It’s another year and as we watch the craziest football season of all time (sorry, not sorry Tennessee), it’s time to shop. Of course, we like adventure experiences better than anything else. But short of that all-expenses paid trip to Disney’s Fort Wilderness or Yellowstone National Park, here’s our joyfully curated holiday gift list for 2022.

Some are practical. A few are quirky and weird. All are fabulous.

Urban Farmer Chef’s Knife

If you’re a real camper and outdoor grillmaster, then you’re a knife person. We’re still working on our collection of these, but the ones we have are our all-time favorites.  The Urban Farmer knives by Wusthof (affiliate link) scream some sort of mad combination of Davy Crockett and Anthony Bourdain. They also make a line with black handles, but we are all about the natural wood.
We use them both in our RV and have them hanging on a magnetic knife holder in our home kitchen.

Hand-painted Decanter Set with Shot Glasses (MexSkeletons)

Remember, this list is for true glampers who live for themes. One of my favorites is the Polynesian theme. As a prelude to a night of monorail looping or an hour or two at Trader Sam’s, this personalized decanter/shot glass set makes the proper statement. Each set is hand-crafted and signed and multiple colors are available.

Clearly an heirloom set to be enjoyed by the next generation of heathens at Fort Wilderness – assuming (most optimistically) that Iger brings back that loving feeling.

Wilderness Lodge Candle

Part of the magic of Disney parks has been the use of scents to create emotions and subliminal memories. Candlemakers have recently been successful in replicating these hypnotic smells to a large degree. This wonderful stocking stuffer (affiliate link) will transport its recipient to the glorious old-west lobby of the Wilderness Lodge. Balsam + Cedar.

Old Faithful Inn Large Travel Blanket

Okay, it’s not exactly Wilderness Lodge – it’s actually better. As you should know by now, much of Wilderness Lodge was based on the Old Faithful Inn and the geyser at Yellowstone National Park. This extra-large blanket (affiliate link) of the national park icon captures it perfectly, is 60×80 inches and includes artwork by Paul A. Lanquist. It almost looks like Kevin Costner from the back, doesn’t it?

Zimonda Pedal-Assist Electric Bike

We recently got our own pedal-assisted bikes earlier this year and it was one of our all-time favorite purchases. Ever. With e-bikes, you can still get as much exercise as you want, but can get from place to place far more quickly. This comes in handy if you when you are being chased by a bear or your ex-wife. Or if you become tired going up long hills, you simply move into one of the various pedal-assist settings, and it feels as though you are pedaling downhill. It’s feasible that e-bikes could eliminate the need for a golf cart at Fort Wilderness altogether, depending on who is in your party. This model (affiliate link) is appropriate for adults ranging from 61 inches tall to 78.7 inches tall.

Davy Crockett Cart/Tennis Towel

Not your ordinary handy utility towel that you’ll spot on a Fort Wilderness golf cart by any means, but it doesn’t get any more authentic than one of Davy Crockett’s best known quotes. Bonus if you wear your coonskin cap while looping. This unique towel is 22×30 inches, is polyester on the printed side and terry cloth on the other.

 

Lululemon Belt Bag

Every princess needs one nice Lululemon belt bag for biking, walking and park days, and this classic one is among our favorites. Of course, this is light years more stylish than the dreaded fanny packs we had way back in the day. While there are plenty of cute knock-offs at possibly lower price points, this is one of those luxury items we love to give and receive.

Panasonic LUMIX G9 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Camera

Sure it’s no problem to keep using your iPhone as your camera. But after a day in the park, battery life gets low really fast and maybe you’re wanting to take it up a notch. Mirrorless cameras have come a long way even in the few years, and this Panasonic beauty (affiliate link) will serve the nature lover well both for close-ups of birds in flight on Bay Lake and for broad, colorful landscapes in Epcot. This one is also a winner in the video category now that we are all quitting our jobs to become six-figure vloggers.

The Orange Bird Little Golden Book

Required bedside reading for every Disney camper, young and old. After reading this cheerful little book (affiliate link), you’ll know a lot more vital information about the Orange Bird, Florida, and that cat named Clementine (shares a name with the beach in Fort Wilderness).

 

 

Cocktail Smoker Box Old Fashioned Whiskey Infuser Kit for Drinks and Food

So the cool man-cave thing these days is to basically inject that woody-campfire smell into your old-fashioned. Or your meat. Or your ice cream. All this comes in a nifty Cuban-cigar looking box and portends to transport regular Jim into a flannel-wearing hipster who hangs out in a 5-star hotel. Pretty sexy stuff. Buy it here (affiliate link).

 

Blackstone Tabletop Griddle

Breakfast in the woods is a reason to go camping in itself. Before we had our own Blackstone Portable Griddle (affiliate link), we had to suffer two particularly memorable trips watching our neighbors make these fabulous morning feasts of eggs, hash, sausage and pancakes as we foraged on Fruit Loops and reheated breakfast casserole. Stop coveting your neighbor’s griddle or you will go to hell.

The Ride of a Lifetime

Bob Iger is BACK! For those who are fascinated with this development, we can’t recommend this book (affiliate link) more strongly. There’s absolutely nada about Fort Wilderness in this deep memoir, but Iger genuinely bears his heart. I came away in awe of his humble leadership style, his creativity, and sheer je ne sais quoi. So much that I’m thinking his return suggests the appropriateness of another gift to accompany this one – 10 or more shares of Disney stock. If you can pull it off, I am most serious.

Lincove Luxury Down Pillow

It’s not glamping without a killer pillow that you can get to squish in just the perfect shape you want. That means it has to be down, but of a quality that doesn’t result in bird feathers poking your sweet little cheeks throughout the night. The simple bare necessities. Check price here (affiliate link).

 

My Favorite “Fred” Item of the Year – Insulated Lunch Cooler

Fred’s is known for coming up with the most twisted kitchen gadgets of all time. I’m not sure what’s wrong with these people, but each year I like to pick just one kind of bad-girl thing for my collection. This year it’s this nifty lunchbox (affiliate link). Fill it up with your bologna and livercheese sandwiches and tote it to the Meadows Pool or carry along your toddler’s “organ-ic” snacks to Epcot. Alternatively, if you are risk-averse and want to stay on theme, there is an absolutely adorable Snow White lunch bag here (affiliate link).

Polarbox

The Polarbox on our top photo is sometimes available at Target. We bought ours back in the spring and it is my favorite cooler by far. We have a YETI for the major items, but this is one that I can personally carry around very easily for lunch items and a few drinks. It will keep Red Stripe cold in the car for a full 24 hours in the heat of the summer. Soooo cute.

For more practically-perfect ideas, check out the Wilderness Princess storefront on Amazon. Thank you for your ongoing support of this page. It’s been primarily a labor of love and the feedback over these past four years has been overwhelming!