2021 “No-Box” Holiday Gift Guide

Whether you’re reducing the amount of “stuff” you exchange with family and friends this year, you’re a last-minute shopper looking for something thoughtful for your active or outdoorsy loved one, or supply-chain wonkiness is affecting how you shop, thinking outside the box for holiday gifts can be tough. Time, money, and connection are the main things we’d all like more of, right? And it’s a very personal way to shop, since we each have different ideas about what that time, money, and connection can offer.

Here are some ideas for the intangible gifts we’ve shared over the years.

Plan and execute an excursion. Is there someone in your life who would love to get outside and do more, but doesn’t know how or never seems to have time to plan ahead? Be their guide. You take the lead on the activity, the where, the packing, the food, even the when — all they have to do is show up. That’s a huge relief to someone who’s raring to go but struggles to carve out the planning and packing time.

Repair something for them. Kayak have a gouge? Backpack zipper blowout? Puncture in the sleeping pad? A warranty issue on a favorite piece of gear? Help them out. If you can DIY the repair well (keyword: well), it’s easy. If you can’t, find a reputable person, price it, and get it done. For warranties, make the calls or write the emails we all put off, then package up the item and send it in so their gear is ready for the new season. Sometimes the gift is just managing the details.

Detail their car. Who wouldn’t love this? If you’re detail-oriented, spend a day loving on their car — one of the most expensive things a person buys — and make it look new for the New Year. We spend a lot of time in our vehicles; a thorough inside-and-out cleaning can genuinely improve that space and their outlook.

Gift certificates. Whatever anyone says, we love gift cards — especially when style, size, or bigger items (bikes, racks, etc.) are in limited supply. Give your loved one the gift of choice.

Training or coaching. Are they training, or wanting to get into ultrarunning, triathlon, weight training, or nutrition? If you (or they) know a great coach, gifting a first session or two — or a package if you can splurge — is a great step forward.

Online subscriptions and memberships. Think Masterclass, AloMoves, the Access Fund, American Whitewater, Strava, Outside+, and the like. We used to gift magazine subscriptions; these days everything’s digital, and those subscriptions add up. If there’s one your person has talked about but hasn’t pulled the trigger on, beat them to it.

Personal assistant for a day. “How can I help?” is often asked with little follow-through, or leaves the person wondering what to even ask for. Make it actionable: sit down and ask what’s on their plate. Would a day of housework be the biggest relief? Could you sort unopened emails, make phone calls, or handle client replies on social media? They have to be willing to hand over some control, but with that trust they’ll relish the relief.

National Parks pass. Making travel plans this year? A National Parks pass gets them into more than 2,000 federal recreation areas across the US — and chances are there’s a destination close to them, too.

Local flavors. A tour of the local scene is always appreciated: wine, beer, kombucha, chocolate, coffee, cheese, baked goods, crafts, honey, soaps and lotions. There’s such a wealth of talent and tastiness in most communities — you might be surprised by the gift basket you can put together.

Gait analysis or bodywork. Wanting to start running, fine-tune their stride, or recover from training? A gait analysis can reveal nuances that level up their running. And here’s my favorite: recovery matters even more than training, so treat them to a session with a favorite massage therapist, acupuncturist, or neuromuscular therapist. Massage is good for anyone, whatever their activity level.

Race, event, or course entry fee. Do they have their sights set on a race, conference, or event this year? Cover the entry fee and let them dive into getting ready — it’s something to look forward to, and hopefully you can get out there to cheer them on.

We hope this warms up some alternative gift ideas. While it’s fun to unwrap something (we have a Gear Gift Guide for that, too), the real magic is the time, connection, and flexibility to have these experiences or reach these goals — and it means a lot when someone supports their friends and family in those pursuits. Do you have any outside-of-the-box ideas to add? Happy holidays from Keyword Adventure!