Compared to other athletic endeavors, hiking is an inexpensive activity; one doesn’t need a lot of pricey equipment to get started. A pair of decent walking shoes, suitable clothing (including a hat), a small daypack or fanny pack, a few items in an emergency kit, a bottle of water and an energy bar, are all that a hiker needs to set out for the day.
Of course, you can give a hiker or backpacker a puffy down jackets, Gore-Tex raingear, or a 20-degree sleeping bag, but let’s instead focus on some relatively inexpensive items, some of which can make the difference between an enjoyable hike and a disastrous, perhaps life-threatening outing.
A Baker's Dozen -- 13 Stocking Stuffers for the hiker in your life (most prices are approximate):
- Whistle, for safety: Make sure it’s loud. A bright color, such as orange, will make the whistle more visible if it’s dropped on the ground or in the ice. (Best to carry it on a lace around the neck, or a lanyard attached to a pack). $6.
- Small Swiss Army knife: The Classic model has scissors, blade, screwdriver, nail file, tweezers and a toothpick. $18-$22.
- Flashlight: A small LED pinch light, or a headlamp, can light the way. $10-$30.
- Colorful bandana: Bandanas can be used for a number of things: covering your neck or head, wiping your brow – and securing a splint! $3-$6.
- Winter cap: Look for wool or fleece with a double layer of fleece covering the ears. $20-$30.
- Summer hat: Select something light in color and weight with a wide brim. $20-$35.
- Snacks: Can anyone resist a good chocolate bar such as Tolerone or Lindt? $3-$10.
- Socks: Avoid cotton; go for wool, or wool blend such as Smartwool, Thorlo, or REI. $10-$18.
- Gloves or mittens: Mittens are warmer, gloves allow more dexterity. For Bay Area hiking, a mid-weight pair of gloves of wool, alpaca, or possum fur is perfect. $20.
- BPA-free water bottle: Plastic is lighter than stainless; stainless steel has less taste. $12 and up.
- Trail books: The new, Secret Stairs: East Bay: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Berkeley and Oakland [Paperback] describes almost three dozen stair hikes in the Oakland and Berkeley+ hills. $16.95 list, check your local bookstore.
- Berkeley Path Wanderers Association membership: This non-profit group leads hikes, sends out a quarterly newsletter featuring several hikes that you can take on your own or with the group, and more. $5 tax-deductible!
- Parks Sampler membership in California State Parks Foundation (CSPF): With the special introductory rate of $25 (regularly $40), you receive 7 day-use parking passes for State Parks, free admission to more than 200 state parks, 5% off camping reservations, monthly discount coupons for use in and around state parks, worth hundreds of dollars – plus a paid one-year subscription (12 issue) to Sunset Magazine – a $16 value! The CSPF gets desperately needed help toward keeping our threatened parks open (70 are currently on the chopping block!). California Parklands newsletter. $25 and up.
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