Every year around this time my emails are flooded with black Friday sales and panicked emails about preparing for Christmas. The companies are telling me that I need to buy stuff, and I need to buy it yesterday. It’s honestly taken away a lot of the magic of Christmas. It feels like it’s more the season of buying random shit people don’t actually need and less spending time with the people you love and getting them a thoughtful gift.
This year I’ve been thinking a lot more about what I actually want to give people and what I would want to receive. Of course there are some things on my wish list that aren’t ‘eco-friendly’, but I’m definitely thinking twice before purchasing this week’s trending $200 polyester sweater (no thank you). If you’re feeling the same way, here are some gift ideas for the person who ‘doesn’t need anything’, and the gift giver that doesn’t want to just spend money to fill up the land fill.
Gifts that aren’t things for your outdoorsy friend
– Lift ticket to your local ski resort
– Snowshoe & fondue tour
– Climbing gym punch pass
– National/provincial park pass
– Local workshop or class (pottery, art, jewelry etc.)
– Wax & tune for skis/snowboard
– Subscription (AllTrails+, Gaia GPS, Strava, Headspace, Audible)
Experiential gifts for the indoorsy friend
– Massage, nail appointment, facial appointment
– Restaurant gift card
– Tickets to a local event
Gifts that are things but last a long time
– Something home-made!
(You can find my full list of favourites for things that suck less here.)
At the end of the day, we don’t need to be perfect to be better for the planet, we need collective messy consistency.
I’m not shaming you for putting platform UGGS on your Christmas list, I just want to make sure you’re also getting the cleaning & waterproofing kit so that they last longer than one winter… This guide isn’t about being zero waste or orally superior, it’s just to remind you what the holiday season is actually about, and that’s not spending all your money on random plastic shit from this year’s top retailers.
Brynn's Adventures 
Leave a comment