Stocking Stuffer Ideas For Your Favorite Hiker - a 2015 Gift Guide

The holidays are here yet again, and I can hardly believe how fast 2015 passed me by!  Last year, I did a list on Appalachian Trials about gifts hikers would love to receive.  I'm updating the list for 2015 and making it a stocking stuffer guide instead.  Why would I change this? Well, because I want to show the good gear, and necessary gear at that, doesn't have to be expensive!  At our house, we love giving lots of small and personal gifts to each other for all holidays. Here are a few of the great things I think any hiker could use!  All the gifts are linked below and are available on Amazon. 

Dr. Bronner's

Dr. Bronner's castile soap is wonderful for so many things.  According to the bottle it has 18 different uses, including toothpaste!  While I definitely wouldn't go that far, I would definitely say Dr. Bronner's is a great multipurpose item to have in a pack.  I've washed socks in a plastic bag with it, I've used it as soap and shampoo, and I've washed my dishes with it.  This tiny 2-ounce bottle is a welcome addition to any holiday gift for a hiker. 

Sawyer Mini

Sawyer water filters have changed the way I hike.  In 2012 on my AT thru hike, I met three people with a Sawyer water filter.  In 2013 when I was working in Millinocket nearly 90% of hikers we met were using it.  These amazing little filters are fast and easy to use.  I actually use mine as an inline system placed directly on the end of my Camelbak.  I drink directly from the filter, using my Camelbak as a dirty bag.  If I'm feeling lazy in camp, this same inline system can easily be a gravity filter.  I went from rarely ever filtering water to using it every time I drink in the woods, which is never a bad thing.  Bonus tip?  The filter can be backflushed on trail without the syringe by using a Smartwater bottle with a flip top cap!

Black Diamond Gizmo Headlamp

While there are many great small and ultralight headlamps on the market these days, I prefer the good old Gizmo.  It's cheap and small - definitely lighter than my old Walmart lamp I used for years.  This headlamp has an adjustable dimmer setting and a strobe light setting for nighttime rescue situations.  The only downside is the lack of red light for night vision, but I don't often find myself wanting that feature anyway.  The price won't break the bank either!

Klymit Inflatable Pillow

An inflatable pillow...? Really...? Yes, really!  So for years I slept on my spare clothing in a stuff sack as my pillow.  Then, this summer, NoKey bought an inflatable pillow as his luxury item and every time he got out of the tent before me I would snatch that pillow up in a matter of seconds and catch some more beauty rest.  At 1.95 ounces packed weight, this little luxury item will be a sure favorite for anyone who loves sleeping in the woods. 

Titanium Spork

Again, what sounds like a ridiculous idea is actually pretty practical!  How many times have you or your favorite hiker busted their spork in a jar of peanut butter or a pot of mashed potatoes?  If you've done it even once, you know this one time too many!  While the plastic sporks are cheap, if you've replaced it more than twice you could have splurged and bought a titanium version.  I bought one a few years ago and haven't had problems since!  Also a bonus, the Vargo brand has a mini carabiner end on the top, so you can attach it right to your food bag or the bag you store your cook pot in.  Never dig in your bag to find the spork again!

Smartwool Socks

Socks for the holidays?!  Well, the gift we all hated to see (and inevitably always got) in our childhood takes on a whole new meaning when you love all things outdoors.  While all hikers have their favorite brands of socks, mine are Smartwool's PhD Micro socks.  I've been an avid lover of these socks since 2008 and have never once had a blowout like others I know.  Find out which brand your hiker likes best and get them a few pairs!

I hope this short list of products I love has been helpful for your holiday shopping.  What would you add to the list?  I'd love to see what you think - leave me a comment below or reply on the Facebook post to get the conversation started!

Pieces of Gear You Should Always Leave Packed for a Quick Get Away!

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For those of us who are constantly busy and running on tight schedules, those rare moments when we can spare half a day to get away into the woods usually come upon us quickly!  I always have a day pack filled with essentials for a day hike on my porch, next to my hiking shoes and trekking poles.  This way, when the moment comes, I can put on my shoes, toss my gear in the car, and run off to the woods.  Here is what I always have on hand:

1) 2-liter Camelbak, filled before leaving the house.
2) Hiker first aid kit: Mine includes ibuprofen, emergency Aquamira Drops in case my filter doesn’t work, a lighter, Gold Bond Powder, Carmex, and duct tape.  I also keep a headlamp with fresh batteries in the same bag. 
3) My Sawyer Mini filter.  This thing is a beast - it’s fast, it’s easy, and it has never once failed me.  
4) Hiker snacks. Obviously, these need to be changed out/replenished every once in a while, but I always have hiker-friendly trail foods in my house.
5) Rain gear. I am a huge fan of The North Face’s Venture.  I’ve now owned two of these coats and I’d never wear anything else.  

Do you keep gear packed and ready for your next short adventure? What pieces do you never leave without?  Leave me a comment or connect with me on Facebook to talk about your favorite gear!

Gear Review: Sawyer Mini water filter

Thru hikers are notorious for a lot of behaviors, but the most prevalent across the board one I ever noticed on the trail was this: the lack of water filtration.  Sure, we all know you can get horrible, nasty illnesses from drinking contaminated water but when you’ve hiked the last 4 miles in 100-degree heat without any water and that spring trickles just enough to fill your bottle you’re going to drink it as fast as you can.  

During my hike I used bleach droplets, Aquamira drops (a combination of Part A/Part B), and an MSR Sweetwater pump system on different occasions when I absolutely felt the need to purify.  Bleach takes 15-30 minutes to clean water, depending on the temperature and murkiness of the water.  Aquamira recommends waiting until the combination of the drops turns a bright yellow, letting you know the formula as “activated” before adding it, then waiting 15-30 minutes (again depending on the temperature and clarity) before drinking.  The water pump takes up to 10 minutes just to pump and usually requires backflushing.  

When I was in North Virginia, two hikers we met showed us an amazing water system: The Sawyer Squeeze.  This was a bag you put water into, sloshed around, and then drank.  It was guaranteed for a million gallons of water and we were shocked.  Over the course of our hike we heard of one other person with that system.  In 2013, nearly half of the hikers we saw at the end of the trail in Maine were carrying the Sawyer Squeeze system and nearly everyone was happy with the filter, despite the fact that the water bags failed quite often.  We decided that would be our next filter.  

After doing some research before starting our PCT planning we discovered the Sawyer Mini, the smallest, lightest filter on the market. This bad boy attaches to a squeeze bottle supplied by Sawyer or to a standard water bottle (Smartwater 1 liters are the bottle of choice for many hikers and it fits perfectly).  You can also use this on your Camelbak or Platypus system as a sort of gravity system.  This thing not only does all of these and weighs in at about 2 oz., it only costs $25.  

We bought one to take with us of our hike of the Cranberry Lake 50 over Memorial Day and was one of the best decisions we’ve made to date. Bearing in mind that we are not the best about treating our water, a filter that is this small, convenient, and easy to use makes even thinking about filtering a nonissue.  Given that the Cranberry Lake 50 is a low-lying trail system with several water sources being ponds teeming with beavers, filtration is super important.  We were able to fill the bottle, squeeze, and have clean water nearly instantly - water that was free of both contaminates and particulates!  Not only was this important for us, but it was important for our dog as well, who deserved clean water to drink just as we did.  

We had absolutely no problems using the filter on our 3-day hike and carried the backflushing syringe just in case.  The whole system fit into a small stuff sack and was easily thrown into an exterior pocket on a pack, making for a quick grab and go.  This also made it possible to carry a smaller load of water, making packs lighter.  

All in all, I’d recommend the Sawyer Mini system to anyone looking for a quick and easy way to drink clean water.  It’s super affordable (even on a thru hiker budget!), lightweight, and easy to use.  I think we’ll buy a second one so we both have one on hand.  

This post is in no way sponsored or solicited by Sawyer.  It’s all me.  I’m a total fan!