Gift Ideas for the Outdoor Hotties

Thinking of what to give to that adventurous special someone?

Strain your brains no more  and save it on other things! Here's a  list of gift ideas or better yet, add these to your wish list. :P These items are all useful, handy,  funky and easy to find.

1. Head Accessory : Headware
This is a great gift for people who love bandanas and despise wearing caps. 
Jules, The Trail Running Mistess (MakTrav Day Hike)

What to Buy : Headware is a Philippine brand that features creative and functional head accessories. It can be worn as protection from the heat, dust, pollution, sandy situations (like that 4wd to Mt. Pinatubo) or a fashion piece! What's great is that it comes in designs that caters to adventurers with varied preferences. It comes in  light, neon and dark colors. The most awesome thing? It's budget friendly!

How Much? 195 Pesos and above, depending on the design

Where to Buy It:  R.O.X.(Bonifacio High Street, Cebu, Pampanga), Outlet Store  (Market Market) , Other Sports shops

2. Headlamp 
As the name implies, it's basically a lamp worn around the head .  :P It enables you to hike/bike, whatever, without the need to use your hands to hold it up. It's helpful in situations like pitching a tent in the dark, cooking at the campsite, etc.  
Cueva Santa Cave, Quezon (Petzl, Black Diamond and Energizer represented!)
What to Buy Energizer, Petzl, Black Diamond are good brands. I've seen these used by friends and they have all raved about it. Mine is Petzl Tikkina which is durable, reliable and cheaper than the other Petzl models though not as bright, so I would suggest going for Tikka Plus.

How Much? 800-3,000 Pesos depending on the brand. Energizer's the cheapest among the three. 

Where to Buy It? Outdoor shops like Conquer (Robinson's Pioneer), R.O.X. (Bonifacio High Street, Cebu, Pampanga),  Energizer headlamps can be purchased at the grocery. 

3. Water-proof/Shock-proof Cameras  
Though a bit on the expensive side, this is a gift that will surely be welcomed with open arms. Under weather disturbances or wet situations where everybody else is hiding their SLR's inside their bags, the jovial recipient of your gift will be out there, shooting! 
Photo courtesy of  Google image search
What to Buy? Here's a review from TrustedReviews.Com. But don't just rely on one source, check out several sites from the web and ask users. :) I currently using an old model from Olympus -  790 SW. It's reliable and hasn't given up on me yet given that I normally just toss things inside my bag. The picture quality isn't so great though. I've also used a Canon D10 for a previous job and it was amazing. The size is quirky though. It's like a soap and I find it rather bulky. The resolution and photos are of good quality and given an option, I'd choose that over my Olympus. (Sorry my dear O!) 

How Much? 6,000 Pesos Above depending on the brand

Where to Buy It? Camera shops. Haha! Sorry, I couldn't be more specific. I don't know much about cameras  but I'm pretty sure it's so easy to ask around. 

4. Malong
When you're out there camping, you don't bother with details on where the toilets are or where to dress up. You do it anywhere  and this is where a Malong comes handy. You can dress in front of your friends without putting out a good show. :P Just go inside a malong and do your thing - change into a bathing suit, a long gown, whatever. It can serve as a blanket during long bus rides or while sleeping inside your tent.   

Helping Glee change clothes in front of everyone, Mt. Manalmon, Bulacan
How Much? 200 pesos 

Where to Buy It? Aldevinco in Davao is a haven for malongs and various souvenirs. I'm not familiar with a source in Manila but I guess you can try the bazaars.  

5. Packing Solutions
Your honey doesn't like packing? I don't either! Packing cubes enables you to stuff in clothes  so that it'll consume lesser space in your bag. You can also group your clothes together so that you don't have to guess where your favorite chartreuse underwear went. :P Better if you can get a waterproof packing cube but I haven't seen any of those. 


What to Buy :  Eagle Creek, You can also check out locally made packing cubes like  Paccube (haven't tried them yet though)

How Much? : 350 Pesos and above (prices varies according to the size and model).

Where to Buy It? R.O.X. (Bonifacio High Street, Ayala Center Cebu, Marquee Mall, Pampanga), The Travel Club, Paccube Website

6. Dry Bags/Waterproof Pouches
Keep your clothes and gear dry by stuffing it inside a waterproof bag. These babies are handy, light and you can just fold or toss inside your bag after using it. 

my friend Ivan before we started our Mt. Maculot traverse, no need to worry about his phones!
What to Buy : Sealine, Sea to Summit, Sandugo

How Much? : 200 Pesos and above for waterproof pouches while dry bags start at  800 Pesos up (depends on how big, the brand, etc.)

Where to Buy It? Sandugo Outdoor shops,  R.O.X. (Bonifacio High Street, Ayala Center Cebu, Marquee Mall, Pampanga),   Trek & Conquer , various local outdoor shops

7. Travel Books/Magazines
Knowledge is power! Travel books/magazines are great source of ideas on future destinations. If they're not much of a reader, then go for those books with amazing pictures.

What to Buy? A Year of Adventures from Lonely Planet and practically everything from their collection, books from Jon Krakauer, Local Travel Magazines,Twisted Travels by Jessica Zafra is also a fun read (don't expect colorful photos though), 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.

How Much? A Year of Adventures from LP is around 999 Pesos, while Jon Krakauer books can be bought at Booksale at 150 Pesos, you just have to sort patiently through their shelves. :P

Where to Buy It? Powerbooks, Fully Booked, A Different Bookstore,  Booksale, National Bookstore

8. Statement Shirts
Everybody needs something to wear, well, at least until they get to their destination, so why not give a shirt that stands out? (Dri fit preferred so that it dries easily). 
Our shirts from our friend's fund raising activity for Blue Baby Naomi. Visit this link for details on
how to avail.

What to Buy? Pinoy mountaineer,Team Manila, Bazaars

How Much? 350 above

Where to Get It? Pinoy Mountaineer shirts, Team Manila, Conquer

9. Water Bottles/Hydration Bag
Do your part in saving the environment by giving hydration bottles which can be replenished after each trip. No need to scout for the nearest grocery to buy water!

What to Buy? Nalgene, Camelbak, Source, Nathan

How Much? 750 Pesos above

Where to Get It? Nathan FB Page, Local outdoor shops like Conquer in Robinson's Pioneer

10. Utility Knife
One of the outdoor fanatics' must-haves.  This is for opening canned goods, beer, clear a trail and more! 

What to Buy?  Victorinox is a good brand, the balisong (knife) from Batangas are also highly recommended (sariling atin!)

How Much? 700 Pesos above

Where to Get It? You can purchase Victorinox Swiss Knives in National Bookstore (for real!),  R.O.X. (Bonifacio High Street, Ayala Center Cebu, Marquee Mall, Pampanga),  Ebay PH , Amazon

Whatever you give, I'm sure it will be appreciated, but wouldn't it be better if it's something they can use for their next adventure? Now go to the mall or to the online shops and grab something! :)

This is not a sponsored post. Just trying to help! :P

Past adventures

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