Brett Cassidy is the Specialty Outdoor Buyer at The Clymb. You can catch him racing cyclocross in the fall, backcountry skiing in winter, climbing Cascade volcanoes in spring, and drinking Oregon craft beer while bumping EDM on the bluetooth speaker all summer. His most epic adventure to date has been a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2005.
He shares 10 great Christmas (or anytime) gift ideas for the outdoor enthusiast.
Because TheClymb requires users to login to see pages, we’ve included links to current sales at TheClymb (login first to see them) as well as direct links to product pages. If you don’t see the sale link here, it’s over! —Sean McCoy
10. Lucky Bums! four-foot toboggan ($199)
A hill, a toboggan and a snowstorm; what else do you need? This made-in-the-USA toboggan is a classic. Don’t want to spend $200? The company makes lots of sleds, toboggans, snowball fight kits and more.
Brett’s take: Sledding is the gateway drug to everything cool that you do as an adult. Not only will your kids be stoked on these toboggans, you can even use them to haul groceries home when the roads are too snowy to drive on.
9. EMU Slippers on sale at TheClymb for men, women and kids. ($39 to $60)
Hey, who doesn’t like a nice slipper for early mornings around the house or apres hot tubbing! These from Emu are made with suede and lined with sheep skin for super warm tootsies.
Brett’s Take: On those winter days that I have to skip the backcountry touring in order to “get stuff done” at home I prefer to keep my slippers on all day. These EMU slippers are like wrapping your feet in heated clouds.
8. Outdoor Research Women’s Mithrilite Softshell (Marked down to $74.98 from $199)
A top selling fully waterproof shell on closeout from last season is one heck of a deal on TheClymb!
Brett’s take: A waterproof softshell should be a staple in every adventurer’s outerwear quiver, and when you consider Outdoor Research’s obsession with quality and the affordable price you’d be hard-pressed to find one better than the Mithrilite
7. Suunto Men’s Ambit. ($290 on sale from $400)
With the release of the Ambit 2s, the former benchmark watch has dipped in price. Score a deal with this solid GPS training and navigation device.
Brett’s take: A Suunto watch is a must have for any self-respecting mountain man, and the Ambit is the holy grail of Suunto watches. Only the luckiest gift recipients in the world deserve to have one of these bad-boys bestowed upon them.
6. Icelantic Skis ($349 to $419)
Think you can’t afford a made-in-Colorado ski? Look at these deals on bomber planks from Icelantic.
Brett’s take: If you’re lucky enough to get gifted some Icelantic skis this holiday season your friends will be jealous for 2 reasons: 1) You’ll crush pow way harder than them and 2) your skis will look like a photo album of Timothy Leary’s vacation to Candyland.
5. Black Diamond Agent Avalung Backpack ($99.98 on sale down from $200)
A 20-liter pack with built-in avalung, this pack is perfect for the backcountry skier you love and want to give a little more safety in the backcountry.
Brett’s take: I rocked this pack on a 5 day yurt trip in the Wallowas last winter and it was perfect. Nothing less and nothing more than you need for backcountry excursions from a base camp, and the avalung provides a little extra peace of mind in avalanche prone terrain.
4. Strider Bikes ($109 to $170)
These bikes have no pedals and are perfect for young children learning to ride for the first time to build skills that will last a lifetime.
Brett’s take: Nothing can make a parent prouder than watching his fearless offspring thrash the local pump track . . . with no pedals . . . at 3 years old!
3. Wilder & Sons Rucksack (On sale for $48.98 from $75)
These are a simple, vintage style rucksack for a good price.
Brett’s take: Unfortunately I have to go to work most days, and worse yet I sometimes exercise indoors at a gym! I use the Wilder and Sons Rucksack on these unfortunate occasions so that I look a lot cooler than I feel.
2. Cycletek High Performance Trainers. ($379)
A well made cycling trainer built to last with a thermodynamically neutral silicone filled resistance unit for smooth, quiet, stable resistance and unique two-stage folding frame design for storage or transport.
Brett’s take: The first time I used a Cycletek trainer before a race I had my best result in 3 years of racing cyclocross. Enough said.
1. Dragon Alliance APX Goggle ($180)
The first fully frameless goggle, these beauties have interchangeable lens systems and lots of color options and features in the line.
Brett’s take: The peripheral vision these goggles give you is unreal. No more getting blindsided by out-of-control n00b gapers near the liftline; with the APXs goggle on you’ll see ‘em comin’.
