Fathers Day Camping Gifts – A Winning List

gift ideas for dad

Not sure what to get the man in your life?  We are here to help (sort of).

Wild Earth (our affiliate) has put together categories for each sort of dad in your life eg. The Light It Up Dads or Action Dads or Fussy Dads.  You get the idea.

So we went through each of their chosen categories and picked the items we personally think are the best in each category.

Here are our winners….

(last year’s Fathers Day Gifts can be read about here)

Light It Up Dad

fathers day camping gifts guide headlamp

The winner was…….Black Diamond Storm Headlamp.

No surprise here, as a good headlamp is a must when outdoors, and this is an affordable reliable option that we own.   Yes, you can get cheaper headlamps, but look at battery life and beam options.

Shop this headlamp here

Full range of Light It Up Dad items here

How to choose a headlamp – information to make the right choice

Recharge Dads

fathers day camping gifts guide solar charger

The winner was……. Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus Solar Charger

We love anything that keeps us charged up when outdoors.  So we chose one that we own and use as its reliable, packs down small, you can hang it off your tent or backpack, and easy to use with all our devices.

Loads of features, this charger is one we do take on our trips and it hasn’t let us down.

Shop this Goal Zero here

Full range of Recharge Dad items here

Fussy Dads

fathers day camping gifts guide gift card

The winner in this category was…..gift cards

Not  many options in this category as every item was a gift card. You can’t go wrong with a gift card.  It’s emailed to you, so it is also the perfect last-minute gift!

Shop them here

Coffee Dads

fathers day camping gifts guide gsi java press


The winner in this category was……..GSI Personal Coffee Java Press.

Coffee and camping.  We don’t go anywhere without equipment for a proper coffee.  Our preferred option is the Aeropress, but that wasn’t on this list, so a runner up was this Java Press, which is a plunger system that packs up nicely and space saving.  Dad probably won’t be sharing his coffee with anyone else once he uses this.

Shop the GSI Coffee Java Press here.

Full range of Coffee Dad items here

Cool Dads

fathers day camping gifts guide merino t shirt

The winner was……Merino Mens T-Shirt

This one is all about personal taste, so it was tricky to pick one as a winner.   I chose a merino T-Shirt because merino is brilliant for outdoors.  All our base layers are merino – they don’t smell, they keep you warm and cool (self-regulating), not itchy, and did I mention, they are odour resistant.   Merino for camping and hiking is a god-send.

This T-shirt is quite stylish too!

Shop the T-Shirt here.

Full range of Cool Dad items here

Extreme Dads

fathers day camping gifts guide leatherman


The winner was……The Leatherman Wingman Multi-Tool.

Another very tricky category to pick a winner in.  Lots of knives in this category, and rugged stuff.  So I chose something we own and that is very handy to have around camp. It does 14 things, and comes with a 25yr warranty.    You can get Leatherman tools that do even more but this one will do most everything you need.

Shop the Leatherman Wingman here

Full range of Extreme Dad items here

How to choose a camping multi-tool

4WD Dads

fathers day camping gifts guide darche eclipse awning

The winner was…….Darche Eclipse Awning

Why did this win?  Because with summer a few months away, shade wherever and whenever you need it is a must.  Attached to your car, you won’t be worrying about finding a good tree to sit under.  You will all benefit from this, just not dad, so think of it as a present to yourself too!

Shop the Darche Eclipse here

Full range of 4WD Dad items here.

Sunsmart Dads

fathers day camping gifts guidefathers sun hat

The winner was……..every hat

Yes, any hat that protects you from the sun, is a good purchase.  Slip, slop, slap.  Find something stylish, practical and wide brimmed (preferable).   Hats are a must when outdoors.

Full range of Sunsmart Dad items here

Action Dads


fathers day camping gifts guide speakers





The winner was……Goal Zero Rock Out 2 Solar Speakers

This category is hard to choose.   We love a Go Pro, so that could have been the perfect gift for action guys if they don’t have one (so keep that in mind if you want to spend a bit).  But in the end, went with this speaker that works beautifully with the winner of our our Solar Charger Dad category (see above).    It has a built in solar charger on the speaker, works off bluetooth and can last 10 hours without charging. 

Shop the Goal Zero Solar Speakers here

Full range of Action Dad items here

So there you have it.  Our inaugural winners of the best item in each category.  Our decision is based on personal use and preference


Information on our affiliates and disclosure can be found here. 
All photos sourced from Wild Earth.

You May Also Like