It’s holiday time! Which means many of you will be doing some online shopping and spending too much time agonizing over what makes the perfect gift (just us?). Let us help: if they love the outdoors as much as we do (but they already have all the expensive gear they need), wrap up one of these fantastic sustainable gifts instead. They’re perfect for outdoor lovers and eco-friendly urban adventures (and urban adventurers). So shop sustainable this season and gift happy!
Rafi Nova
Does your loved one like a little colorful flare when you head out? Who doesn’t? In that case, check out Rafi Nova, an accessory designer making stylish bags out of vegan leather, up-cycled handmade fabrics and linings made from recycled materials. The backpacks are suitable for a day of wandering around town or a night out and the cross-body bags add a burst of color and life into any outfit. And the brand makes masks, too, so grab a mask in a matching up-cycled fabric or an eco-friendly, silver-infused mask. And check out the crossbody bags here and the backpacks here.
United By Blue (R)evolution Bags
Look, everybody’s making bags and accessories out of recycled plastic bottles these days, but do they look THIS cool? We don’t think so. We love the (R)evolution bags because they are just reminiscent enough of outdoorsy style to send a subtle message that I like to play in the dirt, but they’re still cool enough for a chill afternoon at the brewery or for a day trip walk-about. However, we’re even more excited about the details: the brand recently replaced the leather lash loops and patches on these bags for rubber ones, which is a win for sustainability (and animals)! We’re expecially fond of the 9L Sidekick pack and the 27L Mini Duffle. (And check out their epic Black Friday deals here for up to 50% off!)
Rackle Shoes
We can’t all wear hiking boots around all the time (nor would we want to…). So we all need a favorite pair of sneakers. Meet yours (or theirs if you’ll be gifting these bad boys): Rackle Shoes. They’re comfortably stylish and super sustainable. The uppers are made out of eco-friendly hemp and the foam soles and footbeds have been treated with a special science-y concoction that speeds up the decomposition process so that once they hit the landfill at the end of their life, they’ll start breaking down in a year! Yes, it’s a fully biodegradable shoe. So in addition to showing someone you love them by giving these shoes, you’re also showing you love the planet. Win-win. Find Rackle Shoes here and watch our YouTube review of the shoes here.
Sustainable Travel & Living Gift Boxes
Wanna set it and forget it? i.e. order once and be done with the whole holiday shopping deal? We get it. And so does Sustainable Travel & Living. Which is why they’ve added a whole collection of dope gift boxes for your sustainable shopping pleasure. Our faves? The Day Pack Gift Box, Zero Waste Food & Drink Starter Kit, and the Twilight Picnic Gift Box. They’re filled with quality and totally useful stuff like blankets made of recycled plastic bottles, bamboo utensils, reusable water bottles, and more! There are more gift box options of course, but if you or your giftee are vegan like we are, steer clear of the boxes with wool blankets or leather products.
Guppyfriend
Need a useful and sustainable gift for and outdoor lover? Well, every outdoor lover has a closetful of synthetics, and if you read our post about synthetics and microplastics, you know those materials require a bit of extra care in order to do the least amount of damage to the planet. So get them the Guppyfriend. It’s a bag in which you wash your fleece and synthetic garments and it significantly reduces the amount of microplastics that break off your clothes and pollute local waterways, which is a pretty big deal. So keep tiny plastic particles out of fishies’ bellies and find the Guppyfriend here.
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That enough ideas to get the ball rollin’? If not, check out our 2020 Holiday Gift Guide for Outdoor Lovers and Stocking Stuffers for Outdoor Lovers. Now that you have some ideas, don’t forget to check and see who’s having the most epic Black Friday Sales on Outdoor gear here! Now get out there and wander on!
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*This post contains affiliate links. That means when you make a purchase, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. And that means we can keep this helpful content comin’!
Alisha is a freelance outdoor journalist and photographer based in Ogden, UT. She loves backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and snowboarding (even though she’s terrible at it). She’s also pretty sure she’s addicted to coffee. alishamcdarris.com