How to Create a Gift Basket for an Outdoor Enthusiast

Every outdoor enthusiast loves gear - and a basketful of gear makes a great gift. Select a basket and fill it with practical items and a few special surprises thrown in just for fun.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Gift Ribbons
• Oral Rehydration Salts
• Ribbons
• Waterproof Matches
• Bandannas
• Wool Socks
• Baskets
• Candle Lantern Padded Case
• Candle Lanterns
• Candles
• Cellophane Gift Wrap
• Gift Bags
• Gift Bows
• Pine Cones
• Wrapping Paper
• Coffee Beans
• Hot Chocolates
• First Aid Kits
• Insect Repellents
• Lip Balm
• Sunscreen
• Outdoor Magazines
• Shredded-paper Filling
• Frisbees
• Backpacking Lanterns
• Camping Lanterns
• Compasses
• Hydration Packs
• Playing Cards

Choosing the Basket and Gifts

1. 

   Pick a basket large enough to hold a variety of items. Think about getting a basket with two handles and a hinged top that can later be used as a picnic basket.

2. 

   Choose from among the following practical items to fill the basket: a miniature thermometer with a clip to hook onto a jacket zipper or backpack; a mini flashlight that converts into a free-standing candle; a mini candle lantern; several packages of flavorful oral rehydration solution; a small wilderness first aid kit; waterproof matches; fire sticks to start fires in wet conditions; waterproof sunscreen; lip balm; insect repellent; colorful bandannas; a compass; wool socks; a quick-dry towel; a pocket wilderness first aid book.

3. 

   Pick from among the following "just for fun" items to spice things up: a battery-operated camping lantern key chain; an outdoor magazine or a subscription to an outdoor magazine; mini bottles of belly-warming spirits; a wilderness adventure novel like "Into Thin Air"; a deck of cards; a Hackey Sack (a fist-sized ball filled with beans kicked around for fun); a flying disc; colorful candles; gourmet dehydrated food packets; chocolate kisses or miniature candy bars; packages of hot cider or hot chocolate; gourmet tea bags; a mug-sized portable French press coffee maker and a small bag of beans ground for a French press.

4. 

   Consider purchasing a "big ticket" gift to add to the mix. Great items for this would be an altimeter (a wrist watch that measures elevation gain - see "How to Buy an Altimeter" under Related eHows); a CD-ROM with a wilderness, climate or outdoor adventure theme; a good pocket knife; a super-light backpacking lantern; a high quality thermal underwear top; quick-dry underwear or bra.

5. Select a card with a wilderness theme. Some wilderness nonprofit organizations make wildlife photography greeting cards and a portion of the sales go to the organization.

Packing the Basket

1. Assemble the following items to wrap the basket: shredded-paper filling to stuff the basket; colorful gift wrap with an outdoor theme or warm and natural colors; paper cord or ribbons of a natural color; fallen leaves from trees, fallen pine needles, bark or pinecones to use as extra stuffing; scissors; tape.

2. Fill the bottom of the basket with shredded-paper filling and place the wrapped items sporadically throughout the basket, partially or completely burying the items.

3. Hide smaller items such as candy bars, hot beverage packets, small candles and boxes of matches within the stuffing.

4. Place leaves, pine needles, bark or pinecones within the basket as extra stuffing. Add as much shredded-paper filling as needed to pack everything in tightly.

5. Place the basket in the middle of a piece of clear or tinted cellophane wrap cut to size and gather the edges at the top. Tie the wrapping shut with paper cord, a pretty ribbon, a colorful bandanna, or a colorful length of mountaineering cord or webbing.

Tips & Warnings

• Shop for your gift items at a large outdoor recreation store. Browse through the aisles of cookware, food and camping gear to find inexpensive, small items to add to your basket.

• Use a roll of clear or tinted cellophane wrap to wrap the basket rather than individual sheets. This way you will be able to cover the basket using just one sheet of paper cut to the appropriate size.

• Consider wrapping each gift item with a potpourri of recycled gift wrap or with paper cut from brown paper grocery bags and decorated with crayons. Your outdoor enthusiast friend will appreciate the work you put into creating a beautifully wrapped gift out of recycled products.

• Consider placing a few of the gifts in nylon stuff sacks of various colors and sizes. Stuff sacks are inexpensive and will be useful in packing for an outdoor adventure.