, consider buying them a beach chair with canopy.

7. Swiss Army Knife

The Victorinox Swiss Army knife is a perfect gift for a young scout who is camp ready and responsible enough for knife handling. The Swiss Army Classic SD is a reasonably priced entry level knife that has a blade, a scissors, a screwdriver, nail file, a toothpick and tweezers. Of course, Swiss Army makes a variety of knives with a boggling array of gadget combinations; any knife you choose will be much appreciated by the recipient.

8.Fire Steel

A Swedish FireSteel is a clever little gift, perfect for the backpacker, the car camper, or anyone who backyard barbecues. The FireSteel dependably produces a 3,000 degree Celsius spark to make fire building easy. It works in wet conditions as well as dry, is small and compact to carry in a pocket, and will last for 12,000 strikes. This isn't a recommended gift for young campers, but for adult camping enthusiasts.

9. Sit-Upon

Just about every Brownie Girl Scout will remember making a sit-upon out of old placemats or oilcloth, and a stack of newspaper. Well, sit-upons have gone a bit upscale, with credible versions put out by Therm-a-Rest, among others. The Therm-a-Rest Lite Seat rolls up and packs easily into a daypack or backpack, and self-inflates when needed. It provides sufficient cushion and protection against a hard rock or damp ground when on the trail.

10. Pocket Fisherman

Remember the Ronco Pocket Fisherman? Ronco is still happily in business and still makes the Pocket Fisherman, a rather ingenious portable fishing pole. It easily fits into a glove box, a backpack, or any compact space, and is a perfect take-along when going camping at the lake. Kids especially love the Pocket Fisherman, though it's a great gift for all ages.