9 Gifts For People Who Love Hiking,
Selected By A Seasoned Hiker

By Diane Spicer

If you're reading about 9 gifts for people who love hiking, your  gift list has at least one hiker on it.

We're weird, aren't we!

• Hikers love to play in the dirt.
• Sweat is their favorite perfume.
• And what is it with the heavy backpack??
  

Good news if you're stuck trying to figure out what they might like for a birthday or holiday gift:

• You just un-stuck yourself.

Let this seasoned hiker (45+ years and counting) help you whittle down that gift list to tried and true gifts for hikers.

This gift guide offering 9 gifts for people who love hiking is exactly what you needed to find.

None of the suggestions are very expensive, but they excel in thoughtfulness and versatility.

• And you can take all the credit :)

What you need to know about these 9 gifts  
for people who love hiking

Every suggestion was chosen because it's been trail tested and known to stand up to what a hiker (and Mother Nature) can throw at it.

Hiking For Her is an Amazon and an REI affiliate, meaning that a small percentage of your purchase price flows into the HFH coffers to keep these trustworthy hiking tips flowing around the globe.

• You pay nothing extra, though.
  

You already know the people who love hiking pretty well, and can put them into one of these 3 hiking categories:

• Wannabe or beginner hiker
• Day hiker
  
• Backpacker 

So let's organize this gift guide for hikers in the same way, to make it easy for you.

Everything in it is designed to enhance the comfort and safety of your hiker(s).

Sound good?

Let's take a hike through these 9 gifts for people who love hiking, by starting at the beginning.

• Each photo takes you to more details and customer reviews.
  

Best gifts for beginner hikers

When someone you love gets bitten by the hiking bug, it won't be long before they get bitten by bugs for real.

That's where your gift comes in.

It's tough to get used to the reality that mosquitoes and flies consider the hiking trail their territory.

This hiking head net can help ease the transition for your hiker.

And it's also a comforting item to have tucked away in a backpack pocket, even when it's not used.

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Here's another trail fact which might catch your newbie hiker caught off guard:

• how quickly everything in her backpack can become wet during an unexpected downpour.

Carrying a waterproof bag like this one makes sense if she also carries a camera, phone or anything else that can be damaged by moisture.

Dry sacks come in many different sizes, and will never NOT be used, either on the trail or for camping and travel.

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Knowledge is going to guarantee safety and comfort for your hiker.

And among these 9 gifts for people who love hiking, it's the hardest for you to give her.

That's why I wrote the dayhiking book for beginners.

This book is not a random collection of hiking tips.

Because that would be boring!! Not to mention not worth your time.

Every word is based on questions received from beginner hikers and trail newbies around the world.

• And it spills a lot of hiking secrets which can take years and years of trail time to figure out.

It's available in paperback or Kindle versions.

The reviews say it all.

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Well, that was easy: 3 of the 9 gifts for people who love hiking!

Let's keep going ('cuz that's what hikers do).

Best gifts for day hikers

Comfort + safety = a great hiking gift. A comfortable hiker makes good decisions and stays warm and dry.

For example, having a barrier to sit on when everything around you is wet, cold, or both, spells comfort for your hiker.

This simple pocket blanket is perfect for this reason.

• Read the Hiking For Her review of this blanket for more details.

It can also be used as a wind shield, wrapped around her backpack during a rain squall, or pressed into service as an extra layer of clothing - making the real gift large margins of safety in bad weather.

Versatility is a coveted attribute of any piece of hiking gear.

This little blanket has her covered!

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Let's stick with the theme of comfort.

It's amazing how much sweat pours out of a body that hikes.

And not only on a hot day! Breaking trail while winter hiking is a great example.

So giving the gift of a microfiber wicking, light weight and fast drying towel makes sense:

• as a sweat mopper or bug swatter
  
• for drying off after a dip in an alpine lake or face splashing in a creek

This two pack can be split between two hikers on your list.

But if I were you, I'd keep one for myself ;)

They're really handy for camping, travel, & sports.

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Now here's an inexpensive day hiking gift with so much versatility that I never hike without one in my pack.

And truth be told, I have one in every backpack I own plus one in the car, just in case.

What is it?

The humble headband, in cozy fleece, with ear protection as well as ponytail compatibility.

• The lightweight gift of warmth, something any hiker will love!

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Time to transition in our
9 gifts for people who loving hiking gift guide

Now we come to the hard core hiker category, folks who can be picky and hard to please.

• And they seem to have everything.

But maybe not!

To please these curmudgeons, take a look at the remaining 3 suggestions in our 9 gifts for people who loving hiking gift guide.

They are hiking gear I use routinely, and gift to my trail buddies.

Best gift suggestions for backpackers

People who haul around heavy loads need support for their leg and foot care strategy.

These compression socks can help:

• moisture wicking fabric, so important for keeping feet dry inside hiking boots and trail shoes
• nylon fabric discourages microbial growth (and associated "stinky feet" odors)
• aids recovery from exertion
• stamina can improve as blood flow back to the heart is enhanced by the compression

Pretty pattern, no?

And don't fret that socks are a boring gift.

• No hiker ever turned down a high tech pair of hiking socks, and that's a Hiking For Her fact!

Read more about the wisdom of using compression socks here.

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Backpackers also appreciate comfort at the campsite after a long day on the trail.

You will be spoken of fondly when your hiker pulls out this seat cushion to kneel on while preparing dinner on the camp stove, or while sitting down to cold wet rocks.

I carry one of these cushions with me year round, and love how it insulates and protects regardless of the terrain.

A perfect gift for a beginner hiker, too!

Super easy to use, and so much comfort for its weight.

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One last well received comfort item in our list of 9 gifts for people who love hiking:

a backpacking inflatable pillow.

Gone are the days of rolling up an extra jacket and making do.

Just between you and me, that never works! Lumpy, uncomfortable, and after a few days of hiking, that jacket stinks!

This pillow is soft, durable, and can be wiped clean at home for power napping on the couch...

From a backpacker's perspective, an inflatable pillow like this one takes up no weight or space in a backpack, yet delivers something vital: a good night's rest.

It takes a few breaths to inflate, which means it's also warmed by your hiker's breath.

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9 gifts for people who love hiking! But why stop there?

If none of these suggestions float your boat, contact me and we can come up with more ideas, tailored to your hiker.

I know you want something really special to make her smile, and I'm all about putting smiles on hiking faces.

And sometimes 9 gifts for people who love hiking just isn't enough gift suggestions.

• For more great ideas for your hiking gift, check out another Hiking For Her gift guide.

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9 Gifts For People Who Love Hiking