From compact and versatile tools that can withstand the toughest conditions to the Gina-approved block of salt, this gift list has everything to please the outdoor survival enthusiast in your life.

 

Still obsessed with Alone? Yeah, us too. Watching Outback Mike build canoes and fishing rods out of natural materials had us reaching for whittling knives, while our Google searches for ferro rods skyrocketed. Bushcraft skills are back! Embrace the wilderness with these items guaranteed to help you (or your mates!) survive the great outdoors.

Listen to the We Are Explorers Podcast: Survival Expert Alex Mileham on What To Do if You Get Lost

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1. Adopt a Platypus 

We can’t all be visited by a platypus every day (like Gina Chick!), but we can adopt one and help restore their numbers in the wild. WWF Australia conducts research and monitors platypus populations across eastern states in Australia. They use donations to support the implementation of a custom rewilding program that reintroduces platypuses back into their natural habitat. 

Give a gift that gives back this Christmas – adopt a platypus and help them enjoy the great outdoors too. 

You can contribute an ongoing monthly donation beginning from $20, or opt for a one-off gift donation of $180. You’ll receive a WWF booklet, adoption certificate, sticker, and a platypus plushie in receipt. Support your love of the wilderness by helping ensure the guardians of the wild are there to welcome you on your next adventure. 

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2. Silva Ranger Compass and Map Reader with Magnifier 

 

 

Navigate your way out of forests that all the look same with this traditional baseplate compass, appreciated by survivalists and hikers alike. Every part of the nifty compass by Silva is bursting with features. Even the lanyard has additional uses and can be detached to utilise the scale markings along its length. 

With luminous lines to allow for night navigation, a rubber grip for easy handling, and a magnifying lens for precision map reading, this gift is a no-brainer for anyone headed out into the great unknown.

Make sure your mate comes home with this wilderness navigation essential. Not sure if they know how to use a compass? Grab them these quick reference cards as well. 

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3. Sol Fire Lite Kit in Dy Bag

 

 

Whether you’re chasing a fire to roast marshmellows or to warm up your cold, lonesome bod while on a solo adventure, this Fire Lite Kit from Sol will bring the heat. As we saw in Alone Season One, lighting a fire from wet tinder is hard. 

If you don’t have fire, you don’t have a way to get warm, cook food, or likely sterilise your water (if you’ve elected to leave the Katadyn tablets at home!) 

Fire is essential and this kit, encased in a dry bag with a fire starter and dry tinder, will ensure you have everything you need. If you’re well-stocked when it comes to dry bags and would rather prep your own tinder, you can also get a fire starter on its own. 

Ensure your buddy stays warm on cold nights with this practical Christmas gift.

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4. Gerber Gaitor Senior Machete Knife

Indulge your inner-Mike and use this highly versatile two-sided blade to craft your own bushcraft masterpieces. Forged with high-carbon stainless steel it features an 18 inch serrated blade on one side, and a 15 inch sharp flat blade on the other.

The handle is encased in rubber – it’s the small comforts that count, right! – and it comes with a nylon sheath so you don’t accidentally take off a leg while you’re searching for that elusive saw sedge grass. 

Watch your mates eyes light up when they unwrap this beast and can live out their survivor fantasies in the wild. 

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5. DD Hammocks Tarp XL

 

 

Tarps featured heavily on Alone Australia – and for good reason. The XL DD Hammock Tarp comes with 19 reinforced attachment points, which makes it extremely versatile and able to be set up in more configurations than you’ll have time to try. 

This may truly be the MVP on your outdoor survivalist adventure. It can be used for everything from a sun shade to a primitive shelter, to a passive water-collection device, to a blanket. Use your imagination and let your bushcraft skills shine.

With so many ways to add value to time spent in the outdoors, you can be sure that your gift will be used and appreciated for years to come. 

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6. Himalayan Salt Block

 

 

You didn’t seriously think that we were going to give you a list of gift ideas for ‘Alone’ fans and not include a salt block, did you? If Gina taught us anything, it’s that salt is an outback survival essential.

Catching a fish? You need salt. Unintentionally caught a leech? You need salt. Low on minerals? Salt.

If you’re planning on spending a significant time in the wild, a salt block is a surprisingly handy item to bring along. It’s an excellent source of vital minerals, can help maintain healthy blood pressure when your calorie intake is lower than normal, and has the added benefit of improving the taste of just about everything.

As dedicated ‘Alone’ fans, we’d be delighted to receive sizeable blocks of salt this Christmas. If you don’t have any fans of the show in your life but want to bring utter confusion to a mate instead, a block of salt is a very surprising gift. 

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7. Patagonia Better Sweater

 

The Patagonia Better Sweaters aren’t new, but they’re on this list because they’re a reliable and valuable item – and they’re available for both men and women.  

Not only will this bad boy keep you warm but it can perform a whole bunch of useful functions as well. You can stuff it with grass and pretend it’s a person. You can use it as a pillow, as an ultra-lightweight chair, or even a rough ‘n’ ready sail to make steering your DIY canoe that much easier. 

Give your sucker-for-punishment mates the gift of a warm hug jacket they can rely on for years this Christmas. 

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8. Sol Scout Survival Kit

 

 

If you’re buying for an ‘Alone’ enthusiast, but you’re not sure what gear they already have, this is the item you want to pick. This Scout Survival Kit contains a collection of essentials that will be useful to any adventurer in the outdoors. From duct tape to a reflective mirror, and a survival blanket – this covers the basics. 

But the best perk of this gift idea is the basic fishing kit that it comes with. After spending countless hours watching ‘Alone’ contestants battle to catch a fish, you can now experience this unique frustration for yourself. Or, get greater joy from hearing about how much it drove your mate nuts. 

With so many items in the one package, this gift recommendation has great value written all over it. It’s the perfect starter kit for the wannabe wilderness expert in your life.

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9. Sol Paracord, 100ft

 

Skills with paracord are an easy way to split a pack of survivalists into those with experience, and those without. This 100ft / 30m length of Paracord by Sol, is made up of 14 strands with a durable nylon outer sheath. 

Challenge your mate to use this in as many ways as they can think of. From separating out the strands to use it as fishing line to building a shelter, or hanging food, paracord is USEFUL. Yep, capital-letter useful. Once you start using it, you can’t go back.

This is one gift that’ll never sit unused at the back of a cupboard. Wilderness lovers who like to learn will ‘knot’ be disappointed with this one! 

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10. Ocean Signal ‘RescueMe’ PLB1 Personal Satellite GPS Locator

 

 

Every trip into the great outdoors starts with the best intentions, but sometimes the shit hits the fan. When that happens, you need one of these. The ‘RescueMe’ personal locator beacon is your ticket to safety when disaster strikes in the middle of nowhere. 

Yeah, it’s the kind of item you’ll carry for a lifetime and possibly never use. But the implications if you don’t have one when you need one… well, let’s not go there. This puppy is waterproof to 15m, has no subscription charges (unlike a lot of other PLBs which have monthly charges), and can be operated with a single hand. 

Every ‘Alone’ fan dreads the moment a contestant begins to consider tapping, or bowing out of the challenge. But worse than tapping is the inability to tap at all. 

Gift your solo adventuring bud one of these for Christmas and rest easy knowing that they can always call for help. 

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Feature image by Yasmin Maher

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