Our Top 5 Best Selling Outdoor Gear Products Right Now

Winter's easing off, the days are stretching out, and the gear cupboard is getting a work-out again. So we had a look at what's actually been flying out the door from our Outdoor Gears range over the last 90 days — no guesses, just the real numbers from our order books. Here's what Kiwis have been buying.

1. Response Manual Inflatable Life Jacket, Adult — $129.00

Our number one seller in this category, and honestly it's no surprise. This is a 150N buoyancy manual inflatable — slim, light, and comfortable enough that you'll actually leave it on all day instead of shoving it under the seat. That's the whole point of an inflatable: the bulky foam vest gets worn when the skipper insists, but a slim inflatable gets worn because you forget it's there.

It's the go-to for boaties, offshore fishos and anyone doing long days on the water. Pair it with a regular service check and a fresh cylinder and it'll look after you for years. See the whole range in Life Jackets & Vests.

View the Response Manual Inflatable Life Jacket

2. Response MF50S Camo Kayak Life Jacket, Adult — $95.00

Second on the list, and it's the kayak fishing crowd driving it. Cut-away arms so you can paddle properly, one-size-fits-all over 40kg, zip closure, and a camo finish that suits the yak-fishing and duck-shooting set. Great value as a spare vest to keep in the shed for mates and kids old enough to fit it, too.

View the Response MF50S Kayak Life Jacket

3. Milenco Platinum Grand Aero Towing Mirrors (pair) — $230.00

Anyone who tows a wide caravan or a big boat knows the feeling of merging blind. Milenco's Grand Aero Platinum mirrors are the award-winning answer — convex glass for a genuinely useful field of view, an aerodynamic body that doesn't howl at 100km/h, and a clamp system that holds on properly.

They sell steadily through spring as people get the van or the boat ready for the season. Plenty more towing and caravan gear in our Milenco range.

View the Milenco Platinum Grand Aero Mirrors

4. Inox Lanox MX4 Marine Lubricant — $23.99

The cheapest thing on this list and one of the most bought. Lanox MX4 is the lanolin-based version of Inox — it creeps into fittings, displaces water and leaves a waxy film that salt air has a hard time getting through. Trailer winches, reel seats, battery terminals, outboard linkages, gate latches, the lot.

If you live anywhere near the coast — which in this country is most of us — a can of this in the boat locker pays for itself. It's also one of the items our Pacific Island customers add to orders regularly, because salt corrosion is an even bigger battle up there. Have a look at our other outdoor essentials.

View Inox Lanox MX4

5. Martindale Jungle Machete #368, 450mm — $39.99

Martindale have been making these in the UK for generations, and the #368 jungle pattern with the wooden handle is the one bush crews, farmers and lifestyle-block owners keep coming back for. 450mm of carbon steel, easy to file sharp in the field, and tough enough for gorse, blackberry, flax and scrub tracks.

We stock machetes from around $18 up to stainless models, so if the 450mm jungle blade is more than you need there'll be something in the axes, machetes & garden tools section that fits.

View the Martindale Jungle Machete

One more worth a look: the Thermette

It didn't quite crack the top five, but the NZ-made Thermette Copper Kettle ($199.00) keeps selling and we love that it does. Invented here in 1929, still made here, and it will boil a few litres over a handful of twigs and pine cones while the gas bottle stays empty in the boot. A proper piece of Kiwi camping history that still earns its place at the campsite — find it in Camping Equipment.

What the numbers tell us

Two things stand out. First, safety gear leads — the top two sellers in Outdoor Gears are both life jackets, which says Kiwi boaties and kayakers are taking it seriously. Second, the cheap-but-essential stuff sells in volume: a $24 can of lubricant sits right up there with $230 mirrors, because looking after gear is what keeps it working season after season.

Browse our full range at actionoutdoors.kiwi.