It can be difficult to pick good backpacking gifts if you’re not an expert backpacker or hiker. That’s why we’ve pulled together this list of great backpacking gifts for $50 or less to help you get your backpacking friends gifts that they’ll appreciate. If you want to spend more, we suggest giving them a gift card so they can pick out the gear they want.
Backpacking Gifts for $25 up to $50
- Six Moon Silver Shadow Trekking Umbrella:($35) Ultralight sun and rain protection when hiking.
- Possum Down Gloves: ($30) Super warm, lightweight wool gloves from New Zealand. A cult favorite.
- Mystery Ranch Bear Spray Holster: ($32) Award-winning quick draw bear strap holster.
- Dirtsaw Poo Trowel: ($21) Tough ultralight trowel for digging catholes in rugged or rocky ground.
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear WP Backpack Shoulder Pocket: ($49) Holds a smartphone, w/ wallet compartment. Waterproof. A backpacker favorite.
- Enlightened Equipment Rain Skirt: ($50) Much more comfortable than full rain pants in summer.
- Zpacks Titanium Flask: ($50) Weighing just 3 oz, it holds 8.8 oz of liquid. Includes a titanium funnel for refills.
- Ultralight Packing Pods: ($40) 3-pack of packing organizers designed to maximize backpack space
- Luci Lantern: ($30) Solar-powered inflatable lantern. Super lightweight. Good for emergencies too.
- SOL Escape Lite Bivy: ($48) Multi-use emergency shelter and cold weather essential.
- Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller: ($40) Ultralight sanity for summer camping. Highly effective.
- Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat: ($46) Popular sun hat that provides head and neck protection.
- Sven Saw: ($50) Ultralight folding saw that’s handy for cutting firewood and trail maintenance.
- Soto Amicus Stove and Cook Set: ($50) Very powerful canister stove and cook set.
- Toaks Titanium Alcohol Stove: ($35) Ultralight alcohol backpacking stove. Super easy to use.
- Snow Peak Titanium Trek 700 Mug: ($50) Ultralight cook pot that doubles as a bowl and mug.
- Snow Peak Kettle Cook Pot 1 qt: ($27) Unique stainless kettle with folding handles. Perfect for use over a fire or with any type of stove.
- Darn Tough Hiker Boot Cushion Hiking Socks: ($27) Backpackers favorite. Super durable and comfortable.
- Norwegian Kuska Mug: ($28) Hand-carved hardwood mug. Clips to your backpack. Drink naturally.
- Black Diamond Astro 300-R Headlamp: ($40) Rechargeable headlamp with easy-to-remember control sequence.
Backpacking Gifts over $10 and up to $25
- Injinji Liner Socks: ($12) Socks with distinct toes that stop hiking blisters in their tracks.
- Chicken Tramper Gear Hiker Wallet ($17): Ultralight wallet for securely carrying cash, ID, and credit cards.
- Kula Cloth Reusable Antimicrobial Pee Cloth: ($20) For women. A zero-waste alternative to toilet paper when you have to pee. It’s a pretty sensible gift that will be appreciated.
- Leukotape P Sports Tape: ($13) Great blister prevention tape popular with all hikers and backpackers.
- Swiss Army Knife Classic: ($22) Smallest Swiss Army Knife with scissors. Thin and lightweight.
- Jetboil Coffee Press. ($21) Turns a Jetboil stove into a French press.
- Ruffwear Quencher Dog Bowl: ($20) Fold-flat packable dog bowl for the trail. A classic.
- Tenkara Fishing Pouch: ($25) Minimalist neck pouch that holds a fly box, tippet, and nippers.
- Outdoor Research ActiveIce Spectrum Sun Gloves: ($30) Cooling Gloves for hiking sun protection.
- Ultrafire Knife: ($20) Ultralight skeleton knife with a built-in firestarter just-in-case
- Morsel Spork: ($15) Combination fork and spoon, with an edge that is strong enough to cut. Awesome.
- CNOC Vecto 3L Squeezable Water Bottle: ($25) Compatible with all Sawyer filters. A backpacker favorite.
- Replens Silicone Lubricant: ($15) Dual use silicone lubricant to prevent skin chafing.
- pStyle Personal Urination Device: ($12) This reusable device lets women pee standing up like a man.
- allmansright Holster Stake Sack: ($20) Very durable tent sake stack that’s hard to lose.
- Crossbands Silicone Elastic Bands: ($19) 20-pack of assorted 4-way elastic bands for packing pots and gear.
- Justin’s UL Water Bottle Pocket: ($17) Popular bottle holder for backpack shoulder straps.
- The Stanley Adventure Camp Cookset: ($25) Great little cookpot for boiling water or making coffee.
- Platypus 1L Clear Foldable Bottle: ($13) Incredibly useful and durable folding water bottle.
- Matador Waterproof Pill Canister: ($20) Waterproof, 7-day pill organizer for medications. Priceless!
Backpacking Gifts for $10 or less
- Dehydrated Sriracha Hot Sauce ($6): A must-have addition to spice up bland camping meals.
- Gossamer Gear Bamboo Long-Handle Spoon: ($7) Unlike metal, bamboo does not conduct heat, stain, or absorb flavors.
- CuloClean Portable Bidet: ($10) Screws onto a soda bottle, for washing the salt and stink off at night.
- Platform Tent Stakes: ($10) Special tent stakes designed to secure tents on wooden platforms. These are a godsend that few hikers know about but need.
- Hanging Tent Organizer: ($10) 4-pocket mesh hanging organizer for tents. Handy for glasses, phones, etc.
- Folding Foam Sit Pad: ($10) Keeps your bum clean and dry when you sit on a rock to rest.
- Swiss Army Knife Replacement Tweezers: ($6) A 6-pack of Swiss Army Knife replacement tweezers.
- Jetboil Fuel Can Stabilizer: ($7) Prevents tip-overs. Works with any fuel canister. Totally worth the weight.
- Dr. Bronner’s Soap: ($4) A minty revelation. The 2 oz size is perfect for backpacking.
- Nite Ize LED Micro Lantern: ($10) Clips to a hammock ridgeline or to gear loops in a tent.
$25-50: Gerber LST Ultralight pocket knife ($26 on Amazon) Weighs less than an ounce. The 2.63″ blade is a nice size for backpacking, and the locking blade eliminates the need to restock your first aid kit with Band-Aids after each trip (Yes, I’ve had a Swiss Army Knife Classic fold up on me while using it, cutting two fingers.) Highly recommend after years of carrying one.
I just use the scissors mainly.
Nice list, thanks!
Regarding the platform tent stakes: I once had them with me but the wood of the platform was too thick …
I improvised with 2 other kinds of items that I had with me:
– lashing straps. I used them first.
– regular tent stakes (2 per point, crossed). These worked well as long as pulling force is applied. So I used them last.
I stopped carrying special platform stakes after that.