I get this question every year. "What's a good gift to give a fanatical backpacker that they'll appreciate?" Since I fall into this target audience, I thought I'd give you a hand and recommend some gifts that all cost under $50 and that most backpackers would love to receive.

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For $11.95, this a great product that every backpacker with a camera needs. It's called the StickPic, and it's a camera mount that attaches to the end of a hiking pole so that you can easily take a self-portrait photo of yourself. Plus, the StickPic weighs less than 0.5 oz.

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I use a Photon Freedom LED Microlight after dark. It is powered by a single long-lasting, lithium battery and weighs just 0.35 oz. If you haven't tried one of these you should get one too. They only cost $15.95 each and are virtually indestructible. An optional hat clip is available so that you can wear the photon as a head lamp.

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Sarah Kirkconnell's, Freezer Bag Cooking: Trail Food Made Simple is a backpacking classic, full of recipes for lightweight backpacking foodies. It only costs $14.95, and will vastly improve your diet and the variety of food you eat on the trail.

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For $18, you can buy an ultralight-weight Nightlight sleeping pad from Gossamer Gear that weighs just 3.3 oz. This is a great pad for summer use when you want to carry a very light pack and can server double duty as a frame in ultralight backpacks with sleeping pad pockets.

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For $19.99, you can buy a friend an AquaMira Frontier Pro disposable water filter that only weighs 2 oz. This little filter is perfect for short ultralight backpacking trips and wintertime hiking, since it can be easily stored close to your skin to prevent freezing.The Frontier Pro removes 99.99% of all Giardia and Cryptosporidium and will filter up to 50 gallons of water.

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For just $22, you can purchase a 1500 cubic inch Spintex EXP Stuff Sack from Mountain Laurel Designs that only weighs 0.6 oz and makes an excellent Bear Bag.  A hang loop is provided on the stuff sack, separate from the cinch line, for longer life. MLD also sells mini wire gate biners for $3, and you'll want to include one in your order for bear bag hanging.

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For $30, the Gossamer Gear Bug Canopy can be used under a tarp or in lean-to's and shelters. It weighs just 3 oz. and is well worth carrying to avoid having to wear DEET on your face and arms at night. I used it extensively this past year on my end-to-end hike of the Long Trail in Vermont where the bugs were out in force from May through early October. When I staying in a shelter, I simply hung the bug canopy from a lean-to joist or a bunk bed post.

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For $35, Zpacks.com now offers a Cuben Fiber Backpack Cover that only weighs 0.95 oz. This is is a significant savings over most silnylon pack covers which tend to weigh between 4 and 6 oz. This ultralight pack cover is seamless and comes with a shock cord for securely fitting it around your pack.

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For $40, you can buy a friend a Western Mountaineering Cloudrest Down Pillow. Filled with 800+ goose down, this pillow weighs under 5 oz. and provides a little extra self-indulgent warmth on cold weather showshoeing and camping trips.

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• backpacking gifts
• best backpacking gear under 50
• ultralight backpacking rab
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Related posts:

1. Holiday Backpacking Gear: 50 Gifts Under $50
2. Sectionhiker’s 2009 Ultralight Holiday Wish List