Backpacking gear has gotten very expensive. But here are 25 backpacking gifts for $25 or less, that any backpacker would love to receive.
1. Six Pack of Honey Stinger Waffles
The choice of many professional athletes, Honey Stinger Energy Waffles provide clean, nutritious energy when you need it. Certified organic and kosher, each package contains a thin and delicious layer of honey sandwiched between 2 thin waffles. This 6-pack of Honey Stinger waffles will perk you up and fuel your next adventure. A gluten-free version is also available.
2. (Ultralight Edition) Mille Bornes Auto Racing Card Game
When you make it to camp earlier than you thought you would, sit back, relax, and enjoy a game of Mille Bornes, the classic French Auto Racing Card game. Suitable for 2-6 players, an average game lasts for 20 minutes. This lightweight portable set includes 2 deck of playing cards and a card holder. Weighing 8 oz, you can easily reduce the weight of this set, by replacing the tin box with a Dyneema DCF stuff sack.
3. Revel 30′ LED Light String
You can’t help but smile when you see a string of colored LED lights in camp. Weighing just 1.6 oz, this thirty-foot light string comes with 100 high-efficiency LEDs and is so small it can fit in your pockets. It can plug into any USB outlet or battery and generates up to 350 lumens of light in six different lighting modes so you can enjoy sitting outside or in your tent without a headlamp.
4. Mountainsmith Beer Cooler Tube
Come to the rescue of drink-deprived friends with a handy six-pack beer cooler you can wear on your back. This insulated tube is made from durable ripstop polyester so it can handle all the bumps and bruises of your next hiking adventure, while a seam-sealed lining and foam insulation help keep your cargo cool and protected. It makes a decent case for a fishing rod too.
5. Injini Liner Crew Socks
Banish blisters forever with these ingenious toe socks from Injini. Wear these light and breathable liner socks under thicker outer socks as a first line of defense against moisture and blisters, or wear them alone as your go-to socks for everyday adventures. Made with Coolmax, these synthetic socks wrap each toe individually, preventing the friction that causes blisters.
6. Kula Cloth Pee Cloth
A Kula is a reusable antimicrobial pee cloth for anybody who squats when they pee. It’s self-sterilizing and dries when clipped to the outside of your backpack, eliminating the need to bury toilet paper in the wilderness. Female hikers swear by it.
7. Gossamer Gear Shoulder Strap Pocket
The Gossamer Gear Shoulder Strap Pocket has a three-way velcro attachment system that is compatible with just about any backpack under the sun. It’s available in a medium size that is compatible with most Smartphones and a large size if you want still more storage. Made with water-resistant Robic Nylon, these pockets have a second mesh sleeve on the outside which is great for stashing sunglasses or snacks for easy access. This pocket works well with all backpacks, especially those that don’t have daisy chains on their shoulder straps like packs from Osprey and Gregory.
8. Snapfold Bowlz by Fozzils
A two-pack of Fozzils’ super versatile bowls. These unique bowls fold flat for easy packing and snap together when you need a bowl to eat breakfast or dinner. At 1.4 oz each, they’re very lightweight, convenient to use, and easy to clean and carry. Made from Polypropylene, they’re BPA-free and dishwasher-safe. Each bowl holds 20.4 fluid oz (600 ml) and comes with volume measuring lines.
9. Hiker Wallet
Hikers don’t need or want to carry a thick wallet when hiking or backpacking because they only need to carry a driver’s license, a credit card or two, an insurance card, and some cash. The WEBO Hiker’s Wallet is made with XPac waterproof fabric and has a waterproof zipper to keep valuables dry. It’s available in a wide range of bright colors, making it easy to locate inside a backpack when it’s needed.
10. Swiss Army Classic Pocket Knife
The Swiss Army Classic pocket knife is a longtime hiker favorite because it’s super lightweight but packs many of the tools that hikers need daily, ranging from a small pair of sharp scissors and a knife to a nail file, toothpick, and tweezers. Weighing just 0.7 ounces, it’s easy to clip to the outside of your backpack with a mini-biner for easy access. Replacement toothpicks and tweezers are also available since they’re usually the first thing you lose.
11. Cross Bands, Pack of 20
Cross Bands are heat-resistant, UV-resistant, cooking-grade silicone bands that are ideal for packing gear and cooking supplies. You can use them to keep your inflatable sleeping pad rolled up, stop your cook system from rattling when you hike, for stacking plastic food containers, organizing permits and passes, packing resupply boxes, compressing food and clothing bags, and on and on. Each pack of 20 includes multiple sizes and colors
12. Ben’s Invisinet Bug Head Net
Enjoy spectacular views without pesky bug bites using Ben’s InvisiNet Head Net, the highest-visibility bug net on the market. Whether you’re hiking, fishing, or gardening, this head net is so sheer that even mosquitoes won’t see it coming, as the pore size is only 1.0 mm! Weighing only 0.7 oz., this head net is easy to pack and super portable. Engineered for easy use, Ben’s InvisiNet has a roomy fit and an elasticized crown that stays in place on your head, fishing hat, or favorite baseball cap.
13. Minus 33 Merino Wool Beanie
Hikers and backpackers share wilderness areas with hunters and it helps when hikers wear highly visible blaze orange clothing during hunting season so hunters can see them more easily. This lightweight Minus 33 Merino beanie is super warm and can be used for hiking or sleeping in cool weather. One size fits most. It’s also available in a wide range of colors.
14. Vargo Titanium Ultralight Tent Stakes
This 6-pack of ultralight Vargo Titanium tent stakes combines the classic Shepherds Hook design with the lightness and durability of titanium. Weighing just 8 grams each, they have a florescent orange head, making them hard to lose. These tent pegs add almost no weight to your backpack while their titanium construction assures they’ll hold up to hard use.
15. CuloClean Soda Bottle Bidet
Reduce the amount of toilet paper used in the backcountry while preventing the dreaded chafing and “monkey butt” that results when your crack isn’t clean. This handy bidet attachment screws onto regular plastic water/soda bottles so you can clean up anywhere, even at the office. Very popular with thru-hikers!
16. Nite Ize MicroLock S-Biner Keychains
Featuring center-locking levers, stainless-steel gates, and colorful, lightweight aluminum bodies, the secure Nite Ize MicroLock S-Biners are a perfect size for corralling keys and other small items. Each S-biner holds up to 3 keys, with mini double-gated carabiners that have simple, convenient twist-to-lock levers that lock both gates at once to keep items in place. They’re also useful for attaching a hammock underquilt to a hammock, hanging Christmas lights, and a gazillion other uses!
17. Itty Bitty Ditty Bag
The Itty Bitty Ditty Bag is an ultralight waterproof ditty bag for holding all of your toiletries on the trail or for travel. How ultralight is it? Would you believe it only weighs 0.4 oz! It’s made with an ultralight material called Ultra 100X that is immensely durable and easy to clean. This ditty bag has space for all your essentials—soap, conditioner, toothbrush, deodorant, hair brush, tampons, you name it—keeping your self-care game on point no matter how far you roam. Toiletries not included.
18. Tent Platform Anchors
This 10-pack of ultralight tent platform anchors makes it a snap to set up a tent on a wooden tent site platform. The anchors slide in between the boards and provide a secure anchor to tie down a tent. The highly visible red color also makes them hard to lose.
19. Zpacks Tyvek Groundsheet
This 5′ x 9′ Tyvek groundsheet is incredibly useful for protecting the bottom of a tent, as a dry landing pad next to a hammock, or under a tarp when sleeping on the ground. It will not bunch up or slide around under you like other fabrics and is very durable.
20. Wooden Mouse Traps
If you’re buying a gift for an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker or section hiker, there’s a pretty good chance that they sleep in trail shelters that have mice. If you want to tickle their funny bone and protect their food bag, give them a set of old-school mouse traps to bring along on their backpacking trips. Just bait them with cheese or peanut butter. I once met an Appalachian thru-hiker named “Stretch” who carried mouse traps from shelter to shelter and would surround his sleeping pad with them each night. Needless to say, I didn’t see many mice in the shelters on that section hike.
21. Nite Ize Runoff Waterproof Wallet
Some things just have to stay dry no matter what, like electronics, your passport, vaccination card, photographs, or cash. The Nite Ize Runoff Waterproof Wallet is IP67-rated (withstands immersion to 1m up to 30 min.) and waterproof, with a toothless zipper that glides smoothly and quietly. Built-in attachment points and an integrated belt loop make it easy to clip to straps or attach to your belt for security.
22. Opinel Number 8 Beechwood Handle Knife
Small enough to be used as a pocket knife, the Opinel No. 8 knife features a sharp stainless-steel blade and a beautiful beechwood handle. Its Sandvik 12C27 modified stainless steel blade is anti-corrosive and requires no special maintenance. Cut the cheese in style!
23. Six Moon Designs Reusable Waterproof Pack Liner
Hikers and backpackers usually line the inside of their backpacks to prevent rain from leaking through the backpack seams and making their gear and clothing wet. They often use plastic bags which eventually find their way into landfills. It’d be much better and environmentally friendly if they could reuse the same waterproof pack liner, like this one from Six Moon Designs, again and again. Their pack liner is a 50L waterproof rolltop bag with taped seams that many hikers and backpackers use to safeguard their gear from moisture. Its brightly colored exterior helps make things easier to find inside a dark backpack.
24. Cork Massage Ball
If there’s one thing all hikers and backpackers have in common, it’s sore feet. If there’s no one around willing to give you a foot massage, especially after a long day of hiking, you can carry an ultralight cork massage ball to work out the knots and help relax your aching feet. Weighing a bit more than one ounce, this 2.5″ cork massage ball is the size recommended by massage therapists and physical therapists for soothing myofascial tissue pain and plantar fasciitis, loosening sore muscles, and improving mobility. So have a ball and give your feet a break.
25. elete Electrolyte Add-in
Hikers and backpackers benefit by adding electrolytes to their water in hot and humid weather or when exercising hard. Sourced with water from Utah’s Great Salt Lake, eLete Electrolyte Add-in is designed without sugars, flavorings, or anything artificial-just pure electrolytes that can easily be added to any beverage or food. It’s also safe for hydration packs and will not stain, or leave an odor or residue. Simply add one capful (2.46 ml) for each quart of water that you want to treat or 2 drops for every ounce of liquid. Kosher, non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegetarian. Each small dropper bottle makes 10 x 32 oz servings. The dropper bottles are refillable and eLete is also sold in bulk. Works great!
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