Birthday present ideas for outdoorsy 12yo?

[AChickenCalledKorma]

DD1 will be 12 next month. She is the ultimate tom boy - never happier than when up a tree, covered in mud or on a campsite.

Grandparents are looking for birthday present suggestions and have asked if she "needs anything for Scout camp".

Now, the answer is no, she doesn't need anything. But she'd probably love some sort of cool, camping-related gadget to fiddle with. She has a penknife and compass already. Any suggestions??

Some sort of torch/lantern thing?
A Swiss Anmy card?

How about vouchers for "Go Ape" if you have one in your area?

Flint and strike
Kelly Kettle
A really good quality (RAB or similar) sleeping bag
A buffalo (coat)

I have a DD just like yours! Recent successful gifts have been fell running shoes from Millets, lighter than boots but sturdier than trainers and this:

www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/osprey-womens-valkyrie-9-rucksack-62410254?id_colour=107

It was expensive as you have to buy the water bladder on top but she happily bought this with her birthday money. She likes the special clip for attaching your cycle helmet.

I think she feels like Katniss from Hungergames with it!

I am a scout leader and I would say "proper" stuff at 12 years old rather than a cheaper make-do version. So an Opinel knife, a tiny cooking kit (pans etc that stack together) decent one man tent, a hammock

DS(10) is a huge fan of WackySox and these always go down well- ideal for walking boots, trainers or sports boots.

BTW korma, your DD sounds ace :o

She is MrsFox - and just for the record I am so glad that Scouts is available to her. She is totally in her element there and they are a properly outdoorsy group - constantly burning stuff and making use of sharp objects! Local Guide group sadly not quite on the same page.

Loads of great ideas here - thanks all. MizLizLemon - you are right on her wavelength. She did Go Ape at Easter and had the most amazing time. Unfortunately that means a voucher wouldn't have a wow factor it would have done this time last year, but I do wonder whether there are any other adventure experiences around that we could treat her to ...

Off to investigate all the ideas now .

Grandpas Toasting fork turns any stick into a campfire toasting fork.

Do you take her out and about, camping etc? A decent small tents so she can sleep in her own tent? Just don't get a single skin tent like those pop up 'festival tent' - the condensation is terrible.

Not everyone will think this is a good idea but my 12 yo has a Bushcraft Knife as well as a smaller Opinel penknife and a multi-gadget Swiss Army Knife. Used for making wooden stands to hang billy cans from etc - a Scout-learned trick.

Para cord bracelets go down well as stocking fillers! Lots for under £3 on Amazon.

Rock climbing lessons at the nearest indoor wall?

Honey stove? They're fab www.backpackinglight.co.uk/bushcraft/RD103.html

I'd also second a Kelly kettle

Den building kit, we got the eden one for pur boys and it's great.

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=nzCnU6n7K8Gr0QWWzIHQCw&url=www.edenproject.com/shop/Kids-Den-Kit-9615.aspx&cd=11&ved=0CFoQFjAK&usg=AFQjCNFnnmSzdoKUC3SLfGs4w5dXdtV59A" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=nzCnU6n7K8Gr0QWWzIHQCw&url=www.edenproject.com/shop/Kids-Den-Kit-9615.aspx&cd=11&ved=0CFoQFjAK&usg=AFQjCNFnnmSzdoKUC3SLfGs4w5dXdtV59A

Or of she's already got a tent how about a tarp /hammock set up?

How about one of these? It's a wee stove as well as the kettle. Then she's got it when DofE comes around!! tinyurl.com/q2nz2qh

Very tempted by a little stove of some sort. Possibly with a pack of instant hot chocolate and some marshmallows. She'd love that!

But DH says if I get her a Kelly Kettle he will be cross ... because he wants one himself! (So that's his Christmas present sorted .)

We have Grandpa's toasting forks. They are indeed fabulous and anyone that is reading this thread and likes toasting stuff should definitely buy some.

I'd agree with the pans that stack together if you don't already have a set - I've been using the same ones since teenage years :)

I have outdoorsy girls this age and the 14yo recently had lots of camping and bushcraft stuff for her birthday. Fire-making kits (you can get them from Army surplas stores etc), bivvy bag, hammock, also bushcraft knives. There are several types of knife once they get into it (if she already does this stuff with the scouts, mine do this with Woodcraft folk) spoon knives and "sporks" once you've got the basic knife. Then axes and saws....
Then a decent little backpacking tent.
I'd suggest more serious camping or outdoor shops than "go outdoors" (but we're camping snobs I think, and we camp in quite rough and weatherbeaten terrain).

A scoober diving session!

A book with wild camping (or similar) and she gets to pick one to stay in each holiday.

Very similar sounding god-daughter loved her wind up radio/torch, good socks and some of the packets of food to heat on her stove. She also gets buffs from grandparents regularly.

Decent head torch?

Mini trangia stove perhaps with the gas adaptor for quick boiling, or at least the option to add one in the future? We have a cheap copy and it has still lasted for years. They are brilliant, especially on a windy day.

Also collapsible things like a bowl and mug set say. They are quite pricey but very handy for minimising the bulk of your kit.

Or a decent kite. The ones which pack down quite small are brilliant for camping.

I will stop now.