Table of Contents
- What matters for the hiker and camper?
- Gift Ideas for hikers Below 25 euro
- Gift Ideas for hikers 25-100 euro
- Gift Ideas for hikers Above 100 euro
- Thoughtful giving considerations
For most of us, outdoor lovers, hikers, camping fanatics, and adventure travellers count; the fewer things we have, the better. We like to travel ultra-light, and consumerism is not something we support. The holidays are coming, and preferably we just receive a few pesos to put into the adventure fund instead of a present.
If you’re looking for the perfect present to gift to a hiker, camper or adventure traveller, here are some valuable and practical gift ideas for hikers, campers, and adventure travellers who love to go wild. Or if your friend, brother, or mum insists on receiving your travel gear wish list, here are some gift suggestions that pretty much every hiking lover would love.
Everything tested by yours truly hiking +1500 km and +150 nights of camping.
What matters for the hiker and camper?
Hiking gear is super personal and most of us hikers are pretty particular about our preferences aka researching for months what item exactly we as hikers want. That said, many of us are frugal and wouldn't gift some items to ourselves, even though we'd be sooo happy with it. Hiking gear has to be lightweight, ideally ultralight. Hiking and camping gear has to be durable and sustainable to be able to use for many adventures ahead. Every piece of gear has to have a clear purpose in the backcountry.
So what are some unique and best gifts for hikers that you can actually give and that would be a welcome gift for any hiker?
Gift Ideas for hikers Below 25 euro
Explore these budget-friendly gifts but oh-so-appreciated items by many hikers.
Dehydrated meals | Make an effort and make your own :) Or get some from brands like Adventure Food or Decathlon (LOVE the Rice Coconut Dahl).
Spork | A Spork is a spoon and a fork in one. A super useful and fun gift. A titanium or wooden one is light and stylish.
Portable Travel Bidet | A travel bidet like Culo Clean helps to do your thing without creating any waste. It's much cleaner too. This is a meaningful gift. You'll help hikers stay zero waste and keep clean the pretty places and national parks.
All Trails Subscription | Give the gift of adventure. The best trail app in my opinion. Here's a Gift Subscription Offer.
50% Off AllTrails+ Membership with code CYBER24
Hiking socks | A gift for the hiker you can't go wrong with. Merino wool hiking socks are generally the favourite. Check REI, Backcountry, or Bever for some sweet deals.
Pee rag | Gifts for women! A simple cloth to absorb the drips. A game-changer for women who hike, or camp, or vanlife, or sail, or anyone who sometimes pees outside! Kula Cloth is a famous brand that looks funky.
Ultralight Dog Bow l For those exploring with a dog, this nitesize dogbowl is ultralight. I even brought two on my recent hike, one for drinking and one for food.
Gift Ideas for hikers 25-100 euro
Medium-budget hiking goodies that make a great gift.
Water filter | I love the Maunawai Hiking filter. It's the best waterfilter out there. It's durable, though a little on the heavier side for a long-distance hike. For the ultralight hiker, I recommend the Katadyn BeFree
BPA free water bottle | I've been hiking wayyy to long with a toxic ‘single use' water bottle (that I re-used a zillion times). It's simply one of the most lightweight options out there but the plastic is toxic. A titanium water bottle (on my list mum;)) or Tristan plastic water bottle are the most lightweight and healthy options out there.
Headlamp | This Mactronic headtorch is ultralight, without batteries (just USB), and with a red light option.
Battery Pack | Nitecore has the most lightweight rechargeable battery pack. A favourite amongst hikers. I hiked across the Pyrenees with it and hopefully many more trails.
Ultralight pillow | A small inflatable pillow can make or break the hike. I love the Sea2Summit one. It's one of the lightest out there.
Merino wool hiking shirt | The shirt that doesn't go stinky. An excellent gift for your hiking buddy;). Iceabreaker and Smartwool have some nice ones.
Merino wool hiking legging | A luxurious essential to not get cold hiking. I have the icebreaker200 and LOVE it. I also just wear it as a legging.
Sun hoodie | Perfect for hiking in summer to protect from the sun.
A sit pad | I didn't think I needed this until I was given one for my recent hike with my dog. Practical for sitting and sleeping on cold, wet or spikey ground. It's an extra insulation. And it's great for yoga and stretching. And for the dog:)
Backpack Camera Clip | This Peak Design backpack clip is not the most lightweight item but what a gamechanger in capturing the adventures. This is a simple but very strong metal clip to attach to your backpack so you can capture the magic in a second. The ultimate gift for vlogging hikers.
Thermo underwear | A Merino wool legging and shirt can make (or break if you don't have one) a hike or backpacking trip, especially when hiking in winter. I've been SO happy with my Icebreaker legging and longsleeve. It kept me warm in times of need.
Gift Ideas for hikers Above 100 euro
The most important hiking items are a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and backpack. But these are usually quite the investment and rather personal so you may want to involve the person you're looking to give a hiking gift, involve in the process.
E-Book Reader | A valuable travel companion for anyone. I love this Kobo Clara because it's lightweight, waterproof, has a background light, a small size, and it's made from recycled plastic from the ocean. I wouldn't bring it on ultralight long-distance hikes, but I do use it on any other travel, sail, vanlife, or backpack adventure to read adventure stories and plot the plan for the next hiking adventures.
A backpack | A light weight travel back pack | I finally invested in one: Osprey Eja. This is the only female-shaped lightweight backpack with a frame below (1.2 kilos). It's perfect for those who love long-distance hiking. I used on my recent hike across the Pyrenees (GR11) and love love love it. This backpack comes in 2 sizes that are very adjustable. A holiday gift that's hard to wrap gift though ;)
A sleeping mat | The very best sleeping pad in my opinion and used by many long-distance hikers is the Thermarest Neoair. What a gift to get! If you sleep well, you hike and recover well and will continue adventuring.
Garmin Inreach Mini 2 | The best hiker gift for mum or dad to give! A personal tracking GPS device is a cost-effective satellite device that allows text communication, location tracking, and emergency alerts in the unlikely event that someone gets lost or injured anywhere in the wild. It gives the mums (and yourself) a lot of peace of mind. At any given time you can connect. Also your loved ones can follow your hike. The Garmin Inreach Mini 2 is lightweight and chosen by hikers often. I have mine for 6 years already.
Huge savings on Garmin gear at REI right now (Nov/Dec '24)
A tent | Once you have a good tent, you'll go out hiking more and more. I've tested both Agnes Copper Spur and Fly Creek. For 2 persons I recommend the Coppur Spur. For solo long distance hiking or hiking with dog the Fly Creek is great (it's lighter but smaller). They are not cheap legendary hiking houses.
50% off the Big Copper Spur 2 at REI
Thoughtful giving considerations
Quality over quantity. Hiking gear is meant to last and used for many hiking adventures ahead. We don't need more stuff, we just need quality gear for happy, safe and longterm adventures.
Buy as local as you can. Here’s why. If you have to buy online (rethink that), check second-hand first, order from the little shops, and check what has been created near you on sites like Etsy.
Give the gift of being an adventure buddy! Instead of giving ‘a thing', invite someone to your hike, or show interest in joining.
Not sure about the purchase? Give a giftcard instead. In the USA, a REI gift card is priceless, in the Europe a giftcard from Bever or Decathlon would put a smile on someone's face.
KISS – Keep it Simple Stupid for wrapping the gifts. Just use an old newspaper, T-shirt or towel, a rope to tie it together and that’s it. Here are a few more ideas in the Refuse-reduce-recycle department.
Happy giving with one of these unique hiking gifts in this ultimate guide of best hiking gifts for hikers and backpackers.
Choosing the perfect gift for someone's hiking adventure is about more than the item itself. By gifting an item you may help someone get into hiking! Or help the already avid hikers stay safer, more comfortable, and motivated to get outside. If you can support someone by getting outdoors by gifting a gear item, do it! We can never have enough nature time and most of us need more.
Embrace the wild, one thoughtful item at a time.
Disclaimer: As always, opinions are my own. What drives me is encouraging you to connect to nature and care for nature. If you’re looking to purchase, huge thanks if you purchase it via this website Oceanpreneur.co. At no extra cost to you, orders and bookings through this website give me a tiny piece of the pie that helps me keep investigating, exploring, and creating content about outdoor adventure travel in tune with nature.
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