I’ve learnt the hard way not to leave gift shopping to the last minute, so thought I’d share some tramping gift ideas for the outdoorsy people in your life. We can be a bit hard to shop for, so hopefully this list will give you some great inspiration. I’ve tried as much as I can to include mostly small Kiwi businesses with ideas slightly out of the box, so you can feel good supporting local <3
Tramping Gift Guide
$0 – $50 tramping gift ideas
Natural sunscreen – Back to the Wild
We all know that the New Zealand sun is extremely strong. So what better way to protect yourself that with a natural product that isn’t going to introduce toxins to your skin, but still actually works! Plus you’ll be supporting an adventurous mum who founded this business to help her family explore outdoors.
Back to the Wild also sells a wide range of other products including children’s outdoor gear, fantastic insect repellant, and incredible kid’s tramping logbooks – check it all out here.
Tramping logbooks – Kor Adventures Co
Back to the Wild aren’t the only ones to offer awesome tramping logbooks. Kor Adventures Co also sell them! Logbooks are a great way to keep track of all the amazing adventures you’ve been on, and are a pretty special keepsake. I love using mine to refer back to if I ever need to remember details about particular tramps like dates, weather conditions, etc. Kor Adventures also stocks travel logbooks, beautiful prints, and a cool enamel mug.
Kiwicare Predator Free Pack – Predator Free NZ Trust
This one might be a controversial pick for some, so choose your audience carefully. But having a predator trap in your backyard (for rats, mice, stoats or possums) helps protect the native birds of Aotearoa as well as the biodiversity of our beautiful outdoors, which we all enjoy when we go out tramping. The Predator Free NZ Trust helps with some amazing conservation efforts throughout the country, and all proceeds go back towards their projects. Their website also has lots of helpful information about how you can help make New Zealand predator free.
Track Markers – Follow The Triangle
We all know and love the familiar orange DOC track markers. And now you can get your own personalised one (or gift to a friend or family member)! There is also the option of a larger orange triangle which you can personalise too.
Sandfly Repellant Gift Set – Okarito Sandfly Repellent
Namu (sandflies) can be ferocious, and none more so than on the West Coast. This repellant was born from a kayaking company based in Okarito near Franz Joseph, who needed a way to protect their customers. Over a decade later and it’s now sold extensively throughout the country, including in DOC centres. It’s DEET free and safe to use with kids. This gift set is perfect for anyone heading into sandfly territory on their next adventure!
Dehydrated meals – Back Country Cuisine
Lightweight tramping meals with a relatively long storage life are a great gift for trampers. I’m biased towards Back Country Cuisine meals because I’ve worked with them in the past, they’re lovely people, and their factory is less than 5km from my home in Invercargill. But any dehy meal would go down well! My favourite Back Country Cuisine meals are Cottage Pie or their upmarket Mushroom & Lamb Risotto (which comes with parmesan, mmmmm).
Backcountry hut tickets – DOC
When in doubt, choose a voucher. Hut tickets are the vouchers of the tramping world (along with actual vouchers to your local outdoor retailer). So long as your gift recipient doesn’t have a backcountry hut pass, these tickets will help them go on awesome adventures through our great hut network.
There are two options; serviced huts like those along the Greenstone-Caples loop (green ticket, $25) or standard tickets for huts like Green Lake Hut (blue ticket, $10). You can purchase them from DOC Visitor Centres, i-Sites and many outdoors retailers like Kathmandu, Macpac and Hunting & Fishing. Or you can splash out and buy the Backcountry Hut Pass for $160 (12 months).
$50 – $100 tramping gift ideas
Tramping artwork – Love Thy Land
I honestly love this artwork by Lisa Nicole and own a few pieces myself. The posters are so beautiful and stylised. There are plenty of New Zealand prints, including some great tramping related ones like elevation maps, the popular backcountry hut poster, and specific hut illustrations, like Mueller Hut. Definitely check them out, they are gorgeous! She also makes the most beautifully illustrated Tramping Playing Cards, as well as tea towels, patches and more!
Filter water bottles – Water to Go
Safe drinking water is crucial for an enjoyable tramp (you don’t want to be caught out with a gastro illness while in the middle of nowhere, trust me). Water to Go’s reusable bottles filter water using mechanical filtration, activated carbon and a positive electrical charge to eliminate 99.99% of harmful bacteria. The filter lasts for 200 litres so you’ll get plenty of tramping adventures under your belt before you need to replace it. I have an affiliate code to give you 20% off – use Alice20 at checkout (I get a small kickback from this too, at no extra cost to yourself, so thanks if you use it!).
Ultralight fitted sheet – Kiwi Ultralight
Kiwi Ultralight have launched a silk fitted sheet perfectly sized for DOC mattresses – fantastic for summer! If you’re using a quilt instead of a sleeping bag (or you’re like me and use your sleeping bag as a quilt over summer), then this sheet will be perfect for you. No more sweaty legs sticking to the plastic hut mattresses, ideal!
Kiwi Ultralight also made awesome custom quilts, as well as bush cloths (perfect for outdoor women!).
Map Coaster and Placemat Sets – West Coasters
These beautiful coaster and placemat sets are made from recycled vintage maps (or a map you provide) from around Aotearoa. You can choose from ready-made sets or custom sets to commemorate special tramping trips. A great gift for a tramping buddy! They offer a 10% discount for FMC members or Wilderness subscribers, and you can buy a gift card if you’re not sure exactly what map your giftee would like.
$100 – $200 tramping gift ideas
Lightweight Cookset – Barrett Outdoors
Barrett Outdoors source great quality, lightweight cookware for tramping adventures. This cookset is one of their more popular products. It includes a 750ml pot / mug with measurements, folding fork, folding spoon, and a folding BRS stove. All of this weighs in at only 205g(!!), being made from lightweight, but durable titanium. Plus everything (including a 110g fuel canister) can be stored in the pot, so it’s nice and easy to pack down and transport. Perfect cooking system for tramping adventures!
Mini Tramping Hut Collectibles – Kemi Niko
Mini Huts by artists Kemi & Niko are collectable fine craft objects made with the integrity and spirit of the backcountry; from salvaged materials to handcrafted construction. They look ridiculously cute sitting on your bookcase as a reminder of your backcountry adventures. Peruse the existing catalogue of huts (below from left to right: Rocks Ahead Hut, Cecil Kings Hut, Goat Creek Hut) or request a custom order to memorialise a special trip. Sign up to their mailing list to be up to date when hut sales are released – they sell out fast!
Kemi & Niko also recently released a limited edition ceramic mug which is just beautiful. I own one myself and would highly recommend checking it out!
Giant Map Posters – Custom Maps
Ever envied the giant topographical maps in the Visitor Centres? Just me? Well my fellow map nerds, Custom Maps have us covered. They offer a variety of different topographical map posters. They can also do custom requests if you want to commemorate a special tramping trip with someone – I would honestly love this as a gift from a tramping buddy and I’m sure I’m not alone.
Wilderness subscription – Wilderness magazine
I love perusing Wilderness magazine and have really enjoyed their annual subscriptions. They share awesome adventure stories, gear reviews and trip ideas, plus lots more. There are a mixture of subscription options (print vs. online) at varying costs to suit your budget.
$200+ tramping gift ideas
Kea Kit – Kea Outdoors
The Kea Kit Go is a survival kit that boasts “everything you need and nothing you don’t to be fully prepared”. It is split into different modules, which include basic and advanced medical gear, a fire starter kit, and gear repair tools. There are other kits on offer, as well as the option to build your own modular kit depending on your needs.
Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) – various options
Personal Locator Beacons can literally save lives. If you’re heading out into the backcountry, you should always take a means of calling for help. (Which for most of New Zealand’s wilderness means a PLB, not a cellphone). Most PLB options start from $500, so they’re not cheap – but they can last up to ten years (limited by battery life). They are a gift that can save a life. Sadly the one I own (pictured below) is no longer made, but Wilderness magazine have shared a list of potential options here.
Bonus tramping gift idea: books!
I’ve listed below some tramping related books I’ve loved reading over the past few years. Most of them you should find at your local bookstore. Definitely not an exhaustive list or in any particular order, just books that I’ve enjoyed.
- Gone Bush, Paul Kilgour
Paul recounts an entire life spent exploring the New Zealand backcountry, along with the many characters and misadventures he met along the way. Awesome yarn. - Tough Women, Jenny Tough
An amazing collection of short narratives from crazy female adventurers. Inspiring read! - Solo, Hazel Phillips
Hazel’s solo tramping journey throughout New Zealand. Thought provoking read regarding adventures and sexism in the outdoors. - Going Up is Easy, Lydia Bradley
A classic! Lydia Bradley was the first female to climb Everest without oxygen. I found her account of the climb and controversy following it extremely interesting. - Into Thin Air, John Krakauer
Another classic, this one about the disastrous 1996 climbing season on Everest, focusing on a New Zealand guiding company. - Hike, DK Publishing
An awesome coffee table book featuring beautiful imagery and words about classic hikes around the world – including several that I was able to write and contribute for! - Moirs North: The Otago Southern Alps, NZAC
Classic guidebook for backcountry tramping, available through the NZ Alpine Club. - A Bunk for the Night, Shaun Barnett, Rob Brown, Geoff Spearpoint
A guide to some of Aotearoa’s best huts. Awesome photos and lots of tramping inspiration. - Tramping in New Zealand: 40 Great Tramping Trips, Shaun Barnett
A more in depth guide at 40 tramping trips around the country with maps and lots of details to help you plan your own trips. - Bewildered, Laura Waters
An Australian lady’s solo adventures on the Te Araroa trail, fighting against self-doubt and anxiety. Reminded me of Wild by Cheryl Strayed.
I hope this list has given you some inspiration for tramping gifts. Heading in to your local DOC visitor centre will also give you some great options too! Comment below if there’s anything I haven’t thought of or missed. And best of luck shopping, and for your adventures!
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