10 Useful Gift Ideas for Hikers
Do you need some help finding great gift ideas for the hikers in your life? Whether for the holidays, a birthday, or another special occasion, we have 10 useful gifts any hiker will enjoy, regardless of if they are a freshman hiker or a more seasoned backpacker.
Note: Sleeping bags, tents, pads, and backpacks heavily rely on a hiker’s preference, while the gift ideas listed below can work for any hiker. If you are interested in ideas for these types of gear, check out my gear recommendations section.
Hiking Socks
A hiker knows the true value of a good pair of socks. Regardless of if he or she already owns a few good pairs, extras will never hurt as they will eventually wear out.
It helps to know what length of sock a hiker prefers, but if you have to take a stab at it, review the chart below. It’s not definitive, but useful if you don’t know where to start.
| Hikes in Pants | Hikes in Shorts | |
| Hikes in boots | Crew cut | Ankle or Crew cut |
| Hikes in Shoes | Ankle or Crew cut | Ankle or No-show |
You will also be faced with options on cushioning level, ranging from heavy to none. I recommend sticking with light to medium cushioning for most hiking, but keep in mind the more cushioning, the more warmth.
My suggestions:
Backpacking Meals
Dinner is on you!
Treat your hiking enthusiast to a few (or maybe a bucket-full) easy-to-make backpacking meals. There’s a wide array of options from different companies, and if you don’t know what he or she likes, try a premade variety pack or create your own.
You can try Mountain House Meals, Greenbelly, Peak Refuel, Backpacker’s Pantry, or you can get creative with various other pouched meals, like instant mashed potatoes, chicken, rice, you name it. Most hikers will tear through these in a couple of trips.
My suggestions:
Dry Bags
A hiker will certainly find a use for good dry bags. Like socks, they will eventually wear out with enough use so having spares on-hand is beneficial.
Dry bags are used to keep items, well, dry. Typically, we hikers keep spare clothes, food, and electronics in dry bags, and anything else that is critical to stay dry.
There are cheap options and more expensive ones, usually determined by the material and size of the bag. In the case of dyneema dry bags, they are durable and weigh less, so I believe these to be the best option. Also, make sure to have a roll-top over a cinch cord as the latter cannot adequately be considered a dry bag.
My suggestions:
Alltrails Pro Subscription
Alltrails is the most popular hiking app available, offering over 350K trails from all around the world. Even though the Hiking Project app from REI is free, it doesn’t have as extensive of a database for trails.
An Alltrails Pro subscription is around $36 a year and comes with a ton of useful features, including:
- Downloadable maps for offline viewing
- Printing of maps
- 3D maps
- Wrong turn notifications
With this app, a hiker can find a trail within a desired distance and then track themselves along the trail as they hike. It is such a useful tool and offers an extra degree of safety and peace of mind.
Satellite Messenger
Speaking of safety, a satellite messenger is an excellent gift for a diehard hiker who often finds themselves backpacking through wilderness areas, where cellular signal is non-existent, or spotty at best.
With satellite messengers, a hiker can send text messages or their location without the need for a cell signal. With this comes peace of mind for them and for you, knowing a means of contact is available in case of an emergency. Many also have a SOS button, making it easy to send out a distress signal without having to type a message.
While the most expensive gift on this list, if a hiker isn’t already using a satellite messenger then this is a homerun gift in my opinion. And, if a hiker is already using one, you can purchase a plan for them. Some offer both monthly and annual plans, so I recommend visiting the manufacturer’s website for specific details.
My suggestion:
Rain Kilt
A rain kilt is definitely thinking outside the box when it comes to a gift idea for hikers. While most hikers tend to use rain pants or a poncho, rain kilts are growing in popularity.
This being the case, many hikers are aware of their existence but haven’t taken the plunge in trying one out. Help them expand their horizons, especially if they are interested in the world of ultralight backpacking since rain kilts can be extremely light weight.
My suggestions:
Hiking Journal
A log book or a hiking journal is a way for a hiker to keep track of the trails they’ve hiked, the miles, the dates, and any key highlights they had along the way. It really is just a neat idea, and to have a book filled with hand-written hiking memories can be sentimental, not just for the hiker, but for their children and grandchildren.
You can find hiking specifica journals on Amazon. There are many options, so I recommend doing a search and find what speaks to you.
Camping Chair
Many hikers will scoff at the idea of having a camp chair, but they might raise an eyebrow in interest for an ultralight one.
Honestly, if not for the ultralight options from Helinox, I wouldn’t recommend a camp chair, but to have a luxury item that is super lightweight … well, a hiker might not ever go back to a sit pad again.
My suggestion:
Nomadik Subscription
Get your hiking loved one a subscription to Nomadik and have cool gear sent to them monthly or quarterly.
Nomadik assembles a different package and will ship it directly to your hiker’s home, again either monthly or quarterly. These boxes can contain anything from water filters, knives, flashlights, cookware, and just about anything else related to camping and hiking.
These boxes are also tailored to your selected preferences and the time of the year. So, if you know your hiker well enough, they will get gear related specifically to what they like.
I won’t say that every item in a package is going to be useful, but the anticipation of what they may find in each box is exciting in itself!
Graphic Tee
One great way for someone to display their love for hiking is with a witty graphic t-shirt. Sure, brand specific shirts like Patagonia or Columbia are nice, but rarely clever.
A quick Amazon search for “hiking graphic tees” comes up with a world of options. Also check out the google shopping results.
Conclusion
What makes the gift ideas listed above great is they can work for any hiker of any experience level or style. The ultralight or ultra prepared, the rookie or the seasoned veteran, these ideas span the entire spectrum.
We named a few things that every hiker uses and a couple of more adventurous items that may span new horizons for them. It helps to know some of their preferences, but ultimately, I would have confidence that these gifts will not leave a hiker disappointed.
