Do you have a hiker on your gift list, but you are not sure what to get them? Here are 25 gift ideas for hikers to choose from. Surely after reading this list you will know what to buy as a gift for that hiker in your life.
25 Gift Ideas For Hikers
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Most of these gifts idea below will be good for any type of hiker whether they be day hikers or backpackers who hit the trails for more than one day at a time and camp along the path as they go.
1. A DayPack
This idea is only going to be good for those just starting as chances are more experienced hikers already have a daypack for day hikes that they love. My husband and I use this bag for our day hikes and love it. It has just enough room for everything we need. If we are going to eat lunch on the trail, we both take one but if not, then one is fine for the two of us.
If the hiker you love already has a backpack like this, you could buy them attachments for it such as this water bottle pouch or this small pouch that would be big enough for their smartphone.
2. A Reusable Water Bottle
There are so many reusable water bottles to choose from. For hiking, the best ones are lightweight and leak proof. Depending on the style of backpack your hiker uses it can also be nice if they have a loop so that you can clip them to your bag. I put this collapsible travel bottle on my Christmas list as I like how once I am done with a weekend of hiking I can store it away for next time and it will take up very little space.
3. Ground Cover That Packs Up Small
This Bearz outdoor waterproof ground cover can fit up to four people and packs up small. Perfect for your hiker to spread out on the ground and sit on while enjoying the view or eating their lunch. No more wet or dirt covered bottoms!
4. A Subscription To BackPackers Magazine
Help the hiker on your gift list to find a new dream destination or hiking gear with a subscription to BackPackers Magazine.
5. Warm and Comfy Socks
Socks can make or break a good hike. If they are not warm enough, you are more aware of your cold toes as you hike than the scenery. If they move and shift in your shoe, you get blisters. If they don’t wick away moisture, you get blisters. If they bunch up–you guessed it–you get blisters. Give your hiker the gift of happy feet by purchasing them some socks made specifically for hiking.
6. Lightweight Stink-Proof Layers
Nothing is worse than being surrounded by other hikers and realizing you stink! Don’t let this happen to your hiker: treat them to merino wool layers that wick away odor without getting smelly.
7. A Portable Hammock
Even if the hiker you are buying a gift for doesn’t do overnight hikes, they will still probably like a portable hammock as a gift. What hiker wouldn’t want to take an afternoon nap in a hammock in the woods before pressing on to hike a few more miles before sundown?
8. Small Foldable Shovel
This gift is a little on the TMI side, but every hiker has to go and sometimes the urge can strike miles before the next port-a-potty. A shovel makes it easier to make sure that future hikers will not stumble on a surprise they didn’t want. So if your hiker is starting to go for longer hikes, a portable shovel will make a needed practical gift.
9. A Pair Of Binoculars
Sometimes hikers want a closer look at the wildlife and binoculars can help them do that. Look for a pair that is lightweight and compact.
10. Bear Spray
If there are bears in the area that the hiker on your gift list hikes, then they should be carrying bear spray. If they don’t have any, buy them some.
11. A Hiking Journal
Know a hiker that loves to keep track of who, what, when and where? Buy them a hiking journal that will allow them to log all the information about each hike they take.
12. A Buff
A merino wool buff can be used in several different ways. It can keep your hiker’s neck or head or both warm. It can also keep their camping hair under control if they are doing multiple days of hiking.
13. Hiking Hat
A classic safari style hat that will cover a hikers ears, neck and face from the sun or rain is a good choice for a gift. However, some hikers prefer a baseball cap so it helps to know what style of hat the person you are buying for likes. If they hike in cooler weather, a winter hat that is long enough to cover the ears will be a useful gift.
14. Small Quick-Dry Travel Towel
Sometimes there is a great stream to wade in just along the trail or a swimming hole begging you to jump in. That is when the hiker you bought a quick-dry travel towel for will think of you as he or she pulls it out of their day pack and dries off.
15. Smartphone Camera Lenses
I have been taking some smartphone photography courses over at Skillshare (use my referral link get two months free) and many of the teachers recommend smartphone lenses for better nature photography. I put this smartphone lens kit on my Christmas list as it has good reviews and is relatively affordable.
16. Super Compact Portable Battery Charger
Hikers who love using their smartphones for pictures and trail maps will love getting a small, portable charger as a gift. Our family has three of these small Anker smartphone chargers. We have had them five years and they still charge our smartphones one and a half times before they need to be recharged just like they did when we first bought them.
17. Waterproof Phone Pouch
Sometimes a river needs to be crossed to continue your hike or you decided to give canoeing a try instead of hitting the trails. When that happens, a waterproof phone pouch can come in handy.
18. Strappack or Strap Pack
A StrapPack or strap pack (depending on the brand) is a pack for the strap of your backpack. This can be handy for keeping your smartphone in or other small items that you use frequently as you hike. A lot of hikers don’t know about these backpack add-ons so it makes a great gift for a hiker that you want to buy something unique for.
19. Headlamp
Sometimes us hikers go out on a trail in the afternoon thinking we have allowed plenty of time to get back before dark and the trail turns out to be more difficult than we thought and therefore takes longer to complete and we get stuck hiking in the dark. To make sure this doesn’t happen to your hiker, get them a headlamp as a gift. Headlamps are small, making them perfect for daypacks and they don’t require you to use your hands, which are sometimes needed to help you climb a difficult trail. I have owned an Energizer brand headlamp for years and it keeps on going.
20. Pack-N-Go Rain Jacket
If you were a teenager in the late ’80s like I was, you probably remember pack-n-go rain jackets. The type with a big zipper pocket in the middle of them when you wore them and then when you didn’t need them anymore the whole jacket fit in that big pocket and you could zip them in. If you had a more expensive one, your’s probably even had a waist belt so that when it was in the pocket you could wear it around your waist.
While this style of jacket is not trendy with the general population anymore, they do come in handy for hiking. You can easily stuff one in your daypack in case it starts raining or a cold wind starts up and you need another layer. Plus, they are fairly inexpensive so if you rip one on a tree branch, no biggie, you can replace it for not much out of pocket.
21. Hiking Themed Merchandise
Are you reading this list and thinking, “But they have that,” Well then, how about some fun hiking slogan merchandise like t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, and more?
Here is a sweatshirt for the hiker who is always a little lost.
Here is a t-shirt for the hiker who loves mountain trails.
Want something that fits in a Christmas stocking? This hiking themed Christmas ornament would fit.
22. Kit Full Of Pre-hike, Hiking, and Post-Hike Essentials
Here is a twist on the traditional gift basket: grab a quick-dry shower caddy bag and fill it with hiking essentials.
Here is a list of items you might want to include in your hiking gift basket erm…shower caddy gift bag.
- Lip balm, preferably one with sunscreen
- Sunscreen
- Biofreeze
- Bug spray
- Nuun hydration tablets
- Epsom salts
- Body wipes
- After-bite creme
- Hand and face lotion
- Blister aids
- Biodegradable liquid soap
23. Snacks For The Trail
Another gift basket style idea for hikers is to grab a mini insulated lunch bag and fill it with their favorite trail snacks. Why mini and not regular sized? Because hikers don’t want things that take up too much space and a mini lunch bag fits just the essentials for a trail lunch and no more.
Here are a few ideas of what types of snacks to fill the mini lunch bag with:
- Granola bars
- Energy bars
- Trail mix
- Clif Shot Bloks
- Nuts
24. Compact And Lightweight Smartphone Tripod
Whether your hiker hikes alone or with friends, sometimes having a lightweight smartphone tripod is nice since it allows you to get more of the scenery in the shot with you–after all, your arm is only so long. A tripod can also be used as a selfie stick.
25. Small Safety Items
The bear spray on this list is a safety item, but it isn’t small and it is only needed by hikers who hike in areas where bears live. There are, however, a few smaller safety items that could come in handy for all hikers such as:
I hope this list helps you find that perfect gift for the hiker in your life.
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