Looking for ultralight backpacking gifts? Due to the development of ultralight backpacking materials and fabrics, backpacking gear has become lighter. So whether you’re buying gifts for a new hiker or one with more miles under their belt, they’ll all appreciate the weight reduction.

Here are 20 of our top gift ideas for the ultralight backpacker in your trail family.

1. Six Moon Designs Silver Shadow Carbon Trekking Umbrella

The Silver Shadow Carbon Trekking Umbrella is a full-size umbrella with a reflective silver surface that will protect your favorite hiker from the sun and the rain.  A sleek carbon fiber shaft, spreader, and ribs reduce its weight to just 6.8 oz while maintaining full coverage. Its rigid shaft prevents unexpected collapse, and its simple construction ensures years of trouble-free use. The Silver Shadow Carbon is the Rolls-Royce of Trekking Umbrellas.

2. Garmin inReach Mini 3 Satellite Messenger

The Garmin inReach Mini 3 is a pocket-sized satellite messenger that can send an SOS message to Search and Rescue in an emergency when you’re out of cell phone range. It can also send email messages and text messages to friends and family whenever you want to update them or share your GPS coordinates. It has an easy-to-use push-button interface and can also pair with a smartphone via Bluetooth to display GPS maps and navigation. Weighing just 4.3 oz, it’s small enough to attach to a backpack shoulder strap.

3. Enlightened Equipment Torrid Jacket

The Enlightened Equipment Torrid Jacket (7.86 oz) is a purpose-built synthetic jacket made for hiking and backpacking. It is insulated with Climashield Apex, which Enlightened Equipment also uses in its synthetic quilts. The Torrid has two zippered handwarmer pockets, elastic wrist cuffs, and an adjustable hood opening to block side drafts. Its raglan sleeves are designed for use with a backpack, and its ultralight nylon exterior fabric has a durable water-repellent finish that repels mist and light precipitation. A women’s model is also available.

4. Nitecore NU 20 Headlamp

Weighing only 1.34 oz, the Nitecore NU 20 headlamp delivers 360 lumens and illuminates distances up to 119 yards. It offers multiple white-light levels, Turbo, SOS, Beacon, reading light, and red-light modes for versatile use. USB-C rechargeable, it charges in just over an hour and runs up to 97 hours on low, with a battery indicator. Durable construction, IP66 waterproofing, 1-meter impact resistance, intuitive controls, and lockout mode ensure dependable performance and convenience. A thru-hiker favorite!

5. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Shoulder Strap Pocket

Hyperlite Mountain Gear’s (HMG) Shoulder Strap Pocket (1.4 oz) is a waterproof pocket made with Dyneema Composite Fabric that is perfect for carrying a Smartphone, point-and-shoot camera, or travel documents. It has a built-in sleeve that works as a hiker wallet, plus an external mesh pocket that holds a phone securely, even if you take off your pack or it falls on the ground. It’s easy to attach to any pack from any manufacturer that has daisy chains on the shoulder straps.

6. Feathered Friends EOS Jacket

The Feathered Friends Eos Down Jacket is insulated with 900 fill power goose down that’s available in both men’s and women’s models. The Eos weighs 11.8 ounces (336g) and features a low-profile dual drawstring hood, a zippered chest pocket, two handwarmer pockets, Lycra wrist cuffs, and elastic hem adjustment. With a Pertex Quantum Shell and sewn-through construction, it’s lightweight enough to use as a mid-layer under a rain jacket, but it also works as a warm outer layer over a fleece or heavier base layer. The Eos also works well as an adjunct to a quilt or hoodless sleeping bag if you want more upper-body insulation and a draft-free hood.

7. CuloClean Soda Bottle Bidet

The CuloClean Soda Bottle Bidet is a simple screw-on attachment (0.42 oz) that lets you use a soda bottle to clean yourself after a poop. It’s designed to help reduce the amount of toilet paper used in the backcountry while preventing the dreaded chafing and “monkey butt” that results when your crack isn’t clean. This handy bidet attachment screws onto regular plastic water/soda bottles so you can clean up anywhere, even at the office. It’s very popular with thru-hikers and is catching on with older hikers, too. It makes a perfect stocking stuffer and conversation piece!

8. BRS 3000T Titanium Stove

Ultralight backpackers like to obsess about the weight of their canister stoves. The BRS 3000T weighs less than an ounce and is a trail-tested backpacking stove available at an impressively low price. Its simple design incorporates big features, including an easily adjustable flame, stable teeth-shaped arms, and a powerful output that belies its ultralight weight! This is a great stocking stuffer

9. UltraliteSacks Thru-Hiker Stuff Sack Bundle

The UltraliteSacks Thru-Hiker Bundle is made for the hiker looking for maximum simplicity and organization without adding weight.  Made with Dyneema Composite Fabrics, the Thru-Hiker Bundle includes all of the stuff sacks (6) that you’d need for hiking the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Coast Trail, including: a large roll-top dry bag, a regular-sized food bag, a small stuff sack, a large pillow sack, a small stuff sack, a small zippered pouch, and a regular zippered pouch. A minimalist fanny pack is also included as a bonus, offering mobile storage for walking around trail towns when you don’t need to carry a full backpack.

10. Zpacks Duplex Lite Tent

The Zpacks Duplex Lite is a 15.2 oz two-person trekking pole tent designed for three-season use that’s a popular choice with section hikers and thru-hikers. It’s easy to set up and offers solid weather protection. The two rainbow-style doors and side vestibules make it easy to share with another hiker, but it’s lightweight enough for one person. Any hiker would love to get a Duplex Lite as a gift. It;s a classic piece of ultralight backpacking gear!

11. Chicken Tramper Gear Water Bottle Sleeve

Can’t reach your water bottles when you get thirsty? No problem, just attach your water bottle to your backpack shoulder strap. The Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear (CTUG) Water Bottle Sleeve attaches to backpack shoulder straps with a front daisy chain or a hydration hose keeper loop, making it compatible with nearly every backpack. The sleeve comes in two sizes and fits 0.7L and 1L Bottles or soft bottles. Made from durable X-Pac, these sleeves attach at the top and bottom so your bottles won’t fall into the dirt when you bend over to tie your shoe.

12. Hyperlight Mountain Gear Packing Pods

Hyperlite Mountain Gear’s Packing Pods are ultralight, kidney-shaped stuff sacks designed to use all of the space in a backpack and eliminate the voids that are leftover if you pack with conventional cylindrical-shaped stuff sacks. They’re made from ultralight, waterproof Dyneema DCF and have an attached top flap that zips closed for moisture protection.  All of Hyperlite’s Packing Pods are silver-colored. They also make great toiletry bags for business trips!

13. Katabatic Gear Alsek 22 Quilt

While some quilts feel like they aren’t wide enough to wrap around, the angled “wings” on the Katabatic Alsek 22 help keep the quilt secure around the hiker without a major weight penalty. The Katabatic Alsek weighs just 1 pound, 6 ounces, and uses 900-fill down and durable Pertex Quantum Ripstop. It also has a longer sewn footbox than some other quilt models, which helps trap more heat.

14. Durston X-Mid Pro 1

The Durston X-Mid Pro 1 is a 15.5 ounce single-wall trekking pole tent that is exceptionally easy to set up. This 2-door tent is made of Dyneema DCF, an ultralight and extremely waterproof material. All of the seams are taped and the inner tent is sewn to the fly so the tent can be pitched in the rain and still remain dry inside. This exceptional tent is quite stormworthy and includes extra guy-out points for extreme conditions.

15. NEMO Tensor Elite Sleeping Pad

The NEMO Tensor Elite Sleeping Pad is an ultralight 8.5-ounce air mattress that is three inches thick and super comfortable to sleep on when backpacking or camping. The Tensor Elite also rolls up quite small, which is essential when using an ultralight backpack that may have less than 40L in capacity

16. Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter System with Cnoc 2 Liter Bladder

The Sawyer Water Filter with Cnoc 2L Bladder is one of the most popular portable water filters available today, letting hikers drink from natural water sources if they run out on hikes or backpacking trips. While the filter threads onto many standard water bottles, we recommend this model with the Cnoc 2L soft bottle for its fast flow rate and adaptability, letting you use the Sawyer as a squeeze filter to quickly filter 1 liter of water or as a gravity filter to prepare larger quantities. The Cnoc bottle is amazingly durable and rolls up when you don’t need it, making it easy to store.

17. Enlightened Equipment Copperfield Wind Shirt

The Enlightened Equipment Copperfield Wind Shirt is an incredibly refined, 2.4 oz wind shirt, available with 7d, 10d, or 20d nylon with an adjustable hood, elastic wrist cuffs, a drawcord hem, and a full-length zipper. While most windbreakers and windshirts have elasticized hood openings, the Copperfield hood adjusts with pull cords, so you can seal out drafts and keep the hood from flapping loudly in high winds. The sleeves are cut for comfort when wearing a backpack, and the fit runs about a half size large for layering.

18. Feathered Friends Egret UL 20 – Women’s Sleeping Bag

The Feathered Friends Egret UL 20 is a top-shelf technical sleeping bag tailored for women that has extra fill in the footbox and around the chest. It also offers more room at the elbows, including space to pull your knees up if you like to sleep that way. The contoured hood opens wide in warmer weather and makes it easy for side sleepers to use, while a two-way zipper makes the bag easy to vent. The Egret has a draft collar to help seal in the heat around your shoulders, while a trapezoidal footbox allows your feet to fall in a natural pose without compressing the sides. Available in two lengths: 5′ 3″ and 5′ 9″, the Egret UL 20 is insulated with 950+ fill power goose down and weighs just 1 lb 9.6 oz. That’s seriously light!

19. Far Pointe Polartec Alpha Fleece Hoodie

With a streamlined design, FarPointe’s Polartec Alpha fleece hoodie is made for layering or as a stand-alone piece when you’re on the move. Soft to the touch and lighter than your typical long-sleeved shirt, it is the perfect midlayer because it dries quickly when you perspire while keeping you warm and toasty even though it’s gossamer light. Polartec Alpha hoodies are a favorite in the hiking community!

20. Gossamer Gear LT5 Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles

Ultralight and easily adjustable with a twist lock, Gossamer Gear’s LT5 carbon fiber trekking poles have a three-piece carbon construction that can be adjusted from 23.5” when collapsed to 51” fully extended. The foam handle absorbs sweat, and the padded strap is adjustable. The set weighs under 10 ounces, making it featherlight and a joy to use.

Check out all of SectionHiker's Gift Guides

• 50 Best Backpacking Gifts for $50 or Less
• Lightweight Backpacking Gift Guide
• Dyneema Ultralight Backpacking Gift Guide
• Winter Hiking Gift Guide
• Hiking Survival Gear Gift Guide

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