Thru Hiker Gift Ideas
You have supportive family and friends who want to show their support for your adventure with backpacking inspired gifts? However, you have carefully curated a list of items you are planning on taking and are scared of ending up with a mini cast-iron skillet.
We have put together a list of gift ideas that are easy give to friends and family who ask, “What can I get you for the trail?”
The big items come with hefty price tags and are so specific that it can be difficult to communicate that you want this brand, in this size, with this rating, and make sure to check this spec… and wait maybe I should just do this myself.
We have compiled a list of gift ideas under $100 that are actually helpful to have on trail and receiving them as a gift will help you not sweat the little things to focus on the big ones. These suggestions are meant to have fewer specifics to make it easier for non-hikers to choose while also offering different styling options to make the gift personal.
#1 Dyneema Stuff Sack
$35 Zpacks Big Stuff sack fits an EE 20 degree quilt. There are also numerous brands out there that make waterproof stuff sacks, you just need to specify the size (how many liters.)
#2 Hilltop Packs Bags
Hilltop makes quality bags for all items - food bags, battery bags, hygiene bags, tent stake bags. The food bags are around $65 but are fun because they can upload custom pictures for a completely custom bag. Plus you will never lose your food bag! The tent stake bags come in funny designs and run $14.
I own a custom food bag and I LOVE it. The material is durable and comes with a smell proof lining for rodents.
#3 Darn Tough Socks
This is probably one of the best presents a thru hiker can get! At $22 a pair these socks are just expensive enough to make you sigh when calculating the last incidentals in your budget. You will easily go through multiple pairs of socks, we change ours out mid-hike, so you can never have enough.
We recommend the 1/4 or micro crew length and medium cushion.
#4 BUff HeadBand/Neck Gaiter
These are not just for women. Buff’s neck gaiters can be worn as neck cold weather/UV protection OR as ear cold weather/UV protection. I wore my Buff in lieu of a hat because of this versatility. The neck gaiters are $24 and come in a multitude of patterns - they even have a pattern for each of the three major trails!
#5 Listening Material
On trail you have a lot of time… like a lot. Having a variety of different listening material is a nice treat that easily becomes something to look forward to, especially on a hard climb.
Audible audiobook or gift card
Wondery Podcast subscription
Spotify playlist (Free! Takes dedication)
#6 SHoe Gaiters
An absolute must have on trail for keeping your socks and feet as clean as can be expected. Dirty Girl gaiters are the most popular brand and are only $25 a pair. There have seemingly limitless options and patterns that can make selecting a pair fun and personal.
#7 Sunglasses Lanyard
Picking out sunglasses can be a more personal choice due to fit and style, but something we found extremely helpful was having a lanyard attached to our sunglasses to easily take them on and off. Specifically in our case, to not lose them! These can be any price point from $10 - $30 depending on what they are aiming for.
#8 Lightweight booties
LOVE LOVE LOVE! These are under 3 oz and can make such a difference when sleeping in cooler temperatures. There are a few brands who make sleeping booties, but we have Enlightenment Equipment’s Torrid Booties. They retail at $70 but do go on sale for around $55. Again there is no specifics to know here besides general shoe size.
#9 FannyPack
Fanny packs have grown in popularity on trail due to lighter weight packs not having hip pockets. One of the more popular brands for fanny packs is Cotopaxi because the packs are light and cheaper (plus roomy!) Most of Cotopaxi’s fanny packs are around $30. Hyperlight and Zpacks also make fanny packs that are more water resistant if the gift budget is higher.
#10 Battery Powered Watch
To cut down on the number of items that require charging, we recommend a cheap(er) battery operated watch. These are great for alarms and then just in general having a clock. Casio makes watches across all budgets that are water resistant. Your friends or family can pick between a $30 watch up to a $100 watch. We personally have worn the $30 version for two thru hikes.
