Holiday gift recommendations for hikers and outdoor lovers
In 2022, we posted an article about eco-friendly Christmas gift ideas for cooking lovers, and we’ve updated that guide for 2024, so it’s still up to date. This year, we’ll do it for hikers and outdoor lovers!
We’ve been hiking for many years, so in this post, we decided to list only the gear we’ve personally used over the years that served us well.
So, you can use this article as a Christmas gift idea and a getting-started guide. If you find one of these items on the secondhand market, there’s a good chance it will still be useful!
Shoes
One of the most essential equipment pieces when it comes to hiking is shoes. We have a few different recommendations depending on the type of terrain or activity you’ll do.
Mountaineering: La Sportiva Trango Tech Leather Gtx
We took this pair of lightweight mountaineering shoes to many places, including several hikes across the South Downs, in the mud during an awful storm in Pen y Fan in Wale, over the ice in the Grand Paradis(Gran Paradiso) in Italy at 4000m, and in the Pyrénées along the GR10 in France.
The bottom of the rockered sole is firm, so you can put crampons (C1 or C2) on it. They are made from gore-tex and leather with sticky Vibram soles so you can confidently walk through mud, ice or snow and get over rocks.
La Sportiva Trango Tech Leather GTX, Men's Mountain Boots
La Sportiva Women's Trango Cube Woman GTX Mountain Boots
Trail running or hill walking: Salomon XA Pro 3d GTX
We are looking to buy a new pair of Salomon XA Pro 3d GTX (on version 9 now) shoes for our Nakasendo hiking trip in Japan in March/April.
I (Kevin) have been using this pair of trail running shoes for years, running half marathon trails, hillwalking, and even hiking in the Pyrénées mountains.
This time, the Nakasendo trail will primarily have a concrete surface and some mountain paths, and we are planning to walk roughly 25km a day for three weeks. So we wanted a pair with enough cushion to walk on concrete pavement, which is protective enough in the forests and mountains but can protect us from the rain or occasional snowfall.
SALOMON Men's Xa Pro 3D Gore-tex Trail Running Shoes
SALOMON XA Pro 3D Gore-Tex Women's Trail Running and Walking Shoes
Trail running or hill walking: Nike Zegama Trail 2
If you don’t want or need the Goretex option, our runner-up behind the Salomon is this beautiful pair of running shoes from Nike. In the eventuality that you need to protect your feet from the elements, you can pair them with waterproof socks. The advantage of the lack of Goretex is that your shoes will drain more efficiently and run less hot.
On the flip side, these shoes are also less protective than the Salomon, which is something to consider depending on your route.
NIKE Men's Zoomx Zegama Trail 2 Running Shoe
Waterproof shoe repair kit
This waterproof shoe repair kit helped my husband repair his La Sportiva hiking shoes (damaged with a shovel while gardening) before our summer hiking trip to the Pyrénées. It’s been a while since then, and they’re still in excellent condition!
GearAid by McNett Aquasure+SR Shoe Repair Adhesive
Backpack
Depending on the length or altitude of your trip, you will want to choose a different rucksack, so just like for the shoes, we’ve outlined a few options. At the minimum, these should have the following:
- Be sturdy and adjustable so that you don’t hurt yourself
- Can carry your equipment efficiently so that you can distribute the load and stay organised
- Have an option for a water pouch and space to carry bottle inside and outside the bag
- Quick access to crucial equipment (coat, crampons, helmet, tent, food)
- Be water repellent or have a quick rain cover attachment (if it should last longer than a day-hike)
Mountaineering backpack: Ortovox Traverse (38S & 40)
These mountaineering backpacks have a narrower cut with a simpler architecture without anything sticking out to the sides. They should be lighter and have space to pack your helmet, pickaxe, and crampons to climb on the ice.
What I like about these backpacks (I use the Ortovox Traverse Women 38 S, and my husband uses the Ortovox Traverse 40) is that we can open them from the side. The Vango listed below was only accessible from the top or bottom. This one has a zipper on the front side and opens almost from the top to the bottom. It’s so much easier to access the things in the middle, making it easier to pack.
The size was perfect for a few day’s hike or if you stop in a shelter like we did in the Grand Paradis. Unfortunately, this backpack was too small for the 10-day hike in the Pyrénées. Otherwise, I love the colour and how practical this backpack is!
Backpacking: Vango Contour
We purchased these rucksacks in 2012 and 2015, and we were still able to get through a 10-day hike last summer in 2024, which is quite impressive. That’s because the Ortovox were too small and didn’t have the option to tie both the sleeping bag and tent. Of course, we had to fix some parts using Paracord on the Vango, for example, where the clips broke or because some rubberbands got too loose because of age, but it wasn’t a showstopper.
I guess the line has changed a lot since 2012, but we are using the Vango Contour 60+10 and 50+10 S, so we’ve linked the corresponding item in today’s line but haven’t tried these specifically.
Day hike: 5.11 COVRT18 Backpack
On the other hand, if you’re only out for a day hike, you don’t need to carry as much gear. So, on these occasions, I use this backpack.
It still has enough space for a water pouch, and the layout inside allows things to be kept organised. We go on long hikes on weekends with our dog, so we want to keep our dog’s food and water separate from ours in case things spill over or to avoid confusion when it’s dark outside in winter.
The attachments also allow us to tie various equipment together, the GPS, leash, water bottles… or even poo bags if we’re in the middle of nowhere and there are no bins around.
5.11 Tactical COVRT18 2.0 Unisex Travel & Everyday Backpack, 32L Capacity
Tent
Robens Arch 2 Tent
We used this tent while hiking the GR10 in France. It was durable and easy to build, which is great after a long day of walking through the mountains.
Before taking it out, we tested it while camping in the UK during heavy rain, and we didn’t get any water leaking through the tent; even the bottom sheet was dry. This poor weather was an excellent opportunity to try and cook within the limited porch space, which, since you can open the door from the top, means it’s possible. We tied a poncho during the hike to extend it, as seen in the photo above.
The tent was a bit heavy for me (~2.40 KG), but it was okay for my husband. It’s a great tent if you go camping by car.
Robens Arch 2 Blue Tent, Unisex Adult, Multicoloured, One Size
Decathlon Trekking dome tent MT500
This tent is perfect for hiking in summer or during hot weather, as you can open both sides. Our family used this tent over our trip this summer, and this was one of its most convenient aspects. It’s roughly the same weight as the Robens, hovering around the 2-3kg mark.
We’ve had one or two nights of rain and wind in the mountains, and the tents had no issues. However, we can’t vouch for the long-term usage.
Decathlon Trekking dome tent MT500
Sleeping
Microlite 1400 from Mountain Warehouse
This sleeping bag is warm and comfortable. Our only issue (which is no fault of the sleeping bag) was that it was too big (because of the fluffiness) and that it didn’t need to be that warm for our summer hiking trip in the Pyrénées – since we were lucky with the weather this time. Thankfully, the waterproof bags helped limit the carry size. But it will be your perfect spring, autumn and winter companion or during a cold spell in summer.
We also used this Trek mat from Mountain Warehouse to make a more stable surface on which to sleep; it’s sturdy and warm enough, if a bit slippery when sleeping in the mountains if you pitched in a slope.
Waterproof dry bags
These bags were convenient; we didn’t need to worry about our stuff getting wet. We bought a big one just for the sleeping bag since it was permanently attached to the outside of our backpack, so if it rained, we’d have a wet sleeping bag to sleep in. No, thank you. Since the bags were quite sturdy, we could also use the sleeping bag with the bag as a seat.
Smaller ones were mainly for clothes and other things. Overall, we were delighted with these.
10L/20L/40L/70LWaterproof Dry Bag (We bought the 20L bag for our sleeping bag)
Cooking
Iwatani FORE WINDS Compact Stove
This Iwatani lightweight, small stove is excellent. We have been using it for a few years, but it’s compact and great for making coffee or cooking food during a day hike. It comes with a small case, so your backpack won’t be messy. That said, we recommend purchasing it with a windshield, as it has no flame protection.
FORE WINDS by Iwatani Compact Stove
Sagafly 10 Plates Camping Stove Windshield
Trangia 25 Cookset
This cook set was great to cook for 4 to 5 people. We mainly used it to boil water to rehydrate food or make coffee for breakfast and lunch. You can find out more about the recipes we used in the food preparation article here.
The great point of this cooker is that it is incredibly compact and lightweight when packed. The cooker itself is surrounded by the windshield with some holes, so you don’t need to worry about the wind turning off the fire. We chose the gas model for ease of use.
Bialetti Moka Express
I couldn’t believe it when my husband told me he would bring the coffee maker to our 10-day hike, especially since we already had a lot of things to carry! He is passionate about having a fresh morning coffee.
In the end, it was great to have it, even if it’s a bit more weight to carry. This coffee maker is great when camping, thanks to its sturdy build; you can put it over a fire pit or gas burner without worrying about it.
You’ll forget about the weight when making coffee in the morning, and when it starts boiling, you can enjoy the steam and the smell of the coffee in the fresh morning air.
That said, maybe go for a smaller version, like 3 cups or 6 cups. Then the weight and space won’t be as much of a problem.
Bialetti Moka Express Aluminium Stovetop Coffee Maker (9 Cup)
Ferrocerium rod
Have you heard of ferrocerium rods? They’re handy and work in any weather, even in a storm! So you don’t need to carry lighters or matches! They will last a while, so you only need to bring one with a backup option if you lose or break it.
Ember Rock Survival Fire Steel
Navigation
Garmin fēnix
We’re using the Garmin Fenix 6 pro sapphire and the 6s pro sapphire. These models are now discontinued, but the newest models are even better. Interstingly, even after almost five years of continuous use, the battery still lasts us a while. We’ve used GPS tracking continuously during our hikes (sometimes over 12 hours), and the battery always lasted us through the day without any issues.
We use this watch every day for:
- To see the time (of course) since it’s an always-on screen
- Use as a timer while cooking
- Check on sleep quality
- See the heart rate, or oxygen % when at high altitude & track the acclimation
- Various activities
- Walking while out for a walk with our dog
- Running
- Hiking
- Swimming, strength training, etc
- Read the phone’s notifications (although the watch doesn’t handle non-English characters, e.g. accentuated letters or Japanese characters)
- Find my phone using Bluetooth
And a lot more!
The great thing about exercising is seeing how you’ve done and how many calories you burnt with the app. That’s the part I am most satisfied with since I can enjoy food without feeling guilty!
Current model: Garmin Fenix 8
Garmin GPSMAP 67i
For our longer trips or when we’re in a group, we use the GPSMAP 67i to plan the route because the watches are on our wrists, so sharing the progress with the group is not easy. Also, although the watch’s battery lasts long, you can count it on the GPSMap in weeks rather than days, so it’s always more reassuring to have more than one option to know where you are.
On top of that, there’s the option to call for rescue using the satellite network in case your phone doesn’t have a connection, though this requires a subscription. If you’re not going to need it, there’s also the model without the i, which doesn’t include the SOS option and is cheaper.
Garmin’s previous models are as good at tracking your route if that’s all you’re after. We’ve not used them, but reviews around the web are great, too.
Staying hydrated
Source WXP 3L Hydration System
We got this hydration pouch earlier this year in preparation for our GR10 hiking trip. It carries 3 litres of water and is durable. We had an issue with the mouth bit where some water leaked while testing them back in May, but then the company we got this from sent us the replacement immediately, and we didn’t have any problems since. The tube is well protected, and the most important thing for us is the taste of the water. We used to have one with a cheaper material, and the water had a strong taste after a few hours of carrying it, especially in hot weather. This one doesn’t have that issue, and we could have some nice water during the hike. Mountain water is the best, you know?
Source WXP Low Profile 3L Hydration Upgrade Kit - Coyote, 3 Litre
Grayl Ultrapress 24oz
This water purifier enabled us to get drinkable water from any springs or rivers in the Pyrénées.
This press is much faster than the tablets (although we still brought some, just in case), as you don't need to wait one hour until you can drink it, which is helpful when you're still walking.
Closing words
So, that concludes this year’s Christmas gift idea for hikers and outdoor lovers. We hope this article will help you come up with some ideas about what to get for someone or yourself. As a reminder, our Christmas gift idea for Cooking Lover is here!
Most sales will be ongoing until January (between Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Boxing Day, there are many of them now), and we found some of the items we recommended included in it, so we hope you can save some money while planning some great adventures!
If you have more questions about our hiking equipment or recipes we used while backpacking, please comment on our Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook pages. We will try our best to answer! Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss our future blog posts about other recipes, eco-friendly tips and travel.