Gift Ideas for Outdoor-Loving Dads!
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Relaxing at Lake Corpus Christi
What do you get the dad who loves RVing for Father's Day? Great question! To help you with your Father's Day shopping, we've put together a list of 20 items that we own and Tom loves. And since Tom is an RVing dad, these items are, in fact, "RV Dad Approved"!
We've tried to include a little something for Dads with different interests and in a variety of budgets. We hope our list helps gives you some ideas. And, of course, don't forget about Grandaddy! Grandpas love to RV too!
Happy Father's Day to All of the Dads and Granddads! We hope y'all have a wonderful Father's Day and get to enjoy some camping soon!
Gift Ideas for Laid Back Dads:
A great way to relax in any campsite, a zero gravity chair is basically a camping recliner. What Dad wouldn't love that! He can kick back, put his feet up and relax. These chairs are comfortable, but also fold down easily when it's time to pack up. Priced at about $45.
We bought our CampGuard Lanterns (we own 2) at the fall RV Show in Dallas a few years back. These handy lanterns are LED, run on D batteries and have 4 settings to choose from including 2 levels of lighting and 2 super cool motion sensor settings. We use the auto motion setting at night so our lantern will light up when wildlife get close to our RV. These lanterns also come in right at $45.
We interviewed Matt with Bright Path LED about these lanterns when we bought ours at the Dallas RV Supershow.
This hammock is perfect for when Dad really wants to relax at camp. It is completely self-supported, so you don't need to find trees a certain distance apart. It sets up easily and folds back up when it's time to leave. This hammock is sturdy, made of polyester and steel, and comes with a carrying bag to protect it while you are traveling from place to place. Priced at about $97.
This handy electric cooler is perfect for keeping cold drinks handy outside so Dad's not having to go in and out of the RV to get a drink. It can operate off of either AC or DC power. We kept ours in one of our motorhome's basement storage bays to keep drinks cold outside. (Heck, you could set one of these up next to Dad's zero gravity chair or kwik set hammock and he might never get up! LOL!) There are several sizes available, and they can be set to keep food warm also. The 21 Quart size we have is priced at about $188.
Gift Ideas for Outdoor Chef Dads:
Tom says these are the best cooking gloves he owns. They are made of brushed leather, lined and reinforced at the fingers. The longer length protects more of his arms as he is cooking over the campfire. We have owned these gloves for several years and they have held up extremely well. Priced at about $16.
You may have seen this tripod in one of our
Camp Cooking videos. We use it every time we cook with one of our dutch ovens hanging over a campfire. This is a great gift for any Dad who wants to get back to basics with his outdoor cooking. It is made of solid steel and comes with an adjustable chain. Priced at about $27.
We LOVE cooking with cast iron. This is especially true when we are camping out in nature. There's just something about cooking outside that makes everything taste better to us. If you have a Dad that wants to get into cast iron cooking, a dutch oven is an excellent gift choice. They are available in a variety of sizes and can be used to cook over wood, with charcoal and even on propane. Our favorite dutch ovens are made by Lodge. A 4 Quart (10 inch) dutch oven with legs like we use runs about $48.
This portable outdoor cooktop gives you 2 burners that you can use to cook two separate items simultaneously. It is easy to set up and take down (just attach or detach the legs and connect a propane bottle). This range works with a wide variety of Camp Chef cooking accessories like griddles, enclosed BBQs and roasters. You can also use it to cook with cast iron. It is strong, durable and stable. Tom owned this for several years and it is was almost always one of the first things he set up at camp. Priced at about $100.
Another one of the many outdoor cooking appliances we have owned, this Weber grill operates off of propane and is the perfect size for grilling quickly. We found it especially handy on travel days or on days when we want to spend most of our time exploring whatever park we're camping in. It sits on a table top so there are no legs to break down for transport and the ignition is a simple push of a button. Priced at about $170. As with a lot of propane cookers, Weber offers a number of accessories that go with this handy little cooker.
The newest addition to our "outdoor kitchen"! The thing Tom misses the most since we moved into the RV full-time is his smoker. Traveling in a 31.5' diesel pusher has its advantages, but storage is limited (both in size and weight). We've been looking at pellet grills for a while now and are excited to have just picked up a Davy Crockett Pellet Grill from Green Mountain Grills. This tailgating pellet grill folds for storage, runs off of 110 or 12v power and has more cooking space than some of the other pellet grills we looked at. Priced at about $325.
Where's Tom? He's on the hammock!
Tom Cooking
Gift Ideas for Active Dads:
For Dads who don't stop when the sun goes down (or start their day before sunrise) a good headlamp can be a great addition. He can do what he wants to do without having to hold a flashlight. This headlamp features 5 light settings including high and low flood lights, high and low spot lights, and a red light to provide better visibility without forcing his eyes to adjust from one extreme to the other when he turns it off. What we like most about this particular line of headlamps is the BatteryLock system. This light actually disconnects the batteries when you turn the light off so your batteries will last a lot longer than in a traditional headlamp or other battery operated device. We have owned our old Coleman headlamps for years and we really like them. This will be their replacement. Priced at about $17.
If Dad is into watching birds or wildlife, he might enjoy a pair of binoculars. This set is waterproof and has a non-slip rubber grip that makes them easy to hold on to even if his hands get a little bit sweaty while he's out exploring. They come with a strap so they're easy to carry around. A couple of magnifications are available with prices between about $75 - $84.
We have owned our Yakima bike rack for probably close to 10 years. We've carried as many as 3 bikes on it, but they say you can carry up to 4. Our rack is strong, rides well and includes a bottle opener! A bike rack with a built-in bottle opener, what Dad wouldn't love that?!? It folds down when you aren't using it and is easy to connect to your motorhome, truck or tow vehicle via your hitch receiver. Priced at about $179.
We bought our first GoPro camera in 2013. Tom has worn one on his bike helmet, on his chest and has mounted it on the dashboard of the RV. (By the way, it's not a good idea to drive all day in the desert sun in August with a camera on your dashboard... unless you want a new camera!) This newer version is a big improvement over the older models we owned and we've been using it quite a bit for our videos. Priced at about $330.
OK so if you really want to go all out... Our Hurricane kayaks were a huge splurge purchase for us a few years back, but we love them. They are lightweight, easy to carry, easy to load, comfortable and stable in the water. We are absolutely convinced that if we take good care of them they will last us for the rest of our lives. The best part to us is that Hurricane was founded by actual kayakers, and their experience helps them build boats that are easy for us novices to enjoy! (Plus, we love that their seat is called an "AireStream" seat.) Priced at about $1,000.
Gift Ideas for Dads Who Like to Read:
The true story of one couple's journey to quit their jobs, sell their house, and move into an RV to travel the country. If you follow Joe and Kait Russo's journey on their website,
WereTheRussos.com, or watch their videos on YouTube, you'll hear their voices as Joe tells the story about how their journey to full-time RVing got started, buying their first RV, and everything they went through during the transition. We bought this book before meeting the Russos. Since that time, we've gotten to spend time with them on a couple of occasions while they were traveling in Texas. They are really nice, genuine folks and we're happy to call them friends. That aside, we really did enjoy "Take Risks" and we are looking forward to reading Joe's next book. About $15 for paperback, $6 for Kindle.
If Dad enjoys magazines, consider getting him a subscription to Trailer Life. This monthly publication covers all things related to towable RVs: product reviews, destinations, maintenance tips, upgrade ideas and how-to articles. Priced at about $18.
The motorized version of Trailer Life, MotorHome Magazine covers all of the same topics, but focused on Class A, B, C and Super C motorhomes. Priced at about $20.
For Dads who love visiting the Texas State Parks and learning more about the history behind them, the is a great resource! Full of photos, the book walks you through the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and talks about the contributions they made in creating so many of our state and national parks. We have carried this book with us for years to learn more about the parks we are visiting and things to look for that tell the story of its unique history. Priced at about $25.
Searching for wildlife on El Camino Real
Loaded up with our toys!
Gift Ideas for Any Dad Who Loves the Outdoors:
If you've been thinking about trying out the RV experience, consider renting an RV and taking a roadtrip! Sit down with Dad and select from a variety of options in your area or in an area you'd like to travel to. We've partnered with Outdoorsy to help you find a camper for your next big adventure or weekend away. You can also search available RVs on our
RV Rentals page.
We've bought a Texas State Parks Pass every year for as long as we can remember. This Pass is a great way to encourage Dad to get out and enjoy our state parks more often and makes it easy to have fun as a family without breaking the bank! Pass holders get free entry into all state parks in Texas for a year as well as camping, equipment rental and merchandise discounts. To learn more about this annual pass and our experience with it, check out our post
Save Money with the Texas State Parks Pass!. Priced at $70.
Basically the Texas State Parks Pass on a larger stage, the America the Beautiful Pass gets Dad and up to 3 other adults plus all kiddos 15 and under in the same vehicle into 2,000+ federal parks in the United States: National Parks, National Forests, National Grasslands, Bureau of Land Management, US Army Corps of Engineers. Priced at $80.
You Might Also Be Interested In:
Our Complete Amazon Shop Featuring RV Related Products We Use and Like
Our Camp Cooking Videos and Recipes
Our List of Pro Sports Venues in Texas (maybe Dad would like tickets?)
Ten Tips for Traveling with a Dog (does Dad need a new camping companion?)
10 Fun, Budget-Friendly Things to Do In Galveston TX (Take Dad on a trip to the coast!)
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Safe Travels and Happy Camping!
