This is the first of three, or more, holiday gift guides I will be sharing with you all here on Dirt & Tears! Note that everything on the list below is something I have paid for myself or received as a gift. None of the links are affiliate links. This is all to share the knowledge and to help make this time of year more fun and less stressful.

1. Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie

I do not leave home without my bright orange OR Echo Hoodie. It is the one must-have item on every single trip. Although I have this same shirt model in seven different styles/sizes, this hoodie is my absolutely favorite. So much so that I aim to slowly sell/give away the other long-sleeve versions of the shirt and acquire more of the hoodies. It’s important to note that I have it in a size larger than I usually wear because I prefer a loose-fitting shirt when it’s hot out or when I am very active, which is nearly all the time. So, I recommend sizing up.

Besides the lightweight, wicking, and breathable – feels like you’re not really wearing a shirt aspect – what I love about the hoodie is the ponytail hole. And yes, I use the ponytail hole almost every time I wear the shirt. I even had a fellow runner comment and say they’d never seen that feature actually used on a shirt. Here’s my trick for both super hot days or super cold days. First, I wear this shirt. Second, I wear my Patagonia Hat (below) and wrap my hair in a single braid down the middle through the hat hole. Third, I pull up my hood and pull the braid through the ponytail hole. If it’s hot, the hood and hat work together to shade my face and neck. If it’s cold, the hood covers my ears and head from the biting temps, but it’s not too hot to where I start swearing profusely when I start moving.

I wear this shirt during every single activity, but I probably appreciate it the most while running, hiking/backpacking, cycling, and kayaking.

• OR Women’s Echo Hoodies for 50% off!
• Plus-Sized Women’s OR Echo Hoodies on Sale!
• Men’s OR Echo Hoodies on sale too!
• More color options for all of these above can be found on the OR website when you search “Echo Hoodie” but you’ll be looking at paying full price.

2. Darn Tough Socks

If I am bringing only one pair of socks on a trip, these are the ones I choose. Now, you might be wondering when I earth anyone would bring only one pair of socks with them, but when cycle touring, where we wear Keen Sandals every day, one pair of socks is all we need. They are used for cold days and nights and sometimes wet days.

These socks are magic to me, so I will do my best to describe why I love them. First, they seem to be the perfect height and thickness- just right- in a Goldilocks sense. When you have one pair of socks, you don’t want them super high on your leg or super short, and you also don’t want them super thin or thick. These are right in the middle. Second, when I slide my feet in, they fit so well. They stretch and sit in all the right places. Throwing them in the dryer doesn’t seem to make a difference to the quality or size.

Somehow, they also seem to work well in warm or cool weather. Again, they aren’t outrageously hot or cool, but my feet seem to somehow be happy in them in various situations. Often, when I am on trips where I carry a few pairs of socks with me, these are my bedtime socks, up until the final day, when I save the best for last. Long story short, I love these so much that they are on my holiday wish list because I’d like to have more than one pair and slowly declutter my sock drawer with socks that are lesser than.

I find that these socks are best used for hiking/backpacking any time of year, tour cycling in sandals on cold days, and running on cold days.

Darn Tough Socks come in a range of lengths, thickness, uses, etc. so they seem to have someonething for every person and every use. I already also have their ski socks.

3. Patagonia Duckbill Trucker Hat

If you’re like me, you have way too many hats in your closet or scattered throughout your house. Moreover, you typically wear just one of the dozens you own. I love this hat first and foremost because it fits the size of my head. I guess I have a smaller head, and therefore, most hats cover up the top of my ears and make me look like a child. It’s not a great fit for when you’re moving a lot. Second, I love this hat because it has a cool design on it, but it is also bland enough to wear with anything and everything.

Some features you might read about the hat on Patagonia’s website include:

• Packability – It will fold and squish down into any nook or cranny you need to fit it in.
• Washability – I throw it in the wash as often as I can remember, then hang dry. Since I wear it nearly daily while running, it must be washed regularly.
• No Velcro – As someone with long curly hair, this is an absolute must. The clasp in the back is plastic and does not grab my hair ever.
• Adjustable – It also has an excellent tightening system, so you can secure the cap right to your scalp and keep it from jostling as you’re rambling down the trail. I often end up with hat lines on my forehead, but I’d rather have that than a hat that doesn’t stay in place.
• Breathability – The back is mesh, has a band around the forehead, and overall, it keeps my head cool.

Sincere apologies to all my other hats around my house, but his is my one and only. Maybe one day, I will invest in a second one. I use this hat for hiking/backpacking, running, kayaking, hanging at the beach, and sometimes even Zoom meetings when I need to cover up my hair.

4. Patagonia Women’s Granite Crest Rain Jacket

I wrote an entire article about this jacket for GearJunkie so I won’t go into detail here, you can simply read more about it on their website, but I had to include it in my list here since it does go with me everywhere now.

My secret to affording Patagonia items is to always shop at their outlet stores. Plus, do your best to make friends with people who work at Patagonia because then you might just score a friends and family discount on top of that. Or, peruse through their Worn Wear regularly, and filter by “Like New.”

This model also comes in the men’s shape and sizes are up to 3XL (2XL for women’s).

5. Ultralight Black Hole® Mini Hip Pack 1L

Funny enough, I bought this as a gift for a friend during the holidays, and a few years later, without asking, a different friend bought one for me! It’s now my wallet and purse all in one. It carries my pens and tiny notepad, my tiny wallet (i.e., all my cards and some cash and change) in the front zipper, my keys, my phone, chapstick, sunglasses, and a scrunchy. It’s also wonderful for traveling internationally because it holds my passport nice and close to my body.

Speaking of which, this is always around my chest or waist while in the airport (except for when going through security of course) so that I am not losing any important documents, given the highly inconvenient fact that most women’s pants do not have large pockets and that it’s usually too hot to wear a jacket in the airport.

I like that it is small enough not to take over your whole body but large enough to hold necessities.

6. Patagonia Cross Beta Sports Bra

This bra is comfortable enough to wear for hours upon hours while traveling, cute enough to wear on a date, discreet enough to wear as a bathing suit top, and sturdy enough to run in for those not needing tons of support. It has cups for when you need to cover the nipples, and they are removable for those hot days when you need more breathability. I have four pairs, and I go through them weekly. One pair is incredibly stretched out and loose which is mainly for lounging, another is way too tight that I only wear for short runs. My two newest pairs, which I sized up for comfort, are my go-to, to the point where when both of them are dirty, I am sad to have to wear a different bra.

I’m not sure if this bra is for everyone, but for those in the A-B range, you’ll be happy. It is the bra I most often get complimented on, and I most often lift my shirt to show off to friends. Sizes from XXS to XXL.

7. Arc’teryx Cita Pants

*Unfortunately, these pants are no longer on the market. I can’t seem to find them anywhere. The closest option seems to be the Proton Pants (but these are insulated) or the Gamma LT Pants but these are not in the tight ankle jogger style that I love.

Where do I start with these pants? Well, similar to the socks, if I take one pair of pants on a trip, these are the ones. I can run and hike in them, but they are also comfortable enough to wear as pajamas and nice enough to wear while flying to the other side of the world. They are very thin but loose enough to add a base layer/thermal underneath when it’s cold. The drawstring allows me to wear them tight while moving around or completely untied while lounging or sleeping. They are incredibly quick dry for wet rainy days or when doing sink or river laundry. They also have ankle zips to remove them over your shoes quickly.

I wear these primarily while road-tripping and traveling by plane, but I also love them for hiking/backpacking, running, cycling (fantastic over my bike shorts), kayaking, running errands, or on days I am working at the ski resort.

8. Arc’teryx Proton Hoody

I’ve had this jacket for maybe 10 years now, and honestly, it still looks brand new. There were a few years when I did not wear it as much because it was a bit baggy on me, and it wouldn’t fit well under all of my puffy jackets, or it would be too loose and let cool air in. However, lately, as I’ve been running more often, especially in cold temps, and I’ve developed a skin discomfort where multiple layers of loose clothing are the best option, this is my absolute go-to. Its competition is the Patagonia Nano.

As you’ll see, I’ve listed a few Patagonia must-haves here, but chose this Arcteryx over the Nano for this list. Here’s why:

• Feels more breathable for high-intensity activities.
• Shows less wear and tear over years of use.
• The hood cinches down to stay in place.
• Pockets are larger.
• The waist cinches down for windy or cold days.
• When fully zipped, the jacket covers the chin perfectly for warmth and protection.

Activities I use this jacket for: Running, backcountry skiing, and cross-country skiing.

This is another very pricey item, but every once in a while you might catch a sale at REI, or make a friend who works for Arc’teryx. I will say I believe it is worth the investment, but I think I got mine slightly on sale. Having one jacket to wear on every adventure that always looks brand new is something pretty special, but it is not always in everyone’s budget.

9. Liner Gloves

This is the one item on the list I’m not going to give you a specific brand or model because there are just so many that will work. I will share a few I have used over the years and the ones my partner swears by. The importance of this item on the list is that everyone should have a good pair of liner gloves and take them on every trip. These are best to keep in your day pack, purse, or straight in the pockets of your favorite jacket. I leave them by the door with my keys and fanny pack. Also, if you’re like me and are prone to a runny nose, having multiple easily washable pairs will be helpful so that you always have a clean pair.

Favorite pairs:

• HH Fleece Touch Glove liner (I wear size Medium)
• Windbreakers from REI (I wear Women’s Large)
• My partner loves his Black Diamond liners; I believe these are them: Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves

Activities where I use liner gloves: running, snowboarding (under mittens), backcountry skiing (for the hike up), backpacking, sunset and sunrise journaling/photography, cross-country skiing, cycling (I’ll wear them over or under my fingerless gloves on cold days), driving.

10. Multi-Functional Tubulars / Snoods

I think this is one of the most undervalued multi-tools for outdoor adventure and travel. Here are the many ways I use my neck gaiters, commonly known as Buffs, due to the popularity of the brand:

• Hankerchief for blowing my nose (while running, hiking/backpacking, snowboarding, or cycling).
• Headband/ear muff while running in the winter.
• Headband while camping to keep hair out of my face, but still have my hair down.
• Eye covering while traveling on a plane or train overnight, sleeping in a hostel, or camping.
• Hair tie for those with thick and long hair (you need the super stretchy Buff for this use).
• Neck/chin/head/face warmer for snowboarding or cycling to wear under your helmet.
• Dishtowel to pack inside your camp stove to keep everything in place from moving around while you’re backpacking.
• Drink koozie to keep your hand from getting cold while drinking from a can.

At this point, I probably have five different go-to Buffs I use weekly, and many more I’ve collected over the years.

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I hope you find this guide helpful! Maybe it will spark that one idea for the right gift for someone you care about. More gift guides are on the way!