Looking for the perfect hiker gift for the mountain wo/man on your list? Here are a few of our favourite things.
Christmas shopping isn’t always easy. We get it. We’re not going to pretend to know what will make Suzy Snowshoer or Samuel Scrambler light up with joy, but we can tell you about some hiking products my boyfriend and I have been using over the last year that make our jingle bells rock.
Lowa Hiking Boots – $130+
I’ve been wearing Lowa hiking footwear for many years. Their boots and shoes have carried me over thousands of kms of trails throughout British Columbia and beyond.
My go-to footwear year-round is my Lady Light Goretex boots. Classified as a dayhiker, but they are rugged enough to handle multi-day treks carrying a heavy pack through the roughest terrain, but also light and breathable enough to be comfortable on hot, sunny days too. Read my review here.
I also really love my fuzzy interior Locarno Ice boots for winter, and Sassa GTX Lo shoes for scrambles especially.
Sal loves his Alpine Expert mountaineering boots, as well as his Cadin approach shoes.
Lowa also makes awesome hiking socks and waterproofing spray! And all of their stuff is 20% off for Black Friday!
Vaude Backpack – $120+
I can’t gush enough about how much I love Vaude. They are the most progressive environmentally-focused company that makes really great backpacks.
I have quite a few bags from them. My faves are my Asymmetric 38+8 that I use for all my overnight trips (pictured above), from single nights up to my 9 day trek completing the 180km Sunshine Coast Trail.
The Brenta 36+6 is our go-to for the many, many day hikes we do every year. Vaude also makes the most adorable kids backpacks.
All of their stuff is 20% off for Black Friday!
Thurso Surf Inflatable Standup Paddleboard – $799+
They’re on sale now for Black Friday until November 30, 2020. A kayak seat and paddle is also thrown in as a free bonus gift so don’t miss out if you’ve been wanting to get one, now is the time!
I’ve been loving my iSUPs from Thursosurf for many years now. I have both the Waterwalker and Expedition SUPs and love them both. For a day out paddling, and also to access some of the many water-access only hiking trails! Read more about that here. The Waterwalker is more of an all-around board that’s great for beginners and playing around, but also technical enough to function well for a more advanced and adventurous paddler. I have the 126 size which is perfect for me, as well we recently got a 132 to be more stable to paddle on with multiple people. It’s great for the kids to use together, and even holds both Sal and I with no issue. The Expedition board we use for longer distance paddles and in rougher water to glide through with more ease, at the expense of some stability however. For a more extensive details, check out my review here.
To buy from the American site (to ship within the USA), visit this page.
Tree Tribe Recycled Polyester Leggings – $60
California-based company Tree Tribe not only plants a tree with every sale, but their oh-so-cozy activewear is handmade-to-order using recycled polyester. Below I’m wearing my Black Camo Leggings.
They also have really cool products like vegan leaf “leather” wallets and notebooks, and reusable stainless steel, bamboo and glass straws.
Use code HIKESNEARVANCOUVER at checkout for 10% off.
Hillsound Crampons – $69+
A winter hiking non-starter, crampons are a must-have for everyone wanting to venture into snowy terrain. Local Vancouver company Hillsound makes a variety of styles. The best all-around crampon for hiking is the Trail Crampon linked here.
Anja Jane Playing Cards – $30
Local Vancouver artist Anja Jane has created a really cool deck of cards featuring local hiking trails. Choose from the BC hikes “Deck of Wander” playing cards, or the Washington State hikes deck.
Wildwood Sunglasses – $35+
Local Vancouver company make beautiful eco-friendly sunglasses and plants trees with every purchase! With styles named after Vancity locales like The Yaletown, The Capilano, and The Kitsilano, this gift has even more special meaning.
On Running Shoes – $159+
The only brand of running shoes I wear trail running through our mountains, or training on the roads. On’s tagline “run on clouds” is not for naught – they are so dang cushiony you feel like you’re running on clouds! We both have the Cloudventure Peaks for trails and Cloud X for road. See my review for the trail shoes here.
WoolX Merino Clothing – $35+
WoolX makes really great quality and stylish merino wool clothing, perfect for hiking.
It is of the utmost importance to wear wool or synthetic clothing against your skin when doing any sort of outdoor activity, especially here in the PNW where it’s wet all year round. It’s a matter not only of comfort but also of safety that your clothing is able to perform the way you need it to. Merino wool does an excellent job at wicking sweat away from your skin to keep you cool when it’s hot out, and warm when it’s cold out.
My favourite pieces are the Remi 150 Lightweight long sleeve, the Kaylee Beanie, and the Stella Everyday 330 mid-heavyweight Leggings.
Sal loves the Summit Polo for work, and the Switchback 230 mid weight hoodie and Essential lightweight tee for adventures.
Costco Trail Socks – $20+
Looking for some merino essentials that are a little less expensive? The merino blend Kirkland trail socks from Costco are DA BOMB. $25 for a 5-pack of men’s socks, and $20 for a 4-pack of women’s.
MEC Hut Booties – $59+
Step up your camping game with these insanely cozy slippers. Super lightweight to carry and so comfy to wear around the campsite. I personally prefer the synthetic ones so they retain their warmth even if they get a little wet, which they inevitably will here on the wetcoast.
Kombi Gloves – $19+
Keeping extremities warm in the winter is a tough gig but so very important. I have the Warm-Up Heated Mittens and Sal has the Loaded Goretex Gloves. They are both quite pricey, but oh-so-warm!
Don’t have quite this budget to spend? Add some Grabber handwarmers for instant mountaintop warmth in any glove!
Hydro Flask – $39+
Mountaintop coffee or hot chocolate? Yes please! No thermos better than Hydro Flask.
10 Essentials Kit – $100+
Give the gift of safety. Every hiker should always always ALWAYS carry the Ten Essentials. Sadly, not many do, even though it’s quite small and light to carry, and it could mean the difference between life and death if something unexpected happens. Learn more at BC AdventureSmart.
The Ten Essentials are:
- Light
- I use the Fenix HL60R headlamp as the 950 lumen power lights up the forest like a flood light far surpassing any other headlamp light I’ve ever seen.
- Fire starter
- I bring a lighter, waterproof matches, firestarter sticks and cotton pads douses in petroleum jelly
- Signalling Device
- Extra Clothing
- Navigation/Communication Device
- I use a Garmin Fenix 3 HR watch and Garmin InReach Mini (on sale now for $329 down from $449 reg at Sportcheck but MEC price matches if you should them! )
- First Aid Kit
- See my Instagram story highlight for all the things I’ve added to mine
- Multitool
- Emergency Shelter
- Extra Food and Water
- Sun protection
Symbolic Animal Adoption Kit – $40
Support a local Vancouver grassroots charity that has been working to preserve wildlife for over thirty years. The non-profit I manage called Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society connects people and nature to create knowledge, understanding and passion for conservation. Symbolically adopt a BC species for $40 plus shipping and receive a stuffed animal, adoption certificate, species information booklet and a $25 tax receipt! All funds raised help provide free programs to disadvantaged children and youth. Buy your kit today at northwestwildlife.com
BONUS here are some stocking stuffer/small size/Secret Santa gift ideas:
Many of the Ten Essentials items listed above fit into this category such as
- A map from Backroad Mapbooks
Some other ideas include:
Happy holiday shopping, everyone!
Note that some links on this blog may be affiliate links. If you buy something after clicking one of these links, I might be paid a small commission (no cost to you though, don’t worry). That’s not why I’ve shared this info; I truly use and love all of these things, so thought they might interest you too. I manage Hikes Near Vancouver in my free time to help support the hiking community. I spend a whackload of my time and skills and earn just the tiniest bit of money from partnerships and affiliate stuff, which helps me pay for the many expenses I incur, such as the cost of running this website for example, which comes at a hard cost for me annually. So thanks in advance for your understanding and support!