COEC's 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

Choosing gifts that engage kids and help them actively participate in outdoor adventures, is key to instilling an interest and love of the outdoors at an early age.

Books can be a very effective way to prep young ones for the outdoor activities, and introduce them the info and images of wildlife they may encounter.

Toy Axes and Knives are safe and fun gifts that let toddlers and young kids imitate outdoor activities of adults like prepping firewood or preparing meals. For older kids, knives with extended finger guards or blunted tips allow them to actually help with meal prep while maintaining proper care and safe use practices.

Kid-Sized Dinnerware is another great option. Colour-coded bowls and utensils make mealtime easier and more fun.

Pocket Bellows are a simple, effective tool for campfire fun—perfect for all ages.

Help little ones feel like part of the adventure with gifts that inspire learning and creativity.

Camping as a family can provide lifelong memories, and is a wonderful family bonding experience - but in order to ensure everyone has a good time no matter what the weather or conditions, it’s important to have key pieces of gear to ensure everyone’s comfort and well being.

A Good-Quality Tarp like our CCS or Bushmen tarps is very high on the list. Tarps are key to having a place to gather and hang out under, when the weather is less than cooperative. Many family campers retreat into their tents when it starts to rain, but this is a mistake. Make wonderful memories by slinging a tarp over a firepit, get a fire going, and then play games or sip hot chocolate while taking in nature’s show.

Trangia 25 series Cooksets (especially when combined with billy pots), are a compact and efficient option for feeding families of 4–5 at a time.

Recreational Barrel Work’s insulated barrel coolers, and kitchen organizers make meal prep straightforward and simple, and outdoor cookbooks provide excellent meal ideas at the planning stages of a family outing.

Kupilka bowls and cups are also great choices as they are extremely handy for camp meals - as their high sides help keeping dinner in and drinks in them, and prevents spills.

Biodegradable soaps are great for cleaning dishes, kids, and even pets! Finally, make sure you have reliable lanterns and flashlights, as they are crucial for family campers to keep the fun going even after the sun goes down.

Hunters and fishers spend a LOT of time outdoors, so staying warm, and having high quality and very sharp knives, saws and axes (that stay sharp), help them maximize their time outdoors - which ideally leads to better results on hunts and fishing trips.

Helle of Norway, and Casstrom of Sweden are high quality, crafted knives that are sure to become trusty life-long companions. Swedish made Gransfors Bruk Axes and Canadian made Esker axes also fall in this category

Care products that help maintain and re-establish razor edges to tools are always a great idea.

Thermal wool base and midlayers from brands like Ivanhoe of Sweden and Woolpower help retain body heat when sitting or remaining still for long periods in tree stands or blinds.

Other items on the list are high quality headlamps and flashlights that can help hunters and fishers find their way into their spots to get set up before sunrise and start their day.

Knowledge is power, and nowhere is this more important than when starting to spend time outdoors in either a group or solo setting.

Books by Kevin Callan for both route choices and outdoor living set the stage and provide insight into adventures to come, and Juan Pablo Quinonez’s “Thrive” provides excellent info in case things get a little more serious than one had initially bargained for.

Basic gear is another smart choice for this group. The “holy trinity” of camp tools: the knife, axe, and saw start to become key components of keeping comfortable and secure, as well as a good tent and tarp system for shelter when sleeping or waiting out inclement weather.

Emergency gear is especially critical when camping solo or in small groups, as are good base layers and mid layers when temperatures start to dip.

Trangia’s smaller 27 series cooksets provide the means for making meals for 1 - 2 people, and paired with a stick stove like the Bushbox LF, provide the means for making meals either with fuel that is packed in, or foraged from one’s surroundings.

Backcountry campers most likely have a fair bit of gear already (one can’t really do backcountry trips without it), so gifts for them work best as upgrades, or as select pieces of kit to work alongside their existing gear.

High quality wool thermal wear can help extend the camping season by allowing travel earlier and later in the season.

Complimentary items that help to maintain tools, by keeping knives, axes and saws in tip-top condition are great choices too.

Emergency and safety kit can help keep them safe should things go awry while on trip.

Other great items are canoe packs and bags that help to carry all necessary gear and make those portages easier, as well as books, maps and route planningthat can keep backcountry camper’s restless minds mulling over their next set of adventures in the off season.

During times of trouble and unrest, having particular pieces of gear for key functions becomes vital: the means to start fires and purify water, emergency shelter and kit, cordage, tools and the means to carry gear become not only necessary, but critical.

• Multi-Purpose Tools: Knives, axes, and saws that perform multiple functions.
• Firestarting Kits: Firesteels and waterproof matches ensure preparedness.
• Emergency Gear: Compact shelters, water filters, and medical kits are essential for any prepper.

Having gear do double or triple duty helps to keep weight and space at minimum, and ensuring that all gear can perform at a high level, and be counted on to execute the task it was designed for are key when looking for gifts for the prepper or survivalist in your life. 

For those who work outdoors, the importance of staying warm and comfortable despite what mother nature throws our way cannot be overstated. Our wide selection of Woolpower thermal wear (originally designed for the Swedish military, and used widely by NATO member countries) provides excellent thermal function while being able to be put through washing machines and dryers and laundered with other clothes.

In addition to clothing, Woolpower socks of varying weights, mitts, toques, and felted insoles (made from wool offcuts) are designed to keep extremities and core comfortably warm.

Work gloves, insulated stainless steel bottles and powerful, waterproof headlamps round out the offerings for outdoor workers.

Bushcraft involves using natural materials in one’s environment to help sustain one’s self - but with the concepts of conservation and stewardship in mind. To this end, we have a wide variety of products to help make time in the environment easier, while taking up little space in a pack.

• Bushcraft Books: You can learn from experts like Mors Kochanski, Lars Fält, and Ray Mears.
• Stick Stoves & Firesteels: Lightweight and effective for creating meals and fires.
• High-Quality Tools: Knives and axes from trusted brands like Casström, Helle, Mora, Gränsfors Bruk and Esker.

Since knives and axes are essential tools for bushcrafting, care and maintenance products also make excellent gifts for the bushcrafters in your life.

Being on a budget doesn’t mean you need to suffer with inferior gear. Here are affordable yet thoughtful options:

• Mora Knives: High-quality craftsmanship at an accessible price.
• Firestarting Tools: Compact firesteels and waterproof matches.
• Camping Accessories: Biodegradable soap, food storage solutions, emergency kits and more!