You've seen their closet. Two daypacks. Three water bottles (including one they insist on calling a "hydration system"). Enough merino wool to clothe a small expedition team. They have opinions about sock brands. Strong opinions.
Shopping for this person is a nightmare.
Every gift idea you find online (trekking poles, headlamps, camp stoves) they either already own or have already rejected for reasons you'll never understand. "That brand's hip belt doesn't distribute weight properly." Sure.
Here's the problem: most hiking gift guides are written by gear sites. Their job is to sell gear. The hiker in your life has solved the gear problem. What they haven't solved is the memory problem.
The Memory Problem
The average serious hiker completes 25-40 hikes per year. That's a lot of trailheads, a lot of elevation gains, a lot of mornings starting cold and finishing sweaty.
After 50 hikes, they blur. You remember fragments: the ridgeline with the view, the creek crossing that soaked your socks, the deer that froze 20 feet away. Matching those moments to specific trails? Good luck.
Your hiker can tell you exactly which backpack has the best hip belt padding. They probably cannot tell you which trail had the best wildflowers in May. They know their boot size in three different brands. They've forgotten whether that waterfall trail is the one by the lake or the other one.
Gear solves gear problems. It doesn't solve this.
The Gift That Gets Better Every Year
Most gifts depreciate. Socks wear out. Headlamp batteries die. Trail snacks get eaten (that's the point).
A hiking journal does the opposite. Entry one is nice. Entry thirty, with a year of documented trails, conditions, and wildlife sightings, is a record. Entry sixty is something you can't get anywhere else: a personal history of where you've been, who you were with, and what the trail was actually like.
This is the rare gift that means more after a year than on the day it was opened.
The Hikes Remembered journal is built for this. Two pages per hike: one for structured data (distance, elevation, conditions, difficulty), one for open notes and observations. Room for 60 entries, which for most hikers is 1-2 years of documentation.
For hikers who want to understand the full system, our complete guide to keeping a hiking log breaks down what serious hikers actually track and why.
Why Not Just Buy Them Gear?
Because gear is personal. Dangerously personal.
That "helpful" trekking pole gift in the wrong length? They'll smile, say thank you, and quietly return it for store credit. The backpack in a volume they don't prefer? Same. The boots in the brand their feet hate? A disaster.
Buying gear for a serious hiker is like buying a guitar for a musician. Unless they've told you exactly what they want (brand, model, specs), you're gambling against someone who knows way more than you about what they need.
A journal sidesteps this entirely. It doesn't replace anything they already own. It doesn't require matching their specifications. And nobody has "opinions" about which hiking journal has the best paper weight. (If your hiker does, you have bigger problems.)
What the Journal Actually Captures
The difference between a paper journal and AllTrails (which your hiker definitely already uses) comes down to what each is designed for.
AllTrails is unbeatable for finding trails and automatic GPS tracking. Your hiker should use it. But AllTrails doesn't know:
- The trail was muddy in the upper section
- Three groups passed them going the other direction
- They spotted a great blue heron at the lake
- The overlook view was socked in with fog
- They'd do it again in fall but skip summer
Apps track routes. Journals capture what you actually experienced. The Hikes Remembered journal includes fields for trail type (loop, out-and-back, one-way), weather, season, trail traffic, difficulty, and a Flora & Fauna section for wildlife observations. There's a "Do It Again?" indicator that becomes surprisingly useful after 40 entries.
For hikers curious about using both tools, the hiking journal vs. AllTrails comparison explains what each captures best.
Other Non-Gear Gifts Worth Considering
If you want to include something alongside the journal (or if you're certain they'd prefer a different direction), here are a few non-gear options that actually work:
National Parks Annual Pass ($80)
If they visit national parks, the annual pass pays for itself after a few visits. Covers entrance fees at all 400+ national park sites for a year. Check first: if their hiking is mostly local trails and state parks, it's less useful.
Guidebooks for a Region They're Planning to Visit
Falcon Guides, Mountaineers Books, and regional publishers produce detailed trail guides. If you know they're planning a trip, a guidebook to that area shows you paid attention. More useful than a generic "best trails in America" coffee table book.
A Trail Map of Their Home Region
National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps are the gold standard. Find the one covering trails they hike regularly. Some hikers love having a physical reference they can mark up.
What to Avoid
Gear they didn't specifically request. Unless they've told you exactly what they want (brand, model, size, color), skip it. Even well-intentioned gear gifts miss the mark.
Generic outdoor decor. Signs that say "Adventure Awaits" or throw pillows with mountain silhouettes. These are for people who want to look like hikers. Actual hikers don't want them.
Hiking watches unless requested. Garmin, Suunto, and Coros make great GPS watches, but they're expensive and personal. Only buy if they've specifically asked for a particular model.
"Hiking" subscription boxes. Monthly boxes of random trail-themed items become clutter. Hikers want less stuff in their pack, not more stuff in their house.
The Gift Message
If you want to be specific about why you chose a journal, here's what you're giving them:
You noticed they have all the gear. You're giving them a way to document where that gear has taken them. So that 60 hikes from now, when someone asks which trail had the waterfall, they'll actually know.
The Hikes Remembered journal is part of our outdoors collection, which also includes journals for national park visits and wildlife observations. For hikers who specialize their documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my hiker already uses AllTrails to track hikes?
AllTrails tracks stats and routes. A journal captures everything else: conditions, wildlife, who they hiked with, whether they'd do it again. They're complementary tools, not redundant. Many serious hikers use both.
Is a hiking journal a good gift for someone who doesn't journal?
Yes. Prompted journals work better for non-journalers than blank notebooks. The structure removes the "what do I write?" barrier. They're filling in fields, not staring at blank pages.
What if they only hike occasionally?
Even better. A journal for 10 hikes a year means it lasts 6 years. They'll have a record of those annual camping trips, those vacation hikes, those occasional trail days. Casual hikers often appreciate documentation more because each hike is more memorable.
How much does the Hikes Remembered journal cost?
Around $15, which puts it in "thoughtful add-on gift" territory or stands alone as a meaningful smaller gift. Ships from the Timeside store.
What's the most useful feature for planning return trips?
The "Do It Again?" indicator. After 30 or 40 hikes logged, you can quickly scan for trails that earned an enthusiastic yes. Cuts through everything else when deciding what to do next.
Can I combine this with a gear gift?
If you absolutely must buy gear, pair it with the journal. The journal provides value regardless of whether the gear gets returned. And if the gear does get returned, the journal is still a win.
Is this better than a national parks annual pass?
Different gifts for different hikers. The pass is great for someone who regularly visits national parks. The journal is great for any hiker, regardless of where they hike. If they do both, get both.
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