Oregon’s scrappy peaks, rushing rivers and bountiful trails, lakes and coastal landscapes reward the body as well as the mind. Whether you know someone who likes to mountain bike single-track at blistering speeds or someone who prefers to take a reflective paddle across a glassy pond, there’s always an Oregon-made gift or experience that’s right for them. Each offers a thoughtful, creative way to foster the joys of healthy, active play in a place as gorgeous as Oregon. Here are some ideas that last well beyond the holidays.
Have a Feast in Oregon’s Nature
With more than 50 state parks, one outstanding national park and more than 32 million acres of public land, Oregon has no shortage of places to spend a lot of time outside. That means your loved ones are going to want to eat. Portland-based company Gerber Gear, perhaps best known for high-quality knives, recently expanded out of that space with the ComplEAT Cook Set, a 16-piece camping-cookware kit that includes a heavy-bottom stockpot, a saute pan, bowls, plates and lids that double as strainers, all of which nests together in a bag. Make it extra special and gift a live-fire cooking class with Portland’s Tournant.
Bend-based Free Range Equipment makes canvas backpacks that tick all the right boxes: simple, rugged, unique. Each features artwork from an artist in the Pacific Northwest, and a portion of the sale goes right back to them. The company also makes fun totes that are perfect for a day at the beach or hauling groceries back to the campsite. Be sure to stuff it with a 12-month parking pass for Oregon State Parks or a gift certificate for a guided backpacking trip in the Wallowas with Go Wild, an outfitter that adds gourmet meals to the experience.
Go Play in the Snow
There’s no winter like an Oregon winter, with skiing at places like Mt. Hood, the tallest volcano in the state, and at Mt. Bachelor, one of the country’s largest ski areas with more than 4,000 acres of terrain and a season that lasts well into May. There’s a reason you see so much Columbia Sportswear in the lift lines here, and it’s not just because the company’s local. Jackets like the Platinum Peak keep the snow on the outside, while the OutDry Extreme Mogul II adds layers of synthetic insulation under an impermeable membrane that keeps you toasty on even the most challenging days. Pair it with a puffy blanket from Portland-based Rumpl for parking lot après-ski.
Of course every skier loves new hardware. Folkrm, a Hood River-based company, makes unique ski poles with extra-long grips that make them ideal for backcountry skiers and snowshoers traversing slopes. Bend-based SnoPlanks makes custom skis and snowboards developed by students at Oregon State University–Cascades. Portland-based Smith Optics just released new goggles, the 4D Mag XL, that offer an expanded field of view for soaking up the wintry landscapes. For cross-country skiers, turn to Eugene-based SportHill for high-performance jackets like the 3SP XC, which sheds precipitation, blocks winds up to 35 mph and is perfect for almost any aerobic winter activity, including running and hiking.
Be sure to stuff the stocking with an IOU for a round of night skiing at Hoodoo Ski Area on Santiam Pass, a Sno-Park Pass for cross-country skiing at places like Summit Sno-Park near Klamath Falls or ski lessons at Willamette Pass.
Spend Days on the Water With Your Loved Ones
It may be winter, but do your loved ones a favor and think ahead to those warm days on the water coming up. For the anglers in your heart, Sisters-based BambooPursuits makes gorgeous bamboo fly rods and fishing nets. Toss in a gift certificate for guided fishing for trout, salmon and steelhead on classic Oregon rivers like the McKenzie, Willamette, Sandy or Clackamas with Axiomatic Fly Fishing and, well, you may literally be teaching someone how to fish. For swimmers, Corvallis-based Underwater Audio makes waterproof players and earbuds that can be used for listening to audiobooks, podcasts and music while doing laps.
With more miles of scenic river than any state in the nation, Oregon is the right place to be for making your river rat smile. Southern Oregon’s SOTAR makes rafts, inflatable kayaks and catarafts — a generous gift indeed — while Sawyer Paddles and Oars in Gold Hill makes museum-worthy oars as part of an artisan series featuring paintings of brown trout, cutthroat trout and steelhead. For the paddleboarders, the Mana Glass SUP Paddle breaks down into three pieces for easy road trips around the state. Surprise the family with a summer whitewater-rafting trip down the Rogue with Orange Torpedo Trips or Northwest Rafting Company, or make it an inn-to-inn rafting adventure with ROW Adventures.
