With the holiday season just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start thinking about gifts for the outdoor enthusiasts in your life. If you have friends or family who love to hike, whatever their age or experience level, you can’t go wrong with one of these 10 great gift options.
1. Darn Tough Socks
Socks aren’t normally thought of as an exciting holiday gift, but then again, these aren’t your normal socks. Darn Tough Socks are specially designed and made for hikers and have been trail tested on the Vermont Long Trail to ensure they stand up to the challenge. Made from custom-count, shrink-treated merino wool and featuring extra cushioning and hidden seams (to prevent chafing), these socks offer fantastic comfort and durability that every hiker in your life will appreciate.
2. National Geographic Trails Illustrated Maps
These beautifully laid-out topographic maps from National Geographic are a perfect gift for those who love planning hikes as much as hiking itself. The series covers just about every hiking area in the US, and each map features trail access points, distances for each section of trail, and other points of interest. The maps are printed on waterproof, tear-resistant material, so they’re tough enough to withstand challenging weather conditions out on the trail.
3. 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles books
Almost every city and area in the US has its own “60 Hikes” book. This series of guides is an excellent way to help the hiker in your life discover exciting new hikes right in their own backyard. As the name suggests, each guide offers full trail and trailhead directions to 60 different hikes around the area or city, as well as details on trail length and difficulty, hiking times, and hike descriptions.
4. Hiker Medical Kit
Even on short, easy hikes, accidents can still happen, so it’s always important for hikers to have supplies on hand to deal with basic first aid needs. The Hiker Medical Kit from Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series is a comprehensive, lightweight option that has everything you need for minor to moderate injuries and issues, but it is still compact enough to tuck easily into a backpack. The kit contains a variety of bandages, medications, and instruments, as well as a helpful guide to wilderness medicine.
5. YETI Rambler Tumbler
A hot cup of coffee or tea is a must for most hikers on those early drives to the trailhead. Make sure the hikers in your life can always enjoy their favorite morning beverage with the YETI Rambler Tumbler. This popular 20-ounce travel mug has a lid that’s splashproof, spill resistant, and easy to open and close smoothly thanks to a special system of magnets. User reviews report that the cup itself keeps beverages hot for an impressively long time. Bonus: it works just as well for cold drinks!
6. TriggerPoint Performance GRID X Foam Roller
Being able to enjoy a massage at the end of a long day outdoors is a dream for just about every hiker. Help this dream become a reality with these nifty foam rollers from TriggerPoint Performance. Simply roll whatever body part is feeling achy—feet, legs, back, or neck—along the roller, and the extra-firm foam aerates the muscle tissue, releasing tension.
7. Joby GorillaPod 1K Kit
If you haven’t posted the perfect photo of your hike to Instagram, did it really happen? All joking aside, taking photos of beautiful scenery and memorable moments is one of the great pleasures of hiking. This compact, handy tripod makes it easy to capture quality pictures and videos using any device under 2.2 lbs, including smartphones and digital cameras. Thanks to the flexible legs and rubberized foot grips, the tripod can be secured to just about any surface, with the option to pan the camera a full 360 degrees.
8. LARABAR Variety Box
If the hikers in your life don’t already know about LARABAR, this variety box is the perfect way to introduce them. Beloved by outdoor adventurers of all kinds, LARABAR’s natural energy bars are made with just a few simple ingredients. Healthy, minimally processed, GMO free, and just the right size for a pocket, these bars are the perfect trail snack.
9. America the Beautiful Pass
The America the Beautiful National Parks Pass is a gift that will keep on giving all year round. With the pass, up to four adults (or a driver and all the passengers in a personal vehicle) can gain entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites all across the US, including all the country’s national parks. At just $80, it’s the perfect gift of adventure and exploration.
10. Petzl Actik Core Headlamp
A headlamp is an essential hiking accessory for those times when a little extra light on the trail is needed, such as when a hike unexpectedly lasts until dusk, for example. One of the best headlamps currently on the market is the Petzl Actik Core Headlamp. This powerful and lightweight option lasts for up to 130 hours, can be recharged via USB (but also takes AAA batteries), is water resistant, and has a special red-light mode for night vision.
Sorry, comments are closed for this post.