The Best Gifts for Hikers of 2022

Our top picks for outdoorsy friends and family, based on months of rigorous testing.

Whether you are an avid hiker yourself or a committed armchair adventurer, purchasing a gift for a hiker can be intimidating. Hikers are notorious for being snobs about having a just-so piece of gear, which can make finding something that they’ll actually use a serious challenge. To help you pick something that will impress and delight, we’ve selected some of the top products we’ve tested over the last year as some of the best gifts for hikers available today.

Best for Trail Runners: Smartwool Athlete Edition Run Mountain Print Crew Socks

Best Seat: Therm-a-Rest Z-Seat

Best for Chefs: MSR Ceramic 2-Pot Set

Best Camping Mug: OtterBox Elevation

Best Stocking Stuffer: Grabber Hand Warmers

Best Socks: Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Sock

Best Shirt: Icebreaker Merino Tech Lite II Short Sleeve

Best Solar Charger: Goal Zero Nomad 10 and Venture 35

Best Water Filter: Sawyer Squeeze

Best GPS Watch: Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar

Best for Planners: OnX Backcountry

Best First Aid Kit: NOLS Med Kit 4.0

Read many more details on the best gifts for hikers here.

Writer and Editor

Laura Lancaster

Hi, I‘m Laura. I’ve been editing and writing for nearly twenty years, covering everything from developing a seismologist’s first book to telling the story of my first deer hunt. While the first half of my career was spent learning the ropes of publishing in New York City, for the second I’ve been in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, working on projects for clients in the outdoor space. Most recently, I’ve been working as a senior staff writer at Outdoor Life. When I’m not at home with my husband and daughter, you can find me camping, backpacking, and running in the foothills of the Cascades.

Explore More Content

Sawyer Squeeze

Water Filter Comparison

backpacking water filters

Backflushing

portable water filters

portable water filtration

Outdoor Gear

outdoor gear gift guide

From the Squad

Campfire conversations with our community, from Squad Members and Ambassadors to Brand Partners and the Sawyer team.

Media Mentions

4 MIN

Media Mentions

It all starts with Sawyer Squeeze + Cnoc VectoX 2L, the best and most reliable filter-bladder combo and the core of my backpacking water storage and filtration system.