12 gifts for the outdoors enthusiast

The Times may earn a commission if you buy any of these gifts through links on our site. The items were independently selected.

See all lists →

The Cannondale Treadwell EQ fitness/commuter bike is “connected,� with a built-in cycle computer/handlebar phone holder and a free app that tracks speed, distance, calories and route without your phone, and estimates how much carbon you’re keeping out of the air by riding instead of driving. It also gives maintenance reminders, lets you book repairs with a dealer and can connect you to other app users as well as auto-registers your bike and can assist theft recovery.

The EQ ($900) has a bamboo cargo deck and fenders. The Treadwell 2 ($750) and 3 ($635) combine the same electronics with lower-end parts. All have dent-stopping silicone strips on the frame, street tires and disc brakes.

Starting at $635. Purchase here→

Who said a bike needs a seat? With tall handlebars and 27.5-inch knobby tires, the Elliptigo MSUB (mountain stand-up bike) gives you in a high, comfy bird’s-eye view that eliminates the chafing and neck and back fatigue many get from the standard leaning-forward cycling position. In addition, the position can be fast. I set numerous PRs on trails I’d ridden for years). Includes 10 speeds, large foot platforms and a suspension fork.

$1499. Purchase here→

No trees? No problem. Emerging from a bag the size of a rolled-up yoga mat, the Mock One expands into a frame-supported hammock in 60 seconds — like a collapsible camp chair but bigger. It includes side pockets, a sun shade and drink holders with an optional tarp and mosquito net.

$184.99. Purchase here→

The iKamper Aioks (short for “all-in-one outdoor kitchen system�) is a camping mess hall in a box. A birch-wood table for four, two 7500-BTU stoves, cookware, utensils, food and drinks, all fold out of a 20-pound aluminum box. It’s compatible with screw-on butane canisters and propane canisters with adapters, has adjustable table legs for uneven ground, wheels and a telescoping handle.

$499. Purchase here→

Your cellphone, camera and even 12-volt devices will get a charge out of the WaterLily Turbine, which derives power from wind and river motion. It can even uses sweat power with a built-in hand crank. Just set up camp near a river, plug in your devices before bed, and awaken to a full charge. Output is rated to 15 watts.

$159. Purchase here→

Tired of lugging around stinky clothes on a backpacking trip? Inside the waterproof 2.5-ounce Scrubba Wash Bag Mini is a flexible internal washboard said to provide a decent quality wash in three minutes. No electricity needed. Just insert stinky socks and underwear, shut and seal the bag, rub in between your hands, rinse, dry and dispose the dirty water away from the river. Between washes it can be used as a dry bag to keep gear dry, store dirty laundry or even as a phone protector (operated through the bag’s window).

$41.95. Purchase here→

When you take your hiking boots off at the end of the day, you still need a pair of shoes, especially on cold nights. The solution: ankle-height Teva Ember Mid, an insulated, water-resistant, easy-on/easy-off camping bootie that is half shoe, half slipper. It has a grippy rubber outer sole and a zipper. Also practical on a plane.

$90. Purchase here→

The new Sierra Designs Synthesis mummy sleeping bag packs light but offers a lot for the money: synthetic insulation that stays warm even when wet, a proprietary self-sealing foot vent, cinch-cord hood and two-way zippers for easy exit/entry and temperature control.

From $119.95. Purchase here→

The new user-friendly Leatherman Free P2 uses magnetic closures to allow one-hand operation. All 19 stainless steel tools open smoothly and snap into place, even without having to open the pliers, as in past models. Just 7.6 ounces, it’s 4.25 inches long when closed, and has a 2.76-inch blade.

$119.95. Purchase here or here→

Oru means “fold� in Japanese, so it’s the perfect name for a folding kayak made from a single sheet of corrugated translucent plastic that unfolds origami-like from a large backpack into a 10-foot boat in minutes. Besides great portability, it looks and paddles like a real kayak, has a cargo storage bay for gear, and glows at night when you put lights inside. The Lake, a new economy 20-pound model, is due in December.

From $899. Purchase here or here→

The ChowLite is the Swiss Army knife of eating, with a hinged stainless-steel design that includes a full-size fold-up fork and spoon, serrated food separator, bottle opener, can opener and flat-head screwdriver, all in a compact 4.5 inches that weighs 1.6 ounces. Pivoted into the open position and locked, it becomes a normal 7.75 inch-long utensil.

$19.95. Purchase here→

The Inov-8 Terraultra G 260 takes trail running to the ground-hugging limit in pursuit of stability. To better navigate your way on unstable ground, it has minimal padding, a wide forefoot to make your toes grippier and a “zero drop� — no difference between the cushion height of the forefoot and heel. Inov-8 claims that the Graphene-enhanced outer sole will outlast others.

$150. Purchase here→