Do you have someone keen on glamping in your life who’s always hard to shop for? Birthdays, holidays and special occasions may be elusive for you, but knowing your loved one enjoys communing with nature opens plenty of doors in the gifting department. If you’ve been stumped before, consider the problem solved. Hawley Farm Glamping shares some excellent ideas for the glamper or hiker on your gift list.
Lighten the load
When people go long-distance hiking with backpacks, every fraction of an ounce matters. A too-heavy pack can turn even a champion mountaineer into a miserable human being. So, any gift that lightens that load will be welcomed.
Thanks to advances in technology, there are super light fabrics that also repel water and provide enough warmth for sub-zero days and nights. When it comes to clothing for hikers, look for tissue-weight cotton, polyester, and extra light merino wool. You’ll want to be as comfortable as possible, so invest in quality clothes that are stretchable and breathable; for the hiker, it’s all about having good range of motion, which is limited with binding materials and fabrics.
In this spirit of keeping it minimal, the gift of a super lightweight tent might be the perfect gift your camper really needs. Other excellent gifts to help downsize are sleeping bags and food with a long shelf life.
If you’re into homemade gifts, make something that has multiple uses. Stencil or print a map onto a tea towel, and it becomes a towel, hot pad, scarf, head cover, handkerchief, and map all in one.
Good meals without the camp stove
Survival Cache notes that the ready-to-eat meal (MRE) was invented for soldiers in the trenches or on a reconnaissance mission in the desert. But MREs could have been made for campers. They’re lightweight and they come in self-heating envelopes. Opening the envelope triggers the heat, and the camper now has a hot meal without having to cook.
Why is this so fabulous? Because an MRE eliminates the need for a camper/hiker to carry a cook stove, gas, can opener, or any cooking paraphernalia. That just took about 10 pounds off the pack!
Little Family Adventure lists other great, no-cook glamping foods such as trail mix and jerky. You can make your own, high-protein trail mix with toasted soybeans, raisins and peanuts. Depending on your commitment to your camper, you might go as far as buying her a dehydrator so she can dehydrate her own selection of foods. Vegan glampers, for instance, delight in making their own tofu jerky and dried peaches.
If you happen to have a dehydrator or you can borrow one, go to town dehydrating fruit and veggies for your friend’s next expedition.
Gifts for the day hiker
As we age, many hikers prefer to park at the resort, hike all day nearby, and return to a sauna, dinner and indoor bed. If this is your hiker, consider gifts that enrich the day hike.
Birders, for instance, can really never get too many bird identification books. A guide to the 100 most common local birds with great photos can be a genius gift.
These nature lovers also need really strong binoculars and excellent hiking boots or sneakers. The advent of memory foam in shoes has been nothing short of a miracle for trekkers. The Boy Scouts of America may have patented the perfect hiking shoes, padded with memory foam. See if you can score a pair.
If your hiker or camper takes her dog, consider a gift that makes her more confident about her animal’s whereabouts. A safety light for the dog’s collar tells the owner where the dog is and also lights up the trail. A doggie pack that straps around a dog’s abdomen allows a pet to tote his own water and dog food, taking some of the extra weight off his human.
So there you have it! Lighten the load of a glamper or enrich the experience of a day hiker. By putting yourself in the boots of your favorite outdoorsman, you can choose a perfect gift or two.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
Hawley Farm Glamping is a secluded, luxury, boutique glamping resort located near Kansas City Missouri, in the heart of Midwest farm country in Hamilton, Missouri. Reach out today for more info! 816-589-9448