Christmas survival gifts: experiences, first aid courses and useful kit
Last checked 3 November 2026 · By Connor Dullaway
The best survival gifts teach a skill or fill a gap in the home kit. Three ideas: a bushcraft or outdoor skills day, a first aid course, or one useful piece of kit from the GOV.UK Be Ready list. Calm, practical and used for years.
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1. A bushcraft or survival experience day
Experience gift sites sell outdoor skills days as vouchers: fire lighting, shelter building, knife skills and foraging, from a few hours to a weekend. Search "bushcraft" or "survival" on:
- Virgin Experience Days: bushcraft search (Link to Virgin Experience Days. We earn nothing from it)
- Buyagift (Link to Buyagift. We earn nothing from it)
Before you buy, check the venue's distance, the minimum age, what is included and how long the voucher is valid. We have not been on these days.
2. A first aid course
- British Red Cross first aid (Link to the British Red Cross (a charity). We earn nothing from it): free online skills and workshops anyone can start, plus a booking page for courses.
- ProTrainings first aid courses (Link to ProTrainings, a course company. We earn nothing from it): online, remote and classroom courses with a certificate.
More detail on picking one: first aid courses in the UK.
3. One useful piece of kit
GOV.UK Be Ready lists a torch with spare batteries, a battery or wind-up radio, a power bank and a first aid kit for a home emergency kit. Our pages compare what to look for:
- A wind-up or solar radio
- A good torch or head torch
- A power bank
- A home first aid kit
- A small kit for a school bag
4. A printed household plan
For parents or grandparents: a printable household emergency plan, sent as a gift with your own message. Or the free plan builder, filled in together on Boxing Day.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good survival gift for someone who has everything?
An experience: a bushcraft or outdoor skills day, or a first aid course. Both teach something useful and don't add clutter. Experience gift sites sell them as vouchers.
Are bushcraft experience vouchers a good idea?
They can be. Check the location, the minimum age, what is included and how long the voucher lasts before you buy. Terms differ between sites and venues.
Is a first aid course a good Christmas present?
Yes, especially for new parents, grandparents and carers. The British Red Cross has free learning anyone can start today, and paid courses give a certificate.
What practical prepping gifts are useful in the UK?
Things GOV.UK Be Ready lists for a home emergency kit: a torch with spare batteries, a battery or wind-up radio, a charged power bank and a first aid kit. Our buyer pages compare them.
Can I gift one of your printable plans?
Yes. Gumroad's checkout has a "Give as a gift" option: they get the download and your message by email. See our gift page.
Sources
We opened each page on the date shown. Courses and prices change: check the provider's page before you book.
- Virgin Experience Days: search for bushcraft (read 3 November 2026)
- Buyagift (read 3 November 2026)
- British Red Cross: Learn first aid (read 3 November 2026)
- ProTrainings: First aid courses (online or classroom) (read 3 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: emergencies (read 3 November 2026)