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The best gift you can give to any adventure lover, outdoorsy person, or travel addict is anything that gets them excited for their next trip and inspires them to continue to fall in love with outdoor adventures!
Inspired by my own list of my favorite adventure gear owned and outdoor gifts I’ve received or given, I’ve curated the ultimate affordable outdoor gift guide for any budget! From must-have hiking and camping gear to adventure travel essentials, this gift guide will help you find that perfect outdoorsy gift within your budget anybody that loves to camp, hike, backpack, road trip, and travel!
In this post, I've listed out:
Socks can make or break someone’s hiking experience. Not only do hiking socks need to be comfortable, but they also need to be breathable and quick-drying to prevent blistering and funky smells.
My go-to hiking socks are Darn Tough hiking socks. Not only do they come in a variety of cushion levels, but they are made from material blends that are antimicrobial, lightweight, and breathable. The best part about Darn Tough socks is that there is a lifetime warranty that guarantees to replace their socks for free if they develop a hole or wear out, no questions asked. Through their warranty, I’ve gotten several new socks to replace old ones!
Hiking socks are the best, budget-friendly gift for hikers and outdoorsy people since you can never get enough of them!
Adventure lovers and outdoorsy people don’t go anywhere without a water bottle. Even though I bring a hydration bladder for my hikes and backpacking trips, I’ll also bring a water bottle to put electrolytes in to stay hydrated (without ruining my hydration bladder!). A water bottle is the perfect, outdoorsy gift under $25!
If you’re looking for a practical and affordable gift for outdoorsy people, a dry bag is the perfect gift that can handle any kind of adventure. A dry bag is essential for keeping electronics, clothes, and other critical gear dry while hiking, camping, backpacking, and traveling.
Compression sacks are essential for campers and backpackers to organize gear and save space when packing things such as sleeping bags and puffy jackets and clothes, making them an affordable, outdoorsy gift.
This may be the most underrated gift for outdoor and hiking lovers that squat to pee! This antimicrobial, reusable pee cloth has come in so handy for my hikes and backpacking trips, especially when I was pregnant and needed to pee ALL THE TIME. It has a strap with a snap button, making it easy to strap onto your pack and close up for privacy and cleanliness.
Still don’t know what to get for your outdoor lover? Let them pick what they want with a gift card! That way, your outdoorsy person can get exactly the gift they want to fuel their next adventure!
Any hiking, camping, and travel lover would be more than excited to get a gift card from any of these outdoor and adventure retailers:
A hiking backpack is a must-have piece of outdoor gear for any adventure and travel lover. My favorite affordable hiking backpack that makes the perfect outdoorsy gift is the REI Flash 18. This hiking backpack is not only lightweight and durable, but it's the perfect size for extra layers, a hydration bladder, and hiking snacks! And because the pack is flexible, it' makes it easy to roll it up and pack it into a suitcase if you are traveling and need to pack a hiking backpack.
Sun shirts are essential for hikers and nature lovers to protect themselves from sunburns when adventuring outside. Sun shirts are lightweight, breathable, and moisture-wicking, making them comfortable to wear while hiking. Additionally, hiking sun shirts have a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) rating, which means the fabric is effective at filtering the sun’s UV rays. Hiking sun shirts are the perfect gift under $50 for any outdoorsy person.
A budget-friendly hiking sun shirt is the REI Sahara Shade Hoodie.
Roadtrippers, national park lovers, or weekend adventurers would LOVE this gift. Not only is this adventure atlas essential as a U.S. trip-planning resource, but it’s also got a ton of state-specific bucket list and hidden gem hikes for any adventure lovers!
The National Geographic Road Atlas Adventure Edition is filled with:
This adventure atlas is a must-have gift for road trip lovers and adventure travelers.
Whether you are traveling, backpacking, or having a beach day, every adventure lover needs a pack towel. Not only does this this ultralight towel pack down really small, but it also is quick-drying, moisture-wicking and antimicrobial, so you can use it over and over again without worrying about funky smells!
Every adventure traveler and outdoorsy person needs a toiletry bag to pack and organize personal hygiene items. This Sea to Summit hangable travel toiletry bag is water resistant and has mesh compartments, making it super functional and durable for any adventure!
The America the Beautiful National Parks Pass is the ultimate adventure gift for any national park lover or anyone planning the ultimate national park road trip.
The America the Beautiful National Parks Pass covers the entrance fees at national parks, national forests, and national wildlife refuges for an entire year and costs $80. With national park entrance fees costing anywhere from $20 - $35, this pass is worth the cost if you plan to visit 3 or more national parks per year!
A lightweight camping cookset is the perfect outdoorsy gift for backpackers, campers, and adventure travelers. A camping cookset makes cooking meals while camping, backpacking, and traveling easy. This Halulite Microdualist cookset is my go-to portable cookset for camping and backpacking because it is lightweight, durable, and easy to clean.
After a long day of hiking or adventuring, there’s no better feeling than swapping your hiking boots or shoes for a pair of camp slippers as you relax at camp by the fire. Camp slippers are warm, easy to slip on and off, and durable for the outdoors. They are also lightweight and compact, making them easy to pack for road trips or any kind of adventure travel! Camp slippers are the best gift for camping lovers and outdoorsy people.
Rumpl adventure blankets are packable, durable, and weatherproof, making them perfect for sitting by the campfire, packing for long flights, or watching sunrise with loved ones. These adventure blankets come in both synthetic and down options.
On warmer camping nights, I prefer packing my Rumpl adventure blanket instead of my down sleeping bag and still get a great night of sleep! These Rumpl blankets are great gift idea for outdoorsy people and adventure lovers.
A headlamp is an essential item for every outdoorsy person and adventure lover, making it the perfect gift for hikers, backpackers, and campers. When choosing a headlamp, I’d recommend picking one with a red light (to preserve your natural night vision) and has a rechargeable battery, like the Black Diamond Spot-400R.
A hammock is the perfect outdoorsy gift under $50 for nature lovers! Whether you want to chill at the campsite under the trees or read in the backyard, a hammock is a great (and easy) way to relax in nature. Choose from either a single person hammock or a double person hammock.
The Jetboil backpacking stove is a staple for campers, backpackers, and outdoor lovers. This compact backpacking stove is lightweight and can boil water in 100 seconds. Which makes brewing coffee or cooking backpacking meals simpler no matter the adventure.
The Jetboil cooking system takes any outdoor adventure to the next level and is the perfect gift for any outdoorsy person or nature lover.
The best thing about being outdoors is the ability to disconnect and explore off-the-grid. But every adventurer still needs to stay safe with a way to connect or call for help in emergencies, especially when there’s no cell service.
The Garmin InReach Mini is a tiny yet powerful satellite communicator (coming in at 3.5 oz). It can track location, send 2-way texts, and even send SOS alerts when you’re backpacking or adventuring without service. The Garmin InReach Mini does require a subscription to utilize the two-way communication system and SOS messaging.
I take my InReach Mini on every hike and backpacking trip to save waypoints, backtrack, and to communicate in case of an emergency.
A satellite communicator is one of the best safety gifts you can give to any outdoor adventurer!
If you want your favorite outdoorsy person to adventure in style AND comfort, give them one of my all-time favorite gear for hiking, camping, and travel - the Arc’teryx Atom Insulated Hoody.
The Arc’teryx Atom Insulated Hoody is an excellent jacket for any outdoor adventure in any weather. It can be used as a comfortable mid-layer during colder weather and is a great go-to jacket in warmer weather. This jacket goes with me everywhere because it is lightweight (only 10.9 oz!) and extremely packable without compromising on warmth.
So whether you’re looking for a gift for someone who loves to hike, ski, camp, travel, rock climb, or just road trip, consider the Arc’teryx Atom Insulated Hoody.
Hopefully, this outdoor gift guide makes it easier to find the perfect adventure gift within your budget for your favorite outdoorsy person, national park lover, or adventure traveler! Each one of these gifts will inspire anybody to explore outside more, travel further, and fall more in love with adventure!
*This post contains affiliate links for products that I have used myself and genuinely love. All opinions expressed are honest and mine. If you make a purchase through any of these affiliate links, I receive a small compensation at no additional cost to you. Since The Adventure Diet is reader-supported, any purchases you make will support running this blog at now cost to you! As always, thank you for your never-ending support.
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