20 Gifts for Hikers (all ages!)

To help you find that perfect gift for your hiking loved one, here is a list of 10 hiking related gifts, with ideas for both beginners and experienced hikers. I would love to receive any of these as gifts. Do you have other ideas to add to our list?

Hiking accessories

1. Hiking Watch

For I love having a fitness watch that tracks the GPS of my hike and syncs with Strava so I can look at the map later. I currently use a Garmin Vivoactive 4, which has everything I need. I like the GPS tracking that can sync with Strava. It has a long battery life, definitely enough to last a full day hike, sometimes two. It also has elevation tracking, so I can see how far we’ve ascended and descended.

Note about music: When I was shopping for a watch, I thought I wanted to be able to load music on the watch so I didn’t have to bring my phone on a run. But in practice, I never once loaded music on the watch because it’s too complicated. Plus I always take my phone on a hike because I want to take pictures and look at the map. So music on the watch is totally unnecessary for me.

2. Snack box

I like having a leak-proof food box so my backpack doesn’t get soiled, soaked, or smelly from my lunch items. I’m trying to use less plastic, so I was delighted to be gifted this fab metal lunch box from TrueTaste.ch. It’s sturdy with a good seal, perfect size for a hiking lunch.

I really like the optional metal dividers I can add to the box to divide the food. It makes snack time feel a little more fancy and fun. I’ve found all sort of uses for it on and off the trail.

Order your personalized lunch box on TrueTaste.ch.

3. Travel Hammock

For a little fun, you can get a travel hammock that you can hang up in any forest while hiking, camping or on any picnic. Our kids love our hammock and always ask to bring it along. Berzeit has an ultralight hammock that weighs only 140g, on sale right now for about CHF 51. Or you could get a heavier version, but still compact, from Decathlon for CHF 16 that weighs 540g.

4. Comfortable sit pad

A sit pad is another inexpensive but nice practical gift for a hiker. During your breaks, you’ll often be sitting on the dirty rocks or damp ground. A sit pad can make a huge difference to your comfort level and at a minimum, will save you from walking around with wet bottom the rest of the day. Many backpacks come with a thin foldable sit pad. But you can easily upgrade this with a egg carton style that smooths out the bumps. This Trevolution sit pad is only CHF 5.90 at SportXX. 

5. Reusable picnic supplies

We used to carry paper plates and burn them in our picnic fire. But as we move to more eco-friendly solutions, we now carry reusable lightweight plates and utensils, usually found among camping supplies. Not only are they better for our environment, they are much more pleasant and durable for the eating experience.

I like the shallow bowl/plates because one of our main problems with the kids is their food rolling off their plates onto the ground. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that we’ve washed off a dusty bratwurst and re-grilled it to save lunch.

I have the collapsible Sea to Summit X-Plate and simple metal plate/bowls like this one from Decathlon for CHF 6. We also have a set of sporks that I always carry in my backpack. I like that they nestle together, making them easy to pack. 

6. Leg Gaiters

Leg gaiters (Gamaschen in German) strap over your hiking boot and leg to protect you from mud, wet grass and snow. They are fantastic in so many conditions. I like them in winter to keep snow from flipping up and dropping into the top of my boot. I like them when walking through mud and wet grass to keep my hiking trousers from getting soaking wet and muddy. 

When choosing gaiters, make sure they fit around your calves and will stay standing tall and not slump around your ankles.

We have the Outdoor Research gaiters (Transa sells them), which have served us well on many rainy, muddy hikes. They don’t fit super tight at the top under the knee, which I initially worried me but they stay up fine. Also note that they come in Mens and Womens versions, which have different widths for the calf. 

Galaxus sells the Vaude full shoe gaiter. SportX sells the tall Deuter Pamir gaiter.

7. Blister pads

Blister pads aren’t particularly glamourous but they are a good stocking stuffer or small gift for a hiking friend (together with some chocolate). Many a hike has been saved with these “second skin” blister pads, both for myself and the kids.

They are so much more than a band-aid. They are padded so you really don’t feel the blister at all. After developing a blister early in our hiking trip, I’ve walked multiple days with these pads and had no pain.

I suggest getting a multi-size pack so you can treat blisters on toes as well on the heel. These are rather expensive so I’d be quite happy to receive them as a gift. See Compeed blister packs on Galaxus.ch.

Hiking equipment

8. Hiking Sticks

Hiking sticks have saved me from so many injuries, so I carry them on every hike just in case. They are particularly helpful for unstable terrain, steep downhills and slippery, muddy conditions. Hiking sticks are also nice for anyone carrying a large unwieldy load, like a child on their back.

I suggest getting collapsible sticks that have a secure locking mechanism. You should expect to spend about CHF 80-100 for a good quality pair of sticks (sometimes sticks are sold as singles, so make sure it’s a pair). But you can often find these on sale as low as CHF 50. I might suggest these Leki Civetta Pro sticks.

For a bit of luxury, get the lightweight carbon sticks. These are much lighter and smaller, meaning they are easier to carry in your pack when you aren’t using them. In 2021, I got these Leki Micro Vario Carbon Lady/Damen sticks, which I’ve really enjoyed.

When choosing sticks, I would test the hand grips for comfort and the locking mechanism for security. I have always had sticks with a twist lock, which has broken multiple times. I would prefer sticks with a lever lock or clamp that is easy and fast to adjust and secure.

If you are buying for a child, I wouldn’t get child-sized sticks unless your child is very young. Better to get collapsible sticks that will grow with the child. The only problem might be a hand grip that is too thick. Also be aware that most child backpack don’t have hooks or straps to carry sticks. So plan on carrying them on your backpack when not in use.

9. Hiking backpack

So many people make do with a sad uncomfortable backpack. Treat your loved one with a lightweight backpack with all the comfort features, like a comfy waist belt, lots of useful pockets, expandable storage room, straps to secure hiking sticks, breathable mesh panel along your back and rain cover.

For my teen, I recently bought the Deuter Speedlite 20L, which he really likes. It’s a great day pack: lightweight, slim profile, and comfortable. It’s just big enough to carry a rain jacket and compressed down jacket as well as water and snacks. We like that the side pockets are deep enough that the water bottle doesn’t fall out. This backpack is available in other sizes from 12 – 32L. See all models on Deuter website.   

I have a Deuter Futura Pro SL backpack, which come in a variety of sizes. I have a 40L, which is quite big but was a perfect size when the kids were younger and I was carrying lots of their clothes and gear. Now I like about a 28L size, which is fits all my layers and plenty of food.

FYI, you’ll notice that some backpacks are labeled for “women”. This simply means they are built for a smaller frame, which works for many women and older kids but not everyone.

10. Running vest

If your partner is curious about trail running or even just faster hiking for fitness, a slim-fitting running vest makes all the difference. When I hike without the kids, I use a running vest the Salomon ADV Skin 12L, which I adore! It has elastic laces on the front that make for a snug, slim fit that doesn’t bounce around.

The 12L version has pockets in the front that fit two 500L water flasks (came with the pack) and lots of snacks. The stretchy back pack can surprisingly fit both a fleece, rain jacket and lightweight down jacket.

FYI, this backpack has a known issue with the barrel adjusters that cinch down the elastic breaking. When I returned mine, they tested 5 more backpacks in the store and the barrel adjusters broke on all five on the first use. But I loved the backpack so much, that I decided to keep the backpack and replace the barrel adjusters myself with inexpensive ones I found at the craft store. It works fine now.

11. Snowshoes

If you loved one likes to hike, I’ll bet they’d also love snowshoeing. This is also possible while carrying a child on your back like with hiking. Children can also snowshoe, you just need to find snowshoes small enough to fit their feet. When buying snowshoes, the size depends on both your shoe size and weight. The snowshoe needs a large enough surface area to displace enough snow for your body weight.

For Christmas 2020. our family got the MSR Lightning Trail snowshoes for the whole family. Snowshoes are expensive, around CHF 300-400, so it really pays to wait for a sale. We got them during the early December sales for 30% discount. Decathalon offers less expensive snowshoes, as low as CHF 75 for adults, that might get the job done.

See also snowshoe trails in Switzerland

Planning & Safety

12. Hiking maps

I like gifting maps of places we want to go and perhaps a travel guide book as well. Hiking maps of a particular area you want to explore in Switzerland would be a fun way to start the trip planning and dream together.

If you are in Zürich, you’ll love browsing at the Travel Bookshop in the Niederdorf (Rindermarkt 20, 8001 Zürich). They have a huge selection of maps and travel guides. The staff are very friendly and knowledge, helping you find exactly what you need. www.travelbookshop.ch

13. Trail Map App Subscription

If your hiker likes to plot trails on maps, a pro subscription to a mapping app is a great gift. Here are a few we like:

We use Komoot, which is easy to use and has a nice mobile app. With Komoot, you buy region packs, like Europe or USA, that give coverage for the area where you want to hike. 

We also like OutdoorActive, which has a good selection of map overlays, including the Swiss topographical . Their yearly subscription.

If the hiker lives in Switzerland, we like SchweizMobil.ch because it uses the official Swiss topographical maps, which are much more accurate than other maps. With the Plus version, you can plan the maps on your computer and load the maps onto your phone so you can follow them live on the trail, even without mobile data. More information on SchweizMobil.ch (DE, FR, IT).