Not too far from where I live, on a piece of coast path tucked out the way, there are the remnants of ancient buildings; these now waist high walls make for a pretty practical outdoor kitchen table with some of the most incredible views around. On a cold and dry winter’s morning its a brilliant place to go and prepare a little alfresco breakfast sandwich. It’s also a perfect place to review some great pieces of kit that would make excellent gifts for an outdoor adventurer…
Primus Campfire Tongs
The Primus Campfire Tongs are by far the nicest and best crafted cooking utensil I’ve ever used. They’re made from the same stainless steel which Primus use to make their knives. This material gives them a sturdy yet flexible build which will give you awesome control when cooking.
On the sides of the tongs there are cutout patterns for you to grip onto. These make the Primus tongs really easy to use in cold or wet weather or the tongs have got a bit greasy whilst cooking. The tip of the tongs has a jagged and narrow end which is brilliant for picking up greasy or fiddly things.
At just under 28cm long, they are really practical to use and work well on stoves, grills and BBQs as well as keeping your hands away from the heat. Being compact they’re easy to pack and take with you on your adventures.
Primus 4 Season Mug 0.3L
The Primus 4 Season Mug 0.3L is a really nice piece of kit. Weighing in at 150g it is lightweight for something which is as strong and insulating as it is.
Being double walled the mug is better than conventional mugs when it comes to keeping your hot drinks hot. This is because the double walled stainless steel construction insulates your beverage. However as it is without a lid, it still wont keep your drinks piping hot and is no real substitute for a vacuum flask.
I find the handle on the Primus 4 Season mug really comfortable; it has a good shape which is not only comfortable but really strong. This is by far my favourite camping mug and one that I know is going to last for years and years to come.
Primus CampFire Plate
Another great stainless steal item from Primus’ campfire range is the Primus CampFire Plate. This pretty much indestructible plate is probably the last and only camping plate that you’ll ever need to own.
The food grade stainless steal doesn’t retain flavours and therefore can’t spoil the taste of your meals like plastic plates tend to when they age.
Lifeventure Titanium Spork
A small little outdoor gadget is the Lifeventure Titanium Spork, this versatile and lightweight utensil is perfect for a multitude of meals and tasks. It’s built to last too, which I love as I regularly have plastic spork’s prongs snap in my pack.
Being made from ultra-lightweight food grade titanium it is perfect for backpacking, travelling and trekking; this is due to its ultra light weight nature – coming in at just 17g. What’s even better is that titanium although almost half the weight of steel is just as strong!
Lifeventure SoftFibre Ordnance Survey Travel Towel
I think high quality essential pieces of gear make awesome gifts. Things like the Lifeventure SoftFibre Ordnance Survey Travel Towel are the perfect present as they are something which the recipient will use and appreciate daily. Lifeventure’s are the best travel towels that I’ve ever used and are very easy for me to recommend. The difference between this and other travel towels is how soft it is.
Lots of ‘travel towels’ feel like drying yourself with a chamois leather but this one is super soft. It still maintains its travel credentials however and is super light weight (280g), absorbs 9 times it’s own weight in water and dries 8 times faster than a normal towel. It’s available in some of the UK’s most famous peaks: Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Snowdon and Pen Y Fan as well as cities London and Edinburgh.
Lifeventure Waterproof Map Case
A final excellent present for any hiker or trekker is the Lifeventure Waterproof Map Case. As this map case is actually recommended by the Ordnance Survey, you can tell it’s going to be a great piece of kit.
Being made from a highly durable 420D nylon fabric with a really handy double sided TPU window, the Lifeventure case is rated at IPX7 which means it is waterproof up to a metre for 30 minutes – definitely more than enough for even the rainiest day! The TPU windows are brilliant being crystal clear, making your map very easy to look at. It is also touch screen compatible so you can pop your phone or tablet inside and keep that dry too! Your map is sealed in using Lifeventure’s heavy duty LocTop closure which is so brilliant at stopping ingress of water and dust. It is super easy to seal this closure you just run your finger along the LocTop which fastens it shut.
One of the other top features of this map case is the four lashing points, these make it really versatile. You can either use the provided lanyard and wear it around your neck in either a portrait or landscape orientation. Alternatively, you can use any of the four lashing points to secure it to your pack or any piece of gear. This is by far the most well thought out and well made map case that I’ve used and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
