The best Christmas gifts for scouts are practical bits of outdoor kit and books that help young people enjoy camps, hikes and badge activities with their Scout group.
Prices checked on Amazon UK, 16 October 2026.
The best Christmas gifts for scouts are practical bits of outdoor kit and books that help young people enjoy camps, hikes and badge activities with their Scout group. Whether they are a Beaver, Cub or Scout, useful presents are the ones that end up packed for the next camp rather than left in a drawer, so think about warmth, light, navigation and skills. The picks below include a Vango Saturn kids' sleeping bag, a Coghlan's carabiner compass that clips to a rucksack, Bear Grylls' book Do Your Best: How to be a Scout, and an Energizer Vision HD+ head torch with seven light modes. This guide brings together gifts that are each a different type: a kids sleeping bag, a carabiner compass, a scouting skills book and a head torch. Prices were checked on Amazon UK on 16 October 2026, and every product was in stock with no low-stock warning on the buy-box offer. Our overall pick is the Vango Saturn Kids' Sleeping Bag at £19.95, a camp essential they can use on every sleepover and summer camp. For the smallest budget, the Coghlan's Carabiner Compass was £4.77, a pocket-money priced gadget for navigation activities. For the family, the Do Your Best: How to be a Scout by Bear Grylls was £12.99, a book the whole family can read through together before the next camp. You will also find the Energizer Vision HD+ 260 Lumen Head Torch. Prices change often, so check before you buy.
Our picks
Vango Saturn Kids' Sleeping Bag
Vango Saturn Kids' Sleeping Bag
£19.95
Best overall
Coghlan's Carabiner Compass
Coghlan's Carabiner Compass
£4.77
Best budget
Do Your Best
Do Your Best
£12.99
Best for families
How we pick
We shortlist products sold on Amazon UK using capacity, features, customer ratings and price band. We do not lab-test every model unless a page says so. The Amazon page is the live price. How we recommend.
Compare at a glance
| Product | Last Amazon price | Buy |
|---|---|---|
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£19.95
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£4.77
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£12.99
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£9.99
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The products
Buying advice
Our top picks
Best overall: Vango Saturn Kids' Sleeping Bag (£19.95). A 170 x 70 cm two-season junior sleeping bag with a soft, washable Polair lining, an elasticated hood instead of a drawcord for safety, and a stuff sac with a drawcord for packing.
Best budget: Coghlan's Carabiner Compass (£4.77). A small aluminium compass built into a carabiner clip, listed at 27 g and about 6.9 cm across with a glow-in-the-dark feature, so it can hang from a rucksack or belt loop for map and compass practice.
Best for families: Do Your Best: How to be a Scout by Bear Grylls (£12.99). A 352-page book by Bear Grylls, published by Hodder & Stoughton in November 2024, covering the skills and attitude behind scouting for young readers and their families.
Other Christmas gifts for scouts
Energizer Vision HD+ 260 Lumen Head Torch (£9.99). A battery head torch with up to 260 lumens and an 80-metre beam, seven modes including high, low, spot and wide, and a build the listing says survives 1-metre drops.
What to look for in a Christmas gift for a scout
Check the group's kit list. Most Scout groups send a kit list before each camp, so look at what is already on it and what they are missing before you buy.
Match gear to the season. A two-season sleeping bag suits spring and summer camps, while colder weekends need a warmer bag or extra layers.
Hands-free light helps. A head torch leaves both hands free for putting up tents, cooking and finding the toilet block after dark.
Leave knives to the leaders. UK law restricts the sale of knives to under-18s, so check with the group and a parent before giving any bladed tool.
Label everything. Kit gets mixed up at camp, so add a name label or tag to sleeping bags, torches and compasses.
Think about weight. Young scouts carry their own rucksack on hikes, so lighter, compact items are easier to manage.
Books build skills. A scouting book can help them prepare for badges and activities before they try them for real at camp.
Bundle a set. The Coghlan's Carabiner Compass, the Energizer Vision HD+ 260 Lumen Head Torch and the Do Your Best: How to be a Scout by Bear Grylls together came to £27.75 at the prices checked.
Prices were checked on Amazon UK on 16 October 2026 and can change at any time. Check the current price and delivery date on Amazon before you order, especially in the run-up to Christmas.
Frequently asked questions
What to get a boy scout for christmas?
Practical camp kit makes a good Christmas present for a scout, such as a kids' sleeping bag, a head torch, a compass or a scouting skills book. Picks in this guide ranged from £4.77 to £19.95 on Amazon UK when checked on 16 October 2026.
What do scouts need for camping?
Scouts usually get a kit list from their group before each camp, so check that first. A sleeping bag suited to the season and a torch are basic items, and a compass is handy for navigation activities.
What to bring on a scout camp?
Bring what is on your group's camp kit list, which normally covers sleeping kit, warm clothes and a torch. A head torch is useful because it keeps both hands free after dark, and labelling every item helps stop kit getting lost.
What to buy a scout leader?
For a scout leader, practical outdoor kit such as a bright head torch or a compass that clips to a rucksack is useful at camps and evening meetings. A scouting book is another option if they enjoy reading up on skills.
