The 2020 Thru-hiker Gift Guide
Things are finally cooling off (at least in California) and it’s nearly time for the results of what will be some very strange thru-hiker surveys. That means it’s also the season to work on upgrading your backpacking outfit for when it’s time to go back outside next year (if you’re interested, here’s my latest backpacking gear list).
Here’s the 2020 Thru-hiker Gift Guide for you, your trail family (or “tramily” – really don’t like this word), or your weird hiker friend who you want to show some appreciation for despite not understanding their strange life choices.
CURRENT DISCOUNTS
20% OFF at Backcountry on one full-price item (ends November 25).
20% OFF at REI on one full-priced item – Code GEARUP2020 (ends November 23)
Extra 20% OFF on one REI Outlet item – Code GEARUP2020 (ends November 23)
Under $25
What’s better than Darn Tough socks? Darn Tough socks with bears on them. These are men’s socks – the women’s socks featuring bears have a better graphic – but some bears are better than no bears. If you aren’t into bears, really any of the Darn Tough Hike/Trek socks will do, but let’s be honest, the bear socks are the best socks. Did I mention they come with a lifetime warranty? Because they do.
If you’ve never heard of permethrin, it’s basically magical insect repellant that you treat gear/clothing with before heading into the backcountry. It bonds to fabrics and keeps bugs away for up to six washings or six weeks. It’s one of those things that’s oftentimes forgotten, but very useful should you remember to treat your gear before heading out. Note: in its liquid form (before it dries), it’s toxic to cats.
Pooping in the backcountry – it happens. A lot of people ditch their trowels thinking that they’re unnecessary weight. But I can tell you from experience that if you’re out in the backcountry for multiple days (even just one day), having a trowel helps (sometimes a lot). The Deuce #2 is lightweight enough that there’s very little room to argue that it doesn’t belong in every hikers’ pack. It’s a lot better than using your heel, a stick, or a rock.
If you’re not already aware, those fancy down garments and sleeping bags require special care if you want them to last beyond a single hiking season. Many hikers take pride in having never washed their down garments, but you really should (honestly, the amount of loft that returns is incredible). However, to wash down, you should use special down detergent that isn’t too much fun to buy on your own but that’s great to get as a gift.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sacks
Stuff sacks are a great way to organize your gear, but they’re also an easy way to quickly add unnecessary weight to your pack. The solution? Ultralight stuff sacks. The problem? Ultralight things are expensive. The other solution? Get them as gifts. These stuff sacks are available in gray, white, and green in nano (4″ x 6″ / 10 x 15 cm) and small (8″ x 10″ / 20 x 25 cm) sizes for $25 and under. Better yet, use these as packaging for whatever gifts you get. Double gifts. Giftception.
You know what’s great after a day (or days) of hiking? A massage. You know what a great way to accomplish this on the trail is? With a massage ball. You know what’s even better than a massage ball? A lightweight cork massage ball from Rawlogy. These balls come in three different sizes and can be the saving grace you need at the end of a long day (or halfway through your day).
Under $50
Headlamps can be all kinds of fancy, but the truth is that you don’t need something fancy if you’re going to be thru-hiking. You want something bright, comfortable, and lightweight. The BioLite 200 is my current headlamp and besides being rechargeable, coming in a variety of colors, and being bright, it weighs only 1.76 oz / 50 g. And yes, it also has a red light.
The Sawyer Squeeze is basically the default thru-hiking water filter if said hiker hasn’t yet graduated to carrying bleach or simply lost regard for their GI tract and stopped filtering in the name of shaving a small amount of weight from their packs. The Sawyer Squeeze is great, but they eventually clog (or accidentally freeze) and need to be replaced. It’s nice to have a spare on-hand (particularly if it’s a gift).
Sea To Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow
Pillows are commonly considered luxury items among thru-hikers (i.e. unnecessary), but many thru-hikers throughout the year have reported that their pillows were their favorite pieces of gear. I’ve since gotten myself a Sea To Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow which I have continued to take with me into the backcountry, so I guess I’m a convert too. It can bring a lot of comfort for something that’s just 2.1 oz / 60 g.
Snow Peak Trek 700 Titanium Cooker
Most thru-hikers opt to bring stoves with them which means that they’ll also be bringing fuel and a pot in addition to their stove. The Snow Peak Trek 700 Titanium Cooker will fit a GigaPower Stove and a spare 110 g fuel canister making it a compact cook set that few in want of a hot meal on the trail would complain about carrying. It’s titanium which means that it’s both lightweight and very expensive – a great gift!
Tent stakes aren’t very exciting or something that many hikers spend a lot of time thinking about unless they’ve lost theirs. However, replacing the tent stakes that come with many shelters can help to save weight. That said, the cost of replacing stakes isn’t always something that thru-hikers are excited about. Enter the gift of MSR Carbon Core Tent Stakes. Almost as exciting as new socks.
Once again, I can’t help but sing the praises of the Thrupack Summit Bum. As far as gifts go, this is a great one – particularly for anyone too afraid to equip themselves with a fanny pack (the most glorious of all packs). The Summit Bum comes in a variety of awesome colors and can (and should) be upgraded with a Comfy Strap as well (worth it and also available in more eye-popping patterns).
Under $100
If you aren’t already hiking in a lightweight merino hoodie, then you’re probably doing it wrong. I’ve used a lot of hoodies and the Ridge Merino Solstice is not only my favorite but one of the most affordable as well. An awesome gift for any thru-hiker, it comes in three colors, five sizes, and there’s a women’s version available as well. Highly recommended.
Peak Design Capture 3.0 Camera Clip
If you’re going to be bringing a camera that’s not your phone and that won’t fit inside of your fanny pack, then you’re going to want the Capture Clip. It’s the best solution I’ve come across for carrying a larger camera on trail and is far superior to having your camera stored either in your pack, on some weird chest strap, or in a separate case (the worst of all). If you want the complete package, I would recommend getting the Shell as well.
The Kestrel Drop D2 is a completely unnecessary, but awesome thing to have with you on a hike – the perfect gift combination. It’s a small, lightweight device that hangs out somewhere on the outside of your pack as it logs temperature, humidity, heat index, and dew point. It interfaces with your phone via an app and Bluetooth. Now you’ll know for sure whether your sleeping bag’s temperature rating is lying to you or if your water filter froze inside and broke during the night.
Some backpacks are waterproof, but many are not. The solution for a lot of thru-hikers? Use a trash compactor bag to line the inside of their packs. The better (and more eco-friendly) solution? Get an Atom Packs DCF Pack Liner to go into your pack. These come in a variety of sizes, specific to Atom Packs backpacks, but they should really fit just about any pack. Remember that your food can generally stay outside of your pack liner – even if your pack isn’t waterproof (unless you just have a bunch of loose instant mashed potatoes for some reason).
Rab 100% Silk Sleeping Bag Liner
I’m a big proponent of bag liners – in conjunction with proper care for your bag (i.e. using down detergent for your gear), they can help to extend the life of your sleeping bag by keeping them clean and free of your hiker funk. The Rab 100% Silk Sleeping Bag Liner is a lightweight liner that will not only keep your bag cleaner, but that will also keep you a few degrees warmer during the night. Definitely worth taking a look at if you’ve never used one.
Snowline Light Chainsen Crampon
Snow is commonly an obstacle during thru-hikes and it would behoove hikers to be prepared. The Snowline Light Chainsen Crampon (despite not being a true crampon) provides lightweight traction for snow travel in the backcountry. Most thru-hikers traveling through snow will have something akin to these and those without are either ill-prepared, doing so in the name of saving weight, or both.
Over $100
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad
The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad is perhaps the most popular among thru-hikers, and chances are that if you know a thru-hiker, they might have one. That said, Therm-a-Rest updated the valve on this pad and it’s now 1000 times (exact measurement) better than the old one. What people aren’t excited to do? Pay to update their gear to nearly the same thing. What people are excited to do? Receive these gear updates as gifts.
Western Mountaineering Astralite Quilt
It’s tough for hikers to make changes to their kits – particularly when those changes are expensive. However, the Western Mountaineering Astralite Quilt is a worthy transition (upgrade?) for thru-hikers as it not only saves significantly on weight, but also lives up to its temperature rating of 26°F / -3.33°C. It weighs just 16 oz / 453 g and lives up to the build quality we’ve come to expect from Western Mountaineering. Truly a gift for someone you love.
For the second year I’m including the Garmin inReach Mini on this list because it really is the best PLB solution for thru-hikers in the backcountry. It’s lightweight, functional, and does exactly what you need it to do. The only reason someone traveling through the backcountry shouldn’t have one of these is because of its cost – which makes it a great gift (note: it also requires a subscription to function).
Next on the list of gear that thru-hikers love to have but hate to buy (this is my formula for a good gift), the Bearikade Scout. It’s a lightweight composite carbon-fiber bear can that costs literally hundreds of dollars more than the plastic alternatives. Spending lots of money for something just because it’s lightweight? Tis the thru-hiker way.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ground Cloth
Keeping with the expensive, awesome, but hard-to-justify-purchasing gear (i.e. gift territory), we now come to the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ground Cloth. Yes, it’s a groundsheet (excuse me, ground cloth) that costs over $100, but damn is it sexy. Sure, you could just use a piece of tyvek from a hardware store, but that will weigh more than this sheet of Hyperlite Mountain Gear-branded DCF. It’s maybe what you can get for the thru-hiker who has everything else already.
CURRENT DISCOUNTS
20% OFF at Backcountry on one full-price item (ends November 25).
20% OFF at REI on one full-priced item – Code GEARUP2020 (ends November 23)
Extra 20% OFF on one REI Outlet item – Code GEARUP2020 (ends November 23)
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