Gift ideas for your hiking friends, family or significant other.
When I buy gifts for people I try to find something that would be useful to them and something they might not normally buy for themselves. So a lot of times I’ll choose brands that are known for being on the more expensive side, or something that many people would like to have but don’t necessarily need.
Gift giving is tough these days though. Even if you know you want to buy hiking gear, there are so many products out there to choose from. To help, I’ve put together a list of items that I think would make a Hawaii hiker happy.
1. Black Diamond Icon Headlamp
All hikers should already have a headlamp. I recommend bringing one on every hike, just in case. But, this headlamp is different in that it’s really bright. Like excessively bright. I own this model and on a recent backpacking trip out to Maui we nicknamed it “The Sun.” Sure it’s a bit bulky, but when it’s pitch black out and you’re camping or rock climbing in the woods, the extra light is awesome.
$79.95 at REI
2. Klean Kanteen Polished Stainless-Steel Reflect Water Bottle with Bamboo Cap
Does anyone really need a new water bottle made of reflective stainless steel with a bamboo cap? Probably not. But this one sure does look cool. Klean Kanteens are supposedly better than plastic bottles because chemicals don’t leech into your drink when the water gets hot. In fact, you can boil water in the canteen if you wanted to. These canteens ares nice to have around the office as well.
$32.95 at REI
3. Marmot PreCip Rain Jacket
The first light rain jacket I bought was a $40 Columbia jacket. I brought it on backpacking trip and we got rained on like crazy. My cheapo jacket sucked and I spent the night wet. I upgraded to the Marmot jacket after and it’s pretty dang close to waterproof. It also has vents under the arms so you won’t overheat while hiking. Great jacket. Six different colors to choose from.
$99 at REI
4. Patagonia Men’s Rock Craft Pants
I typically wear shorts when I hike but there are many hikes where you have to wear pants. I like these Patagonia rock climbing pants better than hiking pants. They are lighter than hiking pants and more stretchy. And, they are just as resistant to tears.
$79.00 from Patagonia
5. Five Ten Camp 4 Shoe
This is an approach shoe. It’s meant for hiking to and from a rock climbing crag. They use rock climbing shoe rubber on the sole to give you way better grip on rocks than a regular hiking shoe. It’s expensive and sort of unnecessary if you already own a pair of hiking shoes. But that’s exactly why it would make a great gift.
$154.95 at Moosejaw
6. Nixon – The Time Teller P
Sometimes it’s nice to wear a watch when you hike. Your phone is probably in your backpack so it can be handy to have a watch on your wrist. Plus you get those cool tan lines. When you choose a watch for hiking, you’re best off going with plastic. Water will shed off it and it’ll be more durable than a metal one. Some people wear digital watches that tell you your elevation, the temperature, humidity, your mood, etc., but I would prefer something more simple. This plastic watch is super affordable and comes in 31 different colors. It’ll look pretty sweet off the trail as well.
$75 from Nixon
7. Mammut Trion Guide 45 + 7 Pack
If you’re buying a gift for a backpacker, know this … backpackers love backpacks. It’s like surfers and surfboards. You want to have different backpacks for different types of trips. I have last year’s version of this pack and I love it. It’s light, slim and has a bunch of bells and whistles. Also, Mammut is European so you know it’s good. And they have a cool logo. This pack is meant for rock climbers so if your hiker is also a climber, they will enjoy this pack even more. Comes in blue too.
$199.95 from REI
8. Tokina 11-16mm F/2.8 DX II
Does your hiker shoot photos with a DSLR? If they don’t already own this lens, and you really love this person, this thing will make them happy. The most common question I get from people is “What type of lens do you shoot with?” Well, for most of the photos on my site it was this one. This is called an “ultra wide angle zoom” lens. Put this lens on a DSLR and you’ll be able to capture the sweeping landscape views seen on Hawaii hikes. This lens is available for both Nikon and Canon.
$699 from Adorama (Nikon) | $699 from Adorama (Canon)
9. Steady Cam for GoPro
For the hiker that has a GoPro, this tool should come in very handy. It totally smooths out video taken while walking. Watch this video to see the difference. And it’ll probably make the GoPro more fun to use outside of hikes as well. Plus, they have attachments that let you hook up your iPhone to it.
$129 at B&H
10. Volcanic Rock Gym Gift Card
Many hikes in Hawaii require some sort of rock scrambling or light rock climbing. And what better way to hone your climbing skills than to visit Hawaii’s only rock climbing gym. It’s also a great place to meet new people. I started going to Volcanic Rock Gym over two years ago. The first time I tried it I was hooked and I now typically go at least once a week. A gift card for a one or two month membership would make a great gift.
Available at Volcanic Rock Gym (Waipio, Oahu)
