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Uinta Mountains Notch Lake

American Made Gifts Under $50

By Matt Mullins – Last updated: November 3, 2021

Below you will find gifts proudly built by craftsmen and women in the USA with careful attention to detail. I’ve selected the best performing gear that would bring a smile to any outdoors enthusiast. The following sellers were chosen for their competitive pricing, affordable and often free expedited shipping, and ease of returns.

Gift Guide Sections

WUDN Phone Cases

WUDN handcrafts stylish iPhone and Samsung Galaxy cases with premium wood designs in Hidden Springs Idaho, USA. They look fantastic and receive consistently high reviews. A variety of all wood or wood/resin designs are available to suit any style.
Last observed price range: $19 – 29 (depending on model)

 

iPhone Cases by WUDN
Click for Current Pricing
 from Amazon

 

Samsung Galaxy Cases by WUDN
Click for Current Pricing from Amazon

Sawyer Micro Squeeze Filter

Sawyer’s newest Micro Squeeze Water Filter has caused me to retire my good old Sawyer Mini Filter for backpacking and any other adventure. It has certainly earned our Editor’s Choice Award. The Micro weighs just 2.5 oz, has a much better flow rate than the Sawyer Mini, is easy to use and to clean, is very affordable, has standard water bottle threads (like SmartWater bottles), and it’s rated to filter up to 100,000 gallons! It’s so light that I take it places I normally wouldn’t carry a filter, like mtn biking, small hikes, fly-fishing, even trail running. It’s awesome to drink out of any stream you come across, without worrying about the animals upstream. Long ago I used to carry pump filters, then progressed to water-treatment drops, or tablets when going ultralight; now I usually carry the Micro Filter. You’ll likely want to buy a good squeezable water pouch like the 2L Platy to go with this filter. 
Last observed price range: ~ $29

 

Click for Current Pricing from Amazon
Click for Current Pricing from Moosejaw.com
Click for Current Pricing from REI.com

Princeton Tec SNAP Modular Headlamp

The clever SNAP is like getting four lights in one. It’s modular design functions as a headlamp, flashlight, lantern, and as a bike light with its included handlebar attachment. The removable 300 lumen head unit snaps into place with a strong magnet to fit the different modules. This headlamp has good battery performance using 3 AAA’s for around 10 solid hours on high and 155 hours on low.  If you’re a minimalist looking for one headlamp to do it all then the SNAP is a great choice.

Last observed price range: ~ $35 – 47

 

Click for Current Pricing from Amazon

Maglite ML300L Flashlight

Want a big, solid, American made classic with impressive performance on a budget? If so the 3 D cell battery ML300L is your choice. It’s extremely bright at 625 lumens and robust; it could double as a defensive club if that’s your thing. The smaller 2 D cell version has 524 lumens while the massive 6 cell version tops out at 694 lumens. Due to the ML300L’s impressive brightness, battery life, build quality, and price, it earns our Best Buy Award. Note two versions exist with slightly different grips: the ML300LX (pictured) and the slightly less expensive ML300L. 
Last price range observed: ~ $70

 

ML300L (least expensive)

Click for Current Pricing from Amazon.com

ML300LX
Click for Current Pricing from Amazon.com

Exotac nanoStriker Fire Rod

A cool, compact fire rod you can carry anywhere including your keychain and pocket, at the ready to start a warming fire. I keep my Exotac nano in my backpack along with a cheap Bic lighter. This waterproof fire rod can be struck up to 3000 times with its replaceable 1/4″ ferrocerium rod.
Last observed price range: ~ $26

 

Click for Current Pricing from Amazon

Okabashi Sandals

Okabashi makes fantastic sandals and flip flops for men and women. In fact, their Indigo Classics are my favorite flip flops ever and they’re ridiculously affordable at around $21 per pair. The ergonomic footbed feels great and for some reason these flip flops refuse to smell bad and I’ve had mine for a few years!

Last observed price: ~ $25

 

Click for Current Pricing from Amazon

Council Tool Hudson Bay Axe

Another handy sized camp axe with a classic 2 lb hudson bay style head. I like this style a lot and find it makes a fantastic budget bushcraft axe. Though shorter versions exists, I prefer the 28″ handle for chopping with two hands. The newer “Sport Utility” model has a better fit and finish than they used to have; especially using a wood wedge to tighten the head rather than the ridiculous aluminum single bit wedge that I quickly replaced on the older version.
Last observed price range: ~ $55 – 70

 

Click for Current Pricing from Amazon.com

Click for Current Pricing at Forestry-Suppliers.com

Leatherman Rev Multi-Tool

The Rev is the best bang for your buck multi-tool available. It’s a high quality, fully functional multi-tool that thankfully doesn’t weigh you down like a brick in your pocket. If you’re looking for a one handed opening knife on your multi-tool, then step up to the slightly more expensive Leatherman Wingman.
Last observed price: ~ $40

 

Click for Current Pricing from Amazon
Click for Current Pricing from BladeHQ.com

DMT Diafold Diamond Sharpener

If you want to keep your blades shaving sharp, the DMT Diafold Fine/Coarse diamond sharpener is the one to get, and the one I personally use most. I own many sharpening systems including from Arkansas Stones, sand paper, rods, and an electric belt sander. I can quickly sharpen dull blades to shaving sharpness with only my Diafold, including my harder blade steels such as S30V and S110V. It’s small and light enough for me to take into the field as well. If you would like help on getting the perfect blade angle, DMT also makes an angle guide kit.
Last observed price: ~ $31

 

 

Click for Current Pricing from Amazon

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Sharing the best locally made gear is a passion project close to my heart and if I’ve helped you find some cool US made gear then please consider helping my site going and growing. Running this site costs me a lot of cash to use secure and speedy web servers, purchase new gear, and to contribute my personal time and effort. Thus, I need your help to cover my costs and continue providing quality free information on the latest American-made gear.
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You can bookmark the following sites and each time you purchase something it will help American Gear Guide in a small but significant way. Bookmarkable links: AmazonREI.com, Cabela’s, or Sportsman’s Warehouse.

 
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