You know that feeling when someone gives you a gift that touches your heart? That small flutter in the heart, that feeling of love and kindness? This gift guide to our ten favorite camping and RVing gifts will do just that! All of them evoke the joyful feelings of when a friend gifts you something you mentioned six months ago, or the moment your spouse surprises you with a birthday gift you never would have bought for yourself.
Why do we as humans give? Turns out, we have been giving gifts to each other for thousands of years. Archeologists have found evidence of cave men giving gifts to one another, possibly as a way to strengthen social structures. Gift giving as a tradition also has roots in ancient Egypt and in Greek civilization. In the epic classic Homer’s Odyssey, offering hospitality and gift-giving was an important part of fostering social good. We agree!
The best gifts for RVing and camping incorporate the idea of hospitality and comfort to the outdoorsy friends and family in our life.
Our Favorite Camping and RV Gifts for Outdoorsy People
The Gift of Free Camping
We love the concept of Harvest Hosts because it not only is a nice way to land somewhere beautiful and highly reviewed while traveling, but it’s free to members. A Harvest Hosts membership offers over 4800 spots in Canada, Mexico and the USA along with roadtripping tools in their app. The membership fee is modest, ranging from $70 to $99 per year. That’s a huge savings for RVers on the road and a way to discover gems along the way. Many of the hosts are places like small wineries and farms that have shops with their artisanal products.
The Gift of a Clean Picnic Table
When an RVer named Carol Acutt grew tired of dealing with dirty picnic tables at every campsite she found, she took matters into her own hands. The result is LITO: Luxury in the Outdoors. We absolutely love LITO’s upscale camping tablecloths. They are stylish, durable, wipeable, designed to fit nearly all picnic tables you will encounter. They come in over 30 colors and patterns. Each comes with a storage backpack and straps to keep the tablecloth in place on windy RVing days. LITO’s gear is a must for old and new RV owners. For $79, the tablecloths are a bargain for elevating anyone’s camping experience. LITO also has additional cool RV gear like matching stainless steel tumblers, perfect for the RV lifestyle!
The Gift of a Tidy Campsite
Taking care of trash is just part of the deal when camping. Collapsible trash cans allow you to have a spot for trash that also stores easily in a small RV kitchen. There are several on the market in prices between $12 to $15. We like these designs by Rachmi and Thetford’s StorMate.
The Gift of Connecting with Friends and Family
Spending time at the campsite is a great way to relax with family and connect with kids and new neighbors. What better way to do this than with fun gifts like camping games. From card games to Scrabble, cornhole to lawn darts, these are some of the best RV gifts for spending time at campgrounds.
The Gift of American Adventure
Our national parks are absolutely national treasures and you should see as many as possible in your lifetime. There’s something special about driving into a national park, the sense of awe and excitement is palpable. For only $80, a national parks pass gives free entrance into as many parks you can see in one year is an unbelievable bargain. Give the give of America with a National Parks Pass.
The Gift of Plush and Portable Camping Linens
Nice absorbent towels are a nice part of life. But luxurious towels also take up a lot of space. Whether you’re part of the full-time RVers crowd or like most RVers on weekend trips, taking up an entire cabinet with them doesn’t make sense. But there is a solution! High quality Turkish towels are not only absorbent and soft, but they are thin, dry fast, and you can fit three towels in the same space as one plush towel! Only buy Turkish towels that are 100% Aegean cotton and hand-loomed. Avoid brands with synthetic threads. We like the Turkish towels that are handmade by The Bali Market.
The Gift of Portable Convenience
RVers love to hike or picnic or lounge in a hammock by the lake. Having a small portable table next to your chair or at your picnic makes all the difference in the world. Collapsible small tables are great RV gift ideas for holding a portable power station too. Best of all, it’s a perfect gift that rolls up into a tiny space for packing.
The Gift of Safe Camping with Dogs
Everyone who RV road trips with their dog knows how wonderful it is for the pet and the parent. But its gets really dark at night and keeping an eye on your pet is tricky. That’s why we love the light-up dog leashes and dog collars by LITO. The light-up leash comes in a 20-foot and 6-foot length. The 20-foot length is brilliant for the great outdoors. Your dog can be on leash but with freedom to walk around while you can see them. Best of all, you will avoid tripping over the leash in the dark. This is a great gift idea for all dog parents, whether they’re RV campers or not.
The Gift of Organization
We love the camping packing list by Cruisin and Campfires! Not only are a fun gift idea for everyone from motorhome owners to travel trailer owners, but it’s a kit that gives structure to anyone’s packing process for RV travels. We also love their stationery which also makes for a great Hannukah and Christmas gift.
The Gift of Portable Power
All happy campers need a portable power station to charge electronics. This is now one of the essential RV accessories. If your favorite RVer doesn’t have one, Jackery makes one of the best practical camping and RVing gifts. Power matters and as you can see in our latest Jackery 2000 review, it’s a unit that gets the job done.
The bottom line is that as humans, we like giving and receiving gifts. It’s a wonderful way to show and receive love. For those of us who just love getting on the road to explore, receiving gifts for this purpose can feel extra special.
We think these great gift ideas go far beyond the typical Instant pot, state stickers, or propane fire pits suggestions. Whatever you buy, and whether you purchase locally or on Amazon, enjoy the process. Gift giving is one of the greatest parts about being human and showing love. Happy Holidays!