Stocking Stuffers

Stocking Stuffers

Some of the best Christmas gifts of the year come out of a stocking before breakfast, and McGuire's compact-items catalog is built for that moment.

A few military surplus items are nearly unbeatable as Christmas stocking stuffers. A pair of wool socks is a Christmas stocking stuffer anyone who spends time outside will actually use. A shemagh, folded down, fits even a modest stocking and lands as a surprise hit. Wool watch caps, jeep caps, and GI-style belts all fit into a stocking and all get used fast.

Small, Useful Christmas Gifts

A Christmas stocking stuffer doesn't have to be cheap, and it doesn't have to be a gag. The best ones are small, useful, and get used the same week.

For the Outdoor or Hands-On Person on Your List

A shemagh, a warm wool cap, or a pouch for the glove box.

For the Veteran, Service Member, or History Buff

A vintage belt or suspenders.

For the Hunter, Outdoorsman, or Someone Who Spends Christmas Morning in the Woods

A wool watch cap in olive, black, or coyote, or a pair of wool socks.

For Anyone Working Outside in Low Light This Winter

A reflective belt — originally made for predawn military PT runs, now the most useful stocking stuffer you'll give to anyone who commutes before dawn or runs after work.

Three Generations in the Surplus Trade

McGuire has been in the surplus trade for three generations. Everything we sell is one of three things: genuine issue (actual military-contracted items), MIL-SPEC (made to the military's specification), or practical outdoor gear built to last. We stock what gets used.

Also worth checking: Gifts Under $25 if you want to shop by budget instead of by stocking-fit.

Free shipping on contiguous US orders, no minimum. Weekday orders placed before 1 p.m. Eastern go out the same day. 30-day returns.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best Christmas stocking stuffers at McGuire?

Depends on who it's for. For almost anyone: a pair of wool socks, a mini first aid kit, or a shemagh. For an outdoor type: a scarf, cap, or canteen. For a veteran or history buff: real vintage items. All of them fit in a stocking and none of them end up in a drawer.

What's the difference between stocking stuffers and Gifts Under $25?

Stocking stuffers are size-capped — they have to fit in a stocking. Gifts Under $25 are price-capped. Some overlap: a P-38 at a dollar fits both. But a thirty-dollar watch cap works as a stocking stuffer even though it's not in the under-$25 collection, and a thirty-pound ammo can works as an under-$25 gift but won't fit in any stocking. Shop whichever matches how you're thinking.

Do you have unique Christmas stocking stuffers for a veteran?

Yes. A shemagh in a subdued color, a watch cap, or a visor organizer.

What's a classic military stocking stuffer?

The P-38 can opener, hands down. A two-inch piece of folded steel the Army designed in 1942, never patented, still issued today in some contexts, carried by millions of soldiers on their dog tag chains for the last eighty-plus years. Under five dollars. Every soldier recognizes it on sight, and most non-military folks are surprised to learn what it is.

Can you ship it directly to the recipient?

Yes. Enter their address as the shipping address at checkout and the box ships straight to them. Our shipments don't include gift notes — if you want them to know it came from you, send a text when the tracking pings.

Do you sell gift cards?

Yes, both physical and digital. Digital gift cards deliver by email right away, which helps if you're running late on your holiday shopping. Physical gift cards ship on our normal schedule.