Give the Gift of New Traditions 2021
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH REI
All images in this blog were captured by Mitchel Jones and Michael Sugianto.
A collection of gift ideas for your loved ones with overflowing closets, who adamantly do not want anything for the holidays or, most commonly, who are impossible to shop for.
The common thread in all of these gifts is that the thing you are actually giving is time. For some it is the gift of your own time, for others it is freeing up theirs or, in a lot of cases, investing both in a new hobby, tradition or skill. By building new traditions you are not only avoiding spending your hard earned money on a gift that runs the risk of ending up in the back of their closet or a return box in the mail, but taking a moment to think of what they actually want. And over the past few years it has become evident that a lot of the things we actually want are somewhat intangible.
As a note, I talk about most of these gifts as things you can do together - but a lot can be gifted as time apart. A reset, a solo retreat for your loved ones away from the hustle and bustle of every day life.
Plan a getaway:
Book a cabin in the woods
(or the beach or the mountains or the middle of the desert)
Get them outdoors with the ultimate “choose your own” camping/glamping bundle: a $50 REI gift card to find some new gear + a $50 Hipcamp gift card to book a unique outdoor stay. You can check out all of the details here. I picked us up some matching Teva x Cotopaxi slippers from my local store and packed them for a long weekend in the desert here (we stayed in the Quonset hut, but if you’re looking for the most instagram-worthy hut I would go with the Pope Hut). On top of cute cabins and treehouses in the forest I often use HipCamp to find public campgrounds and private camp sites that I would have otherwise never found.
Plan a road trip
Research is often the most forgotten and hardest part of getting any trip off of the ground. Do that for them. Plan a trip, not for yourself, but for them. Look into every details - the neatest places to stay (or comfortable if that is their priority), where to get the best donuts, the best hiking trails, hidden hot springs and local events - think of what they would enjoy most. Show them how well you know them and plan something they will be excited for (since this will likely be a little ways out depending on the activities and their time availability).
take them camping
Maybe this is a selfish one, but the thing I love most is showing “my people” why I care so much about the outdoors. For the past few years the only thing I have asked for from my family is their time - to book off a long weekend in the summer to let me take them backcountry camping. I want to take them out into my favourite mountains, bring my favourite go-to dehydrated meals and coffee and snacks, and show them the thing I am most passionate about.
And I know not everyone has gear, when I travel I like to use REI gear rentals for myself and also to help outfit my +1’s while they are in the process of falling in love with the outdoors.
And if camping isn’t your thing - think about what you love most, what you are passionate about and find a way to share that.
Learn a new skill together
One of my friends, for their first Christmas together, received a 6-week pottery class from her (now) husband. This was both a way to learn a new skill together and have a bi-weekly date night already set in the calendar. For this think cooking, arts, crafts, mechanic, music, dance, woodwork, surf, gymnastics, barista 101, circus school… the sky is the limit - think of something you would both enjoy learning together. Maybe a new forever hobby will come of it.
And if you are looking for somewhere to start - REI Co-op Experiences has both virtual and in person events for your current (or future) outdoors person - book an introduction to cross country skiing, learn how to maintain a bicycle, join a run cub, take an advanced navigation class or find opportunities to learn how to give back via their stewardship offerings. You can filter by your location but this is a great way to spend quality time and learn a new skill with someone you care about.
Plan a trip (or have someone else do it for you)
As the world begins to open up I think a lot of us are itching to travel more. REI Adventures offers domestic and international trips - all you need to do is book the time off of work and use their packing guide to fill your bags. My mom and I took a guided backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon in spring 2015 and it sparked my love for backcountry camping. Having the daunting task of planning and booking permits and ensuring we had everything we needed as well as a guide to answer my (seemingly endless) stream of questions and show me not only the best way to do things for my safety but also for the planet made me a much more confident outdoors-woman. And, REI gift cards can now be used toward these adventures (some come with a pretty heavy price tag) as well as gear rentals to get them ready to go.
Take something off of their to-do list (this is my love language)
book a service for their gear
My least favourite part about cycling is maintenance (who am I kidding, my least part of anything is maintenance) - for the avid cyclist or snow sport enthusiast on your list select REI stores have ski, snowboard and bike shops staffed by REI Master Technicians. If your ride needs aligning, your sticks need fixing or your board just needs some love, check out all the services of their in-store REI Bike Shops and REI Ski & Snowboard Shops.
Or if their beloved piece of gear has been loved to pieces… literally (I am looking at my boots with worn through soles and down jacket held together with duct tape) look into REI Repair Services for their Outdoor Clothing & Gear. For a fraction of the cost, and environmental impact, instead of replacing gear you can give it a new life.
Hire a hand
Give a gift card to that over-worked friend of yours for a local house cleaner, or maybe get the car detailed (or their oil changed if that’s past due). These chores that (almost) nobody enjoys doing are oftentimes the most welcomed. There is nothing quite like coming home to a house you didn’t have to clean yourself.
or offer up your own
I remember making little coupon books for my parents when I was young. But as an adult, think of all of the ways you can offer support to your loved ones - think of what you have to offer, it does not need to be monetary. For your friends: a guaranteed ride to the airport, a coffee drop off on a busy day at work, a weekend of baby-sitting so they can get out of town, an invite over for wine and boardgames. For your partner: cleaning the kitchen (even if they made the mess), a back massage after a long day, coffee in bed on a Sunday morning or taking over their turn to order takeout, pick a movie to watch or take out the garbage.
give a recurring gift
Annual Passes and memberships
National Park Passes (the US Interagency Pass can be found here and the Canadian National Park Pass here), a local museum, art gallery, science centre, zoo, theme park, swimming pool… something they will be able to enjoy throughout the year. Now you can give the gift of membership this Holiday season with a Membership gift card. A lifetime membership is just $20. This card is available in-store and on rei.com.
Monthly (or quarterly) subscriptions
The first things that come to mind for me is a monthly coffee subscription (I have this one - two bags of Turning Point delivered to my house every four weeks) and Laird Superfood - offering monthly subscriptions including my Daily Rituals box that deliver in any set interval you would like. But this can be anything, with the increased time at home over the past two years I have found myself (as an adamant anti-cut-flower person) wishing my dining room table had fresh flowers 24/7. A year of Netflix, a wine or whiskey of the month club, audible, Adobe Suite for your budding photographer… there is a subscription service for nearly every hobby out here. This also gives them a constant reminder throughout the year of how much you care for them.
Give the gift of choice
I know, its cliché to give a gift card for the holidays. But hear me out - my father is the hardest person in the world to shop for. He hates everything and buys things the second he thinks of them. So, the best I can do is help fund those impulse purchases.
Think of where your loved ones shop, eat, play or relax (or where you know they would love to but talk themselves out of it).
And for the outdoors person on your list, for each REI gift card (including the REI x HipCamp bundle) sold in an REI store, on REI.com or on the REI app, REI will donate $1 to the REI Cooperative Action Fund. The 501(c)(3) Fund makes grants to nonprofits that promote justice, equity and belonging in the outdoors. For details about the REI Cooperative Action Fund, please see REIfund.org. Win-win-win.
*Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission on any purchase made - at no additional cost to you. As always, all ideas and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. Thank you for your support!
