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Gift Guide

Book Gifts for Outdoorsy People

Gift ideas for hikers, campers and preppers: survival handbooks that earn a spot in the pack, plus true adventure stories for the nights by the fire.

Outdoorsy people tend to own all the gear already, so books are a good gift: useful skills they can practice and gripping stories about what happens when things go wrong.

The list mixes field guides, which are worth owning in print and carrying, with narrative books that read like thrillers. Most outdoor lovers enjoy one of each.

Published October 27, 2026

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Books on this list

1

SAS Survival Handbook

by John 'Lofty' Wiseman

5/5

The classic all-in-one survival manual, covering shelter, water, fire, food and navigation.

Check price on Amazon for SAS Survival Handbook (opens in a new tab)
2

Bushcraft 101

by Dave Canterbury

5/5

For the camper who wants to rely less on gear. A practical guide to the core skills and tools for living in the woods.

Check price on Amazon for Bushcraft 101 (opens in a new tab)
3

98.6 Degrees

by Cody Lundin

5/5

For the day hiker. Cody Lundin focuses on what actually kills people outdoors: losing core body temperature. It's short, funny and practical.

Check price on Amazon for 98.6 Degrees (opens in a new tab)
4

Deep Survival

by Laurence Gonzales

5/5

For the experienced adventurer. True stories of accidents in the wild and the psychology behind who survives. It may change how they make decisions on the trail.

Check price on Amazon for Deep Survival (opens in a new tab)
5

Endurance

by Alfred Lansing

5/5

For a night by the fire. Shackleton's Antarctic expedition and the crew's seemingly impossible survival, in a true story that reads like a novel.

Check price on Amazon for Endurance (opens in a new tab)
6

Into Thin Air

by Jon Krakauer

5/5

For the mountaineer, or the armchair one. Krakauer's account of the 1996 Everest disaster.

Check price on Amazon for Into Thin Air (opens in a new tab)
7

Where There Is No Doctor

by David Werner

5/5

For the backcountry traveler or rural homesteader. A widely used health handbook for places without a doctor, written in plain language. It's a reference, not a substitute for training.

Check price on Amazon for Where There Is No Doctor (opens in a new tab)
8

When All Hell Breaks Loose

by Cody Lundin

5/5

For the emergency-preparedness minded. Lundin's guide to staying alive at home when the power and water stop, written with his trademark humor.

Check price on Amazon for When All Hell Breaks Loose (opens in a new tab)
9

The Encyclopedia of Country Living

by Carla Emery

5/5

For the homesteader or would-be homesteader. A massive reference on gardening, animals, food preservation and self-sufficiency.

Check price on Amazon for The Encyclopedia of Country Living (opens in a new tab)
10

Born to Run

by Christopher McDougall

4/5

For the trail runner. A rollicking true story about the Tarahumara runners of Mexico and the science of running long distances.

Check price on Amazon for Born to Run (opens in a new tab)
11

The Prepper's Blueprint

by Tess Pennington

5/5

For the person starting to prepare for emergencies. A step-by-step, calm approach that avoids doom-and-gloom.

Check price on Amazon for The Prepper's Blueprint (opens in a new tab)

Field Guide or Story?

For someone heading out on trips, pick a field guide: SAS Survival Handbook for breadth, Bushcraft 101 for woods skills, or 98.6 Degrees for the essentials of staying warm. For the reader who loves the outdoors from the couch too, Endurance, Into Thin Air and Born to Run are the crowd-pleasers.

Gift Tips

Pair a field guide with a related item: a fire starter with Bushcraft 101, a first-aid kit with Where There Is No Doctor, or a headlamp with 98.6 Degrees. Survival books teach skills; practice them with qualified instruction before relying on them in a real emergency.

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