Top Gifts for the Camping Enthusiast

Primitive campers who stray from the confines of a normal campground need to find their way around. A compass is a good idea to have some general direction. High Gear makes the Trail Drop II Digital Compass and Thermometer that retails for a round $30. It is water resistant up to 30 feet, accurate temperature and compass readings, and an alarm clock. For those campers that need a little more direction than what a standard compass can offer, GPS units designed for camping are available. Garmin's eTrex GPS unit is a great small unit designed specifically for the outdoorsman. The unit is a 12 parallel GPS unit that runs on just two AA batteries. For a price tag around $110, it is a perfect entry-level GPS unit for campers.

A good pocket knife is also a camping essential. The natural choice is the Champ pocket knife from the Swiss Army brand. This knife retails around $50. This is the Cadillac of all the Swiss Army knives. The Champ features a large blade, small blade, a can opener, bottle opener, small screwdriver, large screwdriver, fine screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, mini screwdriver, corkscrew, wire stripper, reamer, sewing eye, punch, tweezers, plastic toothpick, scissors, hook, wood saw, fish scaler, fish hook disgorger, ruler, nail file, nail cleaner, metal file, metal saw, chisel, pliers, wire cutter, magnifying glass, ballpoint pen, and pin. While that's an exhaustive list, it is sure to prove useful time and time again to the camper on your list.

While it may seem like a simple gift, flashlights are very useful to the camper, even if they have a lantern. Mag Light makes plenty of heavy-duty flash lights that range from $5 on up. They can withstand a lot of abuse from dropping and other accidents that may happen in the great outdoors. Another good choice in flashlight is the Diamond LED Shake Flashlight. This flashlight requires no batteries, yet runs of power generated from the user shaking the unit. It's waterproof and will last 2 hours from just a few shakes. With the reasonable $25 price tag, it is well worth what your camper will save in battery costs.

For those campers that consider themselves outdoor chefs, consider purchasing them the JetBoil Group Cooking System. For about $100, you can get this system which includes: a 1.5 liter pot and cooking station. The product won the 2006 Backpacker Magazine Editor's Choice Award for its efficiency. JetBoil's neoprene insulation allows you to boil a liter of water in about four minutes, about half the time of a regular camp stove. The product also features an auto-igniter and a flame adjuster in case you prefer to simmer instead of boil. The JetBoil is great for long camping trips, especially for those that have low tolerance for beef jerkey and baloney sandwiches for days at a time.

Mexico isn't the only place where you shouldn't drink the water, especially not when you're camping in remote locations. Katadyn Hiker PRO is a water microfilter that retails for about $70. It's a compact design that looks similar to a water bottle. The user simply pumps the water through the attached pump through the built-in filter and the unit removes any pesticides, tastes, odors, or chlorine from the water. The best part is it is extremely hard to clog, so your camper will never be without fresh, clean water for drinking.

If you are having trouble finding gifts for your camper this holiday season, be sure to check both ebay.com and amazon.com for more ideas.