Best Gifts for Hikers, Backpackers, Outdoorsy People (2026)

Featured in this article

• Merino Wool Socks

  

  Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  Yes, you read that right. Socks. SOCKS. You should gift socks. Outdoorsy people can never have too many socks. We're hard on socks, which almost guarantees this gift will see some use. What your outdoorsperson especially needs are merino wool socks. Merino wool is a super fiber. It will change their lives. Did you know you can wear merino wool for several days in row without smelling like you just spent two weeks at a Phish reunion? Just kidding, Phish fans. But it's true. Merino wool will change your friend or loved one's backpacking life. It's comfortable, has virtually no odor no matter how long you wear it, and helps your body thermoregulate, staying warmer when it's cold, cooler when it's warm.

  We love Darn Tough socks in particular because they're comfortable, stand up to considerable abuse, and have some of the highest merino wool content of anything we've tested. The also come in a nearly endless array of fun colors and designs. If you want something warmer, I love these Expedition Weight Minus33 merino socks ($24).

• A Cozy Blanket

  

  Rumpl

  Backcountry Puffy Blanket

  No outdoorsy person ever regrets owning a Rumpl puffy blanket. (I have one on my couch right now!) We used to use a Pendleton wool one, but it was heavy, got wet, and was hard to wash. A Rumpl puffy packs down light, like a sleeping bag. It’s made from 100 percent recycled plastic with a PFAS-free DWR. Coffee spills, puddles, dog hair, and mud just roll right off it—and if not, it’s easy to throw into the washing machine and have it air dry. I have several of these, and I particularly like having one in the trunk of my car. It’s useful for an impromptu rain cover or a picnic, putting your dog in the back, and also as an emergency blanket if your car breaks down in a remote location. (I have a famous fear of being cold.) Buy one for your outdoorsy friend, and one for yourself. —Adrienne So

• Coffee, Coffee Now

  

  Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  What is camping without brewing coffee over a morning fire? And what is coffee if not from a moka pot? This is the classic Bialetti moka pot on which all other moka pots are based. It's made of heavy-gauge aluminum that heats evenly and won't complain if you put it directly on the coals (although the plastic handle will, so make sure your outdoorsy person puts it on the edge of the fire). It'll brew about a 4-ounce cup of very dark coffee (not technically espresso since it's not under pressure, but it's as close as you'll get outdoors).

  If your outdoor person isn't a moka pot lover, other coffee options include this exquisite titanium French press from Snow Peak. It weighs just 6.3 ounces, so you can even hit the trail with it if you’re dedicated to your coffee. Then there's the tried-and-true Aeropress Go ($50), which can be used in a variety of ways and is light enough to pack on the trail and simple enough to use in a hotel room—and it makes all-around good coffee.

• The Best Knife for Fancy Hiking

  

  Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  Opinel

  No. 8 Folding Knife

  Opinel's classic folding knife practically begs to be taken on a hike with some good hard chorizo, soft Spanish cheese, and a nice baguette. It's the first step to hiking European style. Or at least how I imagine Europeans hike (always with delicious cheese, cured meats, and cheap wine—please don't ruin my vision, European readers). I got my Opinel as a gift from a friend, and I love it. And I am an outdoor person, so there is your living proof that this is a good gift.

  Opinel makes dozens of variations on this knife that you can pick from when gifting. Grab them a kit with a bento box, or a nature lover friend might like the version with handles designed by different artists. The one version I don't recommend is the carbon steel version. Carbon steel is great, but in this case, when you're throwing it in your backpack and possibly forgetting about it for long periods of time, carbon steel will rust. Stick with stainless steel when gifting this.

• Laws Guide to Nature Journaling

  

  Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  John Muir Laws

  The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

  This book changed the way I, and my kids, look at the world. I originally bought it because I thought my kids might like it (which they did), but then I stole it, read it cover to cover, bought a sketchbook, and, following along with the book, started to see the world in much more detail than I ever had before. Don't worry if your giftee is not an artist. I am the opposite of skilled when it comes to drawing, and I still love this book. More than drawing, what this book is teaching you is to look closely, observing and recording the world around you, and to form your own understanding of what you've witnessed.

  If you want to put together a kind of “curiosity kit” gift package based on the one in the book, pick up a hand lens (I like this one because of the way it blocks out the light, though there are higher-quality lenses), some nice pens, and a millimeter ruler to go along with it. You could also check out our guide to journals and notebooks, though those tend to be very personal choices and might not be the best gift unless you know exactly what your giftee wants.

• The Biggest Outdoor Speaker

  Recently, a friend asked me when I was the happiest. It's usually when I'm sitting in the sun with bare feet in a camping chair, drinking a beer and pleasantly jelly-legged after some overly strenuous outdoor activity. If you also like doing this but with 30 to 40 of your closest friends nearby, may I suggest the Soundboks Mix. It has Soundboks' signature tennis ball corners to prevent you from scratching your tailgate (or poking your eye out when you crash into it), a durable IP65 rating, and 40 hours of battery life.

  The outdoors tends to eat weak drivers, but the Mix provides very full-bodied sound. (Unsurprisingly for a brand that's a favorite among ravers, dance music also sounds pretty great.) The handles and rectangle shape makes it easy to strap down for transportation. This is a great speaker for anyone who needs to be able to play walkout music for their kids' Little League game this spring. (With all that said, if I see you blasting this at the next campground over when I'm trying to sleep, I will probably tip it into a lake when you're not watching.) —Adrienne So

• A Tiny Wood Stove

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    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

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    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

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    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  Did you notice the photo of the moka pot above? That was on top of this stove. You would not think that a 3-inch folding metal box designed to efficiently burn twigs would inspire an almost religious devotion, and yet here we are. Firebox stoves come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but my favorite is the smallest, the Nano, which I've used for years as both a wood stove and a gas stove, even a grill (also an alcohol stove). It's my top pick stove for cooking in the backcountry, but that's not why I suggest you get it for your outdoorsy friend. There are plenty of stoves out there. Your outdoorsy friend probably has at least two very practical stoves.

  No, the reason I suggest you get this for them is because outdoorsy people are practical and they will never buy this for themselves because they don't get it. Yet. You will help them get it. This stove is fun. It's practical, too, but ignore that for now and focus on the fun. With the Firebox Nano you can build a small fire out of twigs and cook a steak on it. Who doesn't love that? It's an amazing thing to realize how little fuel it actually takes to cook something. Grill asparagus, shrimp, homemade tortillas. I have done all of this and more and IT WAS FUN.

• Field Notes

  

  Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  Field Notes

  Original Kraft (3-Pack)

  Spending time outdoors gives you more free time to think, and probably the best way to record those thoughts is in our favorite pocket notebook. At 3.5 x 5.5 inches and only 48 pages long, these soft-cover notebooks fit in just about any pocket and make a great always-on-you notebook for jotting down observations, sketches, or just random thoughts. Field Notes paper is high quality and smudge-proof, even writing in pencil as I do most of the time. Almost always available in a pack of three, Field Notes come in an astonishing range of colors and themes. The National Parks set is a good one for outdoor folks. If you want to level up your pocket notebook gift, consider grabbing this nice leather cover ($90).

• Coffee Roasted Over a Campfire

  

  Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  Campfire Coffee

  Coffee Sampler

  Sitting around a fire is possibly the best part of being outdoors. “Conversation is directed into the fire while dreams and images are drawn out of it,” as the British author John Mitchell once wrote. Also coffee, really good coffee, can be drawn out of the campfire, which is where Campfire Coffee comes in.

  Before we get to what makes Campfire Coffee special, let me just say I also test coffee for our Coffee Subscription guide, and this is by far the best coffee I've tested this year. Even if there were no campfires involved, I would recommend this to anyone who likes a delicious, smooth, dark coffee. Your outdoor friends will especially love Campfire Coffee because it's delicious and it's roasted over an open flame by people who love camping. Campfire coffee also runs a program called Campfire Explorers Club, which is a nonprofit helping people who would not otherwise be able to explore the outdoors get outside and experience some wilderness—another place (like those below) that you could make a donation in your outdoorsy friend's name.

• A Merino Wool T-Shirt

  

  Courtesy of Unbound Merino

  Unbound Merino

  Merino T-Shirt

  Did I mention that I love merino wool? Everyone needs more of it, especially the outdoorsperson. Wool really is capable of keeping you warmer when it's cold and cooler when it's warm. In a comparison study against other fabrics (on runners), the wool fabric shirt performed best in both hot and cold conditions. It's effective because merino wool has insulation, breathability, and moisture-wicking thermoregulation properties. The fact that wool is also odor-resistant and very comfortable are just icing on the cake.

  These T-shirts from Unbound are my favorite of the merino shirts I've tested. These are are the softest, best-made, best-fitting T-shirts I've ever worn, merino or otherwise. They're incredibly versatile. I've worn them doing everything from backpacking in the summer heat to rolling jiu jitsu to sitting around the fire on cool autumn evenings. I also like that they don't have a “sporty” cut or stitching. They're just … T-shirts.

• The Best Travel/Outdoor Coffee Grinder

  

  VSSL's Java G25 grinder is nearly indestructible. I've been using mine every morning for about five years, most of that living on the road. I've dropped it on concrete, gravel, and more, and it's still going strong. In the same time two glass grinders and one plastic grinder have broken and failed me. I know what you're thinking, and it is expensive, but it's an investment, and it lasts.

  VSSL started life making ultra-durable camping tools—waterproof canisters with flashlights, compasses, first-aid kits, and more. The Java comes from that same lineage, made of aircraft grade aluminum and built to survive the zombie apocalypse—or a bumpy ride to your favorite campsite. Despite all that it's still relatively lightweight (about 14 ounces, you wouldn't bring it backpacking, but not too bad). The handle is clever. It folds out and gives a lot of leverage while you grind and can act as a hook to hang the Java when you're not using it. The conical burrs inside produce a nice even grind, covering the full spectrum of brew possibilities, from French-press coarse to espresso-fine.

• A Pocket Bellows

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    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

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    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  Epiphany Outdoor Gear

  Collapsible Pocket Bellows

  If you're following along here, you'll notice we've suggested a tiny (but powerful!) wood-burning stove, and now, the key to starting a fire outdoors: a tiny bellows. I bought the collapsible bellows out of curiosity, not necessarily because I thought the Firebox needed it, but it is both helpful and fun. And it keeps your face out of the fire. I find it particularly useful for when a fire has burn down to a bed of coals, I've cooked on it, and now I want to get some flames going again—for the marshmallows, natch.

  I probably use these more than most people since I heat my house with wood and use this bellows at least once a day, but all that's done is given me more time to test. It works great. It's a telescoping tube of metal, and I'm not sure how it could malfunction. Your outdoorsy friend might not use this every day, but it's fun, friendly reminder that some of the best times you'll ever have outdoors will happen with friends and family gathered around a crackling fire.

• A Water Bottle

  

  Nalgene

  Wide Mouth 32oz Water Bottle

  Nalgene is not the hip water bottle of the moment. That's OK, because to the outdoors person, the timeless classic is always better than the latest style, and every outdoors person needs another water bottle. I have four and wouldn't be sad if someone gifted me another one. Nalgenes are lighter than stainless steel. If your outdoorsy person is a long-distance backpacker or thru-hiker who usually totes a recycled Smart Water bottle, upgrade their game with Cnoc's new ThruBottle ($13), which has the same threads to fit popular water filters, but isn't well, a fragile, reused water bottle. It's the same size and shape too, so it'll fit in the side pockets of your ultralight pack with no issues.

  If you want to make your gift a little nicer, a rolled up T-shirt (maybe a merino wool T-shirt?) fits well inside, or in the case of the ThruBottle, wrapped around the outside.

• AllTrails Peak or Plus Subscription

  

  AllTrails

  Plus & Peak Subscription

  There are dozens of mapping apps and services, but in my experience a subscription to AllTrails is hard to beat (though maybe discreetly ask if they use the app first). A lot of what's great about AllTrails is free—including the extensive database of trails and GPS tracking. What you'd be buying for them are the route planning tools and other nice extras, like offline functionality and the option to print maps.

  If your friend happens to by a cyclist, I prefer Ride With GPS for bikepacking, which offers a good mix of routes and has nice planning tools for mapping your own.

• Open Flame Cooking

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    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

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    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

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    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  After suggesting a wood-burning stove, and a mini bellows, you should have seen this coming. What you need to complete the full-fire package is Cooking On Fire, a gorgeous book of recipes and techniques for cooking over an open flame. Cooking on Fire has a good mix of recipes, ranging from simple and delicious veggies to slow-cooked meats that require hours. There's also plenty of background on different types of fires and cooking techniques, as well all the equipment you might want to cook various things (for example: spits, forked sticks, cast iron pans, and so on). It's everything you—er, sorry, your outdoorsy friend—need to get started cooking on fire.

  What I really want to try is the fire inside a log technique pictured on the cover, but I haven't gotten around to that yet. So far I've only had a chance to make the grilled pork belly, with grilled carrots and “Krabbelurer” griddle cakes for desert. All of them were excellent, though of course, perhaps that universal rule applies more so here than with any other form of cooking: Your results may vary. In the end, though, this isn't really a gift about cooking. It's gift to remind us all to slow down and take your time, with food and everything else.

• Binoculars for Birding

  

  Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

  Celestron

  TrailSeeker ED 8x32 Binoculars

  If your friend is a birding fanatic, don't gift them binoculars. But if they're just getting started, or you think they might enjoy it, these Celestron TrailSeeker binoculars hit a sweet spot between price, quality, and weight. They're light enough to hang around your neck all day on the trail, and they offer great, bright views through comfortable eye cups. The price is reasonable for the features, and they're often on sale during the holidays.

• Donate to a Charity in Their Name

  

  Photograph: Marc Guitard/Getty Images

  Chances are, unless your giftee is an outdoor newcomer (in which case, by all means, buy them some gear), they may well have everything they need. Rather than buying them something that's just increasing their environmental footprint, and putting natural resources on a back shelf of their closet, consider making a donation in their name.

  You might want to ask them if they have a favorite environmental organization (this is much less awkward to work into a conversation than asking what their favorite handlebar rack is for gravel rides), but if not, check your local outdoor shop for regional groups. These are often your best bet for turning money into action, and they often need the money more. If nothing quite fits the bill, I'll just plug my two favorite groups, the Nature Conservancy and Surfrider, both of which do good work helping to protect land and water around the world.