I’m going to soap box for a second on the pros and cons of purchasing new gear before getting to some budget friendly gift options that won’t end up in the closet. Hiking gear, like most other retail products, require resources to make and are not inherently recyclable. So… I offer that we should be conscious of our purchases, making sure we’re getting the most out of gear before throwing it out.
Pros – Hiking Gear is Actually Expensive
First, it can be worth expending some effort gifting hiking gear because a lot of people don’t realize how expensive equipment can be. Maybe it’s free to hike a trail, but rain gear, boots, and clothing are not. Then if you want to head out backpacking, costs really start increasing.
People will usually end up having to compromise on cost, so for those with a budget, gifting some nice gear can be an asset.
Cons – Even Hikers like to Keep Up with the Joneses
On the flip side, people can really get into buying too much gear, i.e. the infamous gear head. Getting that new gps, or the even lighter tent, despite all your current equipment being perfectly adequate.
A part of my philosophy of enjoying the outdoors and hiking is also minimizing my impact on the environment. I don’t really want to keep up with the Joneses. Unnecessarily upgrading gear means adding more to landfills. If our intention as a community is to drive towards sustainability and conservation then the same standard of reducing waste applies to hiking as well.
Some of these conversations are backed by others in the hiking community. Check out these articles, Buy Less, Do More with Good Enough Gear and Why You Shouldn’t Buy New Outdoor Gear.
Budget Friendly Hiking Gifts Ideas
When putting together a list of gifts, I chose to focus on budget friendly gifts, that may actually be useful and don’t end up in the closet…or the landfill!
Snow Peak Titanium Spork
This is a really popular, yet underrated piece of hiking equipment. Backpackers are always trying to lighten the load, but many don’t realize how expensive backpacking equipment gets especially when you’re first starting out.
So after spending $1000 on a tent, backpack, boots, sleeping gear, clothing, spending $10 on a spork?! It killed me at the time when I was making those choices.
So I would definitely put this in the fun, nice to have options.
Smartwool Socks
The thing about socks is, its hard to have too many. You need heavy socks for the winter, and lighter socks for the summer. Socks alone make a huge difference when you’re backpacking or hiking, and a good pair costs 20 bucks.
Smartwool is a great brand, and it will always help a friend to drop 20 bucks on a new pair. You can always find them on a good sale as well if you plan ahead.
REI Co-op Multi Towel Lite
We found hiking towels to be underrated game changers.
I came across hiking towels by accident a couple of years ago and picked one up for our family to test out.
We take a hiking towel on all trips, day hikes or backpacking. It’s light, easy to pack, and easy to dry on your backpack after using it. There hasn’t been any downsides, and with kids you literally just always need a towel handy.
This towel in particular from REI is highly recommended and comes at a great price. There are a couple of sizes to choose from so choose wisely!
Where to Buy? | |
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Seller | Price |
REI | $ 15.95-35.95 |
The Deuce #3 Heavy Duty Backcountry Trowel
When stocking up on backpacking gear people seem to forget about needing a pooper scooper!
But seriously, out in the woods, with leave no trace and the need to bury your poop it’s important to have a light pooper scooper around.
My favorite scooper is this Deuce #3 trowel. Its light weight, robust, and easy to pack. Plus it makes for some comical looks when the gift is opened.
The TentLab has trowels in multiple sizes so make sure to grab the #3. This is hard to find, so check out REI or Amazon.
Where to Buy? | |
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Seller | Price |
REI | $21.95 |
Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series Hiker Medical Kit – 2 people / 2 day
I feel like people are always under prepared even for a light day of hiking. A small condensed medical kit is one of those items people forget to pack for both day hikes and backpacking trips.
This pack is intended to be light and easy to pack, but on the flip side it has fewer medical supplies. Hikers found it best used for as personal kit, max 2 people, and only for a couple of days in the woods.
Where to Buy? | |
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Seller | Price |
REI | $25.00 |
Amazon | $23.50 |
Stasher Reusable Silicone Bags
Stasher bags are usually marketed as an environmentally friendly reusable silicon bag for storing foods in the kitchen. As it turns out, they also work great on the trail for storing food, hiking out trash, and then washing the bag in the dishwasher when you get home.
I haven’t personally bought a Stasher bag yet, but it is definitely on my to do list to replace Ziploc bags.
All Trails Subscription
All Trials is almost like an organized hiking community platform to share trail information, experiences, and photos. We use it regularly for research and finding trail heads.
If you have a friend that regularly uses the free version of All Trails, you can get them an annual subscription for just $30. With the paid version you can download maps to your phone, keep track of where you are on the trial via the app, and get the weather overlaid on the map. The best part is it’s not a piece of gear.
Check out the link to the pro version
Moosejaw Gift Card
Everyone knows about REI, and maybe even Backpacker, but I love to shop at Moosejaw when I can.
It’s my go to for hiking gear for a couple of reasons: the point system is great, and they have helped me out of a pickle more than once when they had hard to find gear in stock. And honestly, the online experience is great. When I’ve used the chat I was immediately directed to a person without any weird automated hoops to jump through.
If you never know what to get someone, let them pick and just get them an e-gift card.
National Geographic Maps
Even if you’re day hiking you it is recommended to have a map on you. The same goes if you’re using an app or gps to track your location. On the off chance it runs out of battery, you don’t want to be stuck out in the woods completely lost.
Lately, we’ve been tackling National Forests and National Parks, all of which Nat Geo has a great selection of water proof, tear proof trail maps. If you know you’re friend is getting ready for a trip, check in and see if they have a map on hand.