WIRED has updated its list of the best gifts for hikers for July 2026, keeping Darn Tough merino socks as the top recommendation and adding new items including a Solbari sun hat and a leather journal. The guide is aimed at buyers facing the classic outdoor-person problem: the recipient probably already has strong opinions about pack weight, fabric blends, and which knife belongs in a hip pocket.
The publication says its editors independently select the products it features, while disclosing that it may earn compensation from retailers or purchases made through its links. Translation: useful list, affiliate economy attached. Prices are the ones WIRED listed at publication time.
What are the best gifts for hikers in 2026?
WIRED’s top pick is Darn Tough Merino Socks, listed at $24 from Amazon and Darn Tough. Reviewer Scott Gilbertson argues that socks are a safe outdoor gift because hikers wear them hard and can use more pairs. His case for merino is practical rather than mystical: the wool resists odor, stays comfortable over multiple days, and helps manage body temperature in both cool and warm conditions.
Gilbertson also says Darn Tough’s socks performed well in testing because they were comfortable, durable, and had high merino content compared with other socks WIRED tested. For colder trips, he points to Minus33 expedition-weight merino socks, also listed at $24, as a warmer alternative.
Other picks in WIRED’s outdoor gift guide
Opinel No. 8 Folding Knife: WIRED lists the classic folding knife at $22 from REI and $16 from Amazon. Gilbertson recommends the stainless steel version for gifting, saying carbon steel can rust if it gets tossed into a pack and forgotten. Opinel sells multiple versions, including kits with a bento box and models with artist-designed handles, according to the guide.
Solbari Ultra Wide Brim Hat: The guide lists Solbari’s hat at $79. WIRED contributor Kat Merck describes it as a lightweight, sturdy, packable sun-protection option made with UPF 50+ nylon and cotton fabric. UPF is a fabric rating for ultraviolet protection, so this is the clothing equivalent of telling the sun to file a ticket.
John Muir Laws’ The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling: WIRED lists the book at $21 on Amazon, marked down from $35, as well as $33 at Bookshop and $35 from John Muir Laws. Gilbertson frames it less as an art manual and more as a way to train observation outdoors, including for readers who do not consider themselves skilled at drawing.
The Solbari hat includes a reversible design with a colorful side and a cream side, according to Merck. WIRED says it has a ponytail or braid opening, a 5-inch front brim, a 6-inch rear brim, an adjustable rear toggle, and a removable chin strap for wind.
For the nature-journaling pick, Gilbertson suggests building a larger “curiosity kit” around the book with a hand lens, pens, and a millimeter ruler. The point, as WIRED describes it, is to get the recipient looking closely at what they see outside rather than buying yet another titanium doodad that solves a problem they may not have.
WIRED said the July 2026 update removed sold-out products and added the Solbari hat and a leather journal, while keeping socks at the top. That is probably the least glamorous recommendation in the guide, which is also why it makes sense: feet are where hiking plans go to die.
This story draws on original reporting from WIRED.
