A gift guide for backpackers that won’t break the bank! No expensive tents, sleeping bags or sleeping pads. Instead practical and useful backpacking items all under $40. These items were selected very intentionally and most of the items I own personally. See what you or your loved one is in need of this Christmas season.

Happy Shopping!

These snapfold bowls are a backpacking or camping kitchen staple! See my video here to learn more about this awesome product.

We make our own ingredient meals backpacking AND love these snapfold bowls for our meals. They lay flat or fold into a bowl, easy to clean (can lick clean or lay flat and scrape with utensils), can handle boiling water and lightweight!

Be sure you fold correctly, otherwise, you will end up frustrated. These stand the test of time as long as you fold properly.

These closed-cell foam sit pads by Garage Grown Gear are awesome. You can’t beat the price and they weigh a mere 1 ounce. So many brands sell similar sitting pads for at least 3 - 4x the price. A great hiking, backpacking, and camping staple (even a changing pad for outdoor parents and families).

This is a new product I have recently been introduced to. A review will be coming soon on my Instagram. This hat is packable (shown in the photo above) and extremely lightweight (1 0z). But that’s not all. This cap is adjustable between head sizes of 36-62 cm. That means this cap fits my toddler, myself & my husband. And it comes in some really fun colors. See the different hat styles on Garage Grown Gear’s website.

This is another product I was introduced to this year. See the additional PACT products below that I think every backcountry camper should have!

But this backcountry trowel specifically is the best backcountry trowel I have tried! It is so much MORE COMFORTABLE to grip and dig with. You can see more of my thoughts in this video here.

Lauren15 gets you 15% off any PACT Outdoors products.

I think this is a must for every backcountry camper. PACT tabs will decompose your waste in 4-6 weeks vs. 1 year. This reduces the chance of harmful contamination, damage, or spread of pathogens.

You CAN actually bury these PACT wipes with your waste AND TABS (not normally something I recommend.) But these wipes work in conjunction with the tabs - acting as a food source and helping with the decomposing.

You can learn more about PACT tabs and wipes here.

Lauren15 gets you 15% off any PACT Outdoors products.

This is one of the lightest if not the lightest backpacking stove on the market. It doesn’t even weigh a full ounce (.88 oz) and doesn’t cost much either.

It certainly isn’t the most fuel-efficient stove, but it is pretty impressive in terms of its price, size and weight.

I have been carrying this stove around as a backup on longer trips for 2 years now. I have worried that my almost 20-year-old MSR pocket rocket might kick the can on a trip. This stove is so small I barely notice it’s there.

I love this light and compact multi-tool from Gerber. This is my go-to for backcountry adventures when needed. It only weighs 2.2 ounces and is very compact.

Includes a phillips screwdriver, standard screwdriver, bottle opener, tweezers, scissors, fingernail file, wire cutter, pliers, and blade.

This tiny pump is an air pump, vacuum pump and a camping lantern. It’s as small as your Airpods pro and weighs only 3.3 oz.

This can be a helpful companion when blowing up your sleeping pads after a long day of hiking. It also helps reduce condensation buildup in pads or the growth of mold. I always recommend using a pump sack or pump vs your mouth directly to blow up your sleeping pads.

Once you use a pump in the backcountry you might never go back.

These lightweight toothpaste tabs make brushing your teeth in the backcountry that much easier. You crunch the tabs up to make a paste before brushing. You can pick fluoride or fluoride-free and either mint or cinnamon.

Have you heard of Xero Shoes?These barefoot sandals are the perfect backpacking camp shoe. They are lightweight (4.8 oz) and extremely packable.

Good sleep in the backcountry can be hard to come by. For me this eye shade has been a game changer, especially on those bright full moon nights!

This is definitely a luxury item for backpacking, but has become a favorite especially for shoulder season and winter backpacking. The nights are much longer and these twinkle lights make it a little more fun.

Some complain that the lights are hard to maintain (wrap/unwrap). But for 1.6 ounces, I don’t mind.

REI recently got more colors in of these lights! Check out the pink and blue.

This item is probably on every gift guide for women. This is a game changer for women in the backcountry. No more drip drying.

The antimicrobial side will help with smells and keeping things hygienic until you get home and can wash your pee cloth for your next trip!

We love using HydraPak’s collapsible water containers. We have both the 2L and 3L.

These containers can handle being frozen (used as an ice pack) or filled with hot water (max temp 140 F.) They are also compatible with the Katadyn BeFree Water Filter.

We love using ours as water bottle replacements when backpacking. The weight of the container itself is 2.7 ounces.

How cute is this collapsible dog bowl? And it weighs just about nothing at .3 oz. A great gift for your dog loving friend or family member.

So many amazing reviews on these cork massage balls. Many say that once you start bringing this massage ball backpacking you will never want to leave it at home again. Helps you relieve those sore muscles after a long day of hiking. The mini weighs 1 oz and the classic weighs 1.4 oz.

This is an awesome backpacking / camping mug to keep your coffee or hot drinks warm. I love that it has a sipping lid. Weighs 3.5 oz.

Let’s be honest this is more of a cutesy item, but still has some practicality with a weight of 2 oz. Some say the coating on these cups eventually comes off. Although the copper color is a new arrival and we will see if it holds up any better.

I have found that I prefer Anker portable chargers for backpacking. They are reliable, sturdy and typically lighter than outdoor specific portable chargers.

This particular charger weighs 6.3 oz and will give you around 3 phone charges. I also love the Anker Powercore 20100 ($50), weighs 12.5 ozs and has more power to it!

This device allows you to transfer leftover fuel from one canister to another. No more partially filled canisters. Only transfer like fuel from one canister to another.

This is a multi-tool carabiner. Steel blade can easily cut paracord, fishing line, string, etc. There’s a bottle opener, screwdriver tip and hang slots. The spark wheel helps to start fires. While I wouldn’t rely on this as your main lighter I think it is a great backup.

Only weighs 1 oz. I typically always have one small carabiner with me on backpacking trips and why not have it be this multi-functional carabiner.

Toaks makes awesome titanium backpacking pots. This particular pot weighs 3.6 oz with the lid and holds 25.4 oz. Also has measuring marks in oz and ml.

These Ni Glo Gear Markers charge quickly in the sun and glow at night to mark gear at camp - guylines, tent zippers, hammock clips, backpacks, dog collars, etc. I have found the most use clipping this to my toddler’s clothing when backpacking. A way to keep track of him once dark out.

We actually play this Worlds Smallest Scrabble backpacking. Just be warned it is quite small, but the magnetic board makes it doable. The best part is it only weighs 1.76 oz.

I love having a neck gaiter backpacking. In the summer months it’s a beanie replacement. In the winter it’s a staple in addition to a beanie. I also love the multi-function of a neck gaiter. Most often I use my neck gaiter as a beanie, headband, balaclava, a hot pad (grabbing my hot pot), as a towel, snot rag, cold compress, strainer / pre-filter for water, etc.

Smelly proof is an industry leader in resusable storage bags. These bags block odors, chemicals and moisture from passing through.

Smelly Proof has one of the best resusable zippers on their storage bags. They offer a LIFETIME WARRANTY against their zippers.

A great way to carry lotion, ointment, or any other hygiene or toiletry substance. Some even use for olive oil or other cooking condiments.

This thermometer is for those gear nerds who really want to know what their trip highs and lows were. Helps you determine how your gear is holding up in what temperatures.

Many think of gear straps as just a backcountry ski essential, but I think gear straps are an essential piece of gear for any backcountry adventure. Could be used to fix broken tent poles or other gear, used to hang gear, strap gear to your backpack, used as a splint or tourniquet, make a DIY tripod with a tree or trekking pole, strap two trekking poles together for your center tent pole, roll up gear and cinch, strap gear to your bike or packraft, help create an emergency shelter etc.

Merino wool underwear and bras are the ultimate backpacking companion. Bras are often the first clothing item to get sweaty and smelly. A merino wool bra can still insulate when cold and let heat escape when temps rise. Merino wool wicks away moisture from your skin and naturally resists odors.

No frills rain suit that offers preformance at a LOW PRICE. And it’s extremely lightweight and packable. It’s a backpackers must have item!

Shop the men’s here.