3 things that make every day more adventurous (and good gifts, too)

Sometimes, I fall in love with a super light, neat looking, well cut and expensive (of course) pair of Gorewear rain pants. But then I end up buying the slightly heavier and bulkier version by Black Diamond, because their zips go all the way up to the hips, which makes them useful for commuting and hiking, too.

And while I sometimes envy people who have the Gore version, I'm happy I use my pair regularly - and only need one pair of rain pants in total.

The best purchases I've made throughout the years are the items that make sense for multiple use cases. Which means I get to use them more often - and that they spark joy more often, too.

Here are three different pieces that I love, because I use them almost every day. They would also make very good gifts, in my opinion, in case you happen to look for one at this time of year.

A spork

I have a spork in my backpack wherever I go. I even carry one in my small hip pack if I'm bringing just that. And there's two reasons for this. For one, it makes me feel more adventurous when life needs me to pretend I'm a normal person. Which is a pretty good reason to carry it around constantly, if you ask me. But there's another one: Bringing cutlery with you means you don't have to opt for single-use items anymore. Think yoghurt, porridge, ice cream, or any takeout, really. Pro tip: Don't forget about the spork in your bag when you order.

I particularly like the shape of my Titanium Spork by Snow Peak (it's surprisingly affordable, compared to any other product they sell), but any spork will do - like this long version by Sea to Summit which is great when you find yourself eating expedition food out of a bag.

It's probably worth mentioning, too, that I'm not a huge fan of the "original" spork, which pretends to be a spoon on one end and looks like a for fork on the other. I mean, just how are you going to eat something that requires a fork first and a spoon later without getting food all over your hand? Plus the plastic version breaks too easily (when stirring a pot, for example). And if the Titanium version of a product costs you less than 15 Euros, why would you go for anything else?

A big thermos

It's hard to convince myself to drink enough water in winter. It's just too cold. And if I make a pot of tea, the first cup is too hot to drink until I forget about it – and then it's too cold when I think about it next, along with the full pot of tea.

Enter: A one liter thermos. I bought this stainles steel version roughly ten years ago, and as you can tell by the stainless steel shining through, have been using it ever since. Often at my desk, but I've also lugged it up mountains on ski tours, filled with black tea and sugar, for an extra kick of energy when needed.

This one above is by Esbit. The plastic pop-to-pour lid broke soon after I bought it, but the simple screw-on lid has been going strong ever since. If I'd buy a thermos again, I wouldn't go for the coated version, as that's coming off now and I have no idea where it all went - which probably isn't good news for the environment.

My friend Amelie recently recommended this 32 oz (946 ml) Wide Mouth thermos by Hydroflask, which I haven't tried but love the look of (she says it's the best one she ever owned).

I also own a smaller thermos for to-go drinks, which I don't exactly love (no real reason, it's objectively nice). But if it ever breaks or I happen to lose it, I'll replace it with the Travel Tumbler by Kinto. There's a stainless steel version and it apparently fits into a bottle cage, too?!

Camp shoes

A game changer for working at my desk at home.

I bought these Thermo Ball Traction Mules by the North Face on sale last winter, when I was moving my workspace out of a coworking space into my home office. I originally wanted to go for slippers made of more natural material, but both the Birkenstock Zermatt and the Finisterre Baabuk Wool Slippers I looked at where selling at such ridiculously high prices, that I looked for alternatives and haven't looked back since.

Take extra care which sole they have when buying, the models that say "Traction" in the name have more, well, traction (think steep stairs) and a higher tolerance for water (think melted snow, wet grass).

The North Face reserves the two-colored designs for their youth models, so in case your feet are EU 39 or under, you can treat yourself to some extra fun.

I'm looking forward to put them on every day now, and they remind me to plan an adventure soon. Plus, I finally own some hut slippers, and won't have to wear whatever is left of the communal slippers next time I arrive at a mountain hut too late in the evening because I blindly trusted my friends with route planning.

_

What gear do you use in your every day life and how? Any good gift recs for outsiders?

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend,
Stephanie

PS. Shout out to Albion's version of a gift guide – items are sorted by their weight in grams, how cool is that?