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Father’s Day comes around every year, and it can be challenging to find the perfect gift for dad. How about a tie? No, he already has many of those. A book? He has many of those, too. How about something personal that he’ll love? What does a dad in your life like to do? What are his interests? Consider spending quality time with a dad doing something he enjoys. It could be a round of golf or a hike with a dad in your life. Better yet, buy him one of the eight best hiking gifts for dads for him to use on your hike together.
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1. Men’s Smartwool Merino T-Shirt
My family and I hiked the gorgeous Lake Minnewanka trail, which runs along the lake. He was wearing his men’s Smartwool Merino t-shirt that cost $84.95. It’s lightweight and breathable, perfect for a day of hiking in Banff National Park. This T-shirt comes in an assortment of colours: grey, green and blue. Colours change frequently; be sure to check with your dad what colour he’d like. The size ranges from small (S) to extra extra large (XXL).
Odour Resistant
Even when sweating, the Merino t-shirt doesn’t smell very much, even when wearing it for multiple days in a row. It’s the perfect t-shirt for backpacking the West Coast Trail, without having to switch to another one because of the odour. It helps reduce your pack weight by minimizing the amount of clothing you bring backpacking; clothes are generally heavy. The men’s Smartwool Merino t-shirt is an excellent option for your dad to have in his drawer. You’ll appreciate the lack of smell coming from him, and he’ll most likely be appreciative of this thoughtful, reasonably priced gift.
2. Best Hiking Gifts for Dads: Convertible Pants
The next of the eight best hiking gifts for dads are convertible pants; a bit pricier at $107.96, but the ultimate gift! No one likes hiking with shorts underneath pants, in case the temperature warms up! Convertible pants are ideal for hiking in areas with larches. Dads can wear the complete pant portion when it’s cold outside or even when just starting to get into exercise mode. When your dad is overheating and the sun starts shining, he can change into shorts by zipping off the pant leg! Such a neat feature! The current pant colours are tan. They come in a variety of sizes. Be sure to check in-store for the appropriate size for your dad.
Pockets
Depending on the brand, pockets are typically located at different places on the pants. Some models may have buttons to close the pocket, while others will feature Velcro or a zipper. If a dad tends to put small items in his pocket, I suggest buying pants with zippers, so the items don’t fall out. Food items, such as a granola bar, are likely to stay in the pocket with buttons or Velcro.
Tip: Make sure to get a gift receipt for these pants. Sometimes, depending on the brand, the pants can feel tight or baggy. Your dad might want to exchange them for a brand that fits appropriately. Mountain Equipment Company offers an excellent return policy for convertible pants that have been lightly worn and need to be returned due to improper fit.
3. Arc’teryx Shorts
Arc’teryx Konseal shorts are $110. They are a bit on the pricier side for shorts but offer breathability and durability for rock or alpine climbing. They are less likely to tear than convertible pants. The size ranges from 30 to 34. The colour currently being sold is black. For a hiker, they are an awesome gift. They are especially great for a dad to wear hiking in pleasant temperatures from 15°C and up and doesn’t require convertible pants.
4. Arc’teryx Men’s Delta LT Jacket
The eight best hiking gifts for dads include the Arc’teryx men’s Delta jacket, which costs $200. Another expensive item, but for those who have the budget, this is a high-quality microfleece jacket offering warmth and brightness. I love Kris in his gorgeous fleece. It adds a nice colour to his pictures. The microfleece features ripstop fabric, ensuring that if it gets ripped, the tear doesn’t extend very far, which is ideal for bushwhacking or navigating through trees and shrubs while hiking and backpacking. The fleece is nice and warm when the weather is a bit colder. This coat is perfect for many outdoor adventures, including kayaking in Desolation Sound on windy days.
Features
It features two large pockets on the front side of the jacket for your dad to carry a phone to take pictures of his family that joined him on his wonderful Father’s Day hiking trip. The zipper goes all the way down the jacket for ease of taking it off when he’s too warm and putting it back on when he’s cold. The newer coat version also features a pocket on the left side of the arm to carry credit cards or other items as needed. The colours currently offered are brown and yellow. The sizes are small and extra large.
5. Sunglasses
Sunglasses at MEC range from $40 to $90. Depending on your budget and your father’s preferred style for sunglasses, this option offers more flexibility. It might be easier to tell your dad that he’ll be getting sunglasses, but you’ll go together to try them on and offer to pay for them. It will be hard to gauge how they will fit on his face without him being there to try them on. You could also take your best guess and exchange them if they don’t fit.
Misplaced Sunglasses
My dad has lost or broken so many pairs of sunglasses that I’ve lost count. It’s easy to leave them on a rock or remove them and put them down somewhere if it gets cloudy and forget to pick them up when you’re done with your break. It’s always an item that needs to be replaced regularly for my dad. It can be frustrating to spend money on sunglasses, knowing they’ll likely get lost or broken shortly afterwards. Maybe buy him one pair and then get another family member to buy the next ones if they get lost. You might have a dad who will use the same sunglasses for multiple years.
Tip: Buy slightly expensive sunglasses for more than $20. I’ve found that when buying cheap sunglasses, they tend to break easily or not provide adequate sun protection.
6. Best Hiking Gifts for Dads: MEC Fleece Jacket
The MEC fleece jacket is a more affordable option at $109.95. It’s such a popular fleece in my family that both Kris and my dad have one. They fit comfortably on both of them, despite their different sizes. When hiking and backpacking in the mountains, it’s imperative to have a fleece. You never know when a storm will blow in with high winds, causing your dad to get cold. The mountains are always unpredictable; it’s best to be prepared with a warm layer.
Heavier Fleece Material
This fleece doesn’t have ripstop fabric built in. Sticks that poke through are likely to create a bigger tear. It’s a heavier material for colder weather. Depending on the weather and activity, it’s always lovely to have different-weight fleeces for various circumstances (weather, temperature, and bushwhacking through trees).
Features
This MEC jacket has a pocket on the chest (bigger than the credit card pocket on the Arc’teryx yellow fleece) and two smaller pockets on each side of the zipper on the stomach. Royal blue is no longer available, but they have grey, green and blue. Sizes range from small (S) to extra extra large (XXL).
7. Long-Sleeved Sun Shirt
The eight best hiking gifts for dads include a long-sleeved sun shirt for $119.95. It’s lightweight and offers protection from wind, sun, and bugs when hiking in the woods. It’s an excellent addition to Dad’s hiking collection! When it’s warm outside and your dad doesn’t require a heavy additional fleece layer, a long-sleeved shirt to cut the wind is a fantastic option.
A dark-coloured t-shirt can attract bugs in the forest, but when putting a lightly coloured sun shirt on top, this can deter them from visiting and sitting on your dad’s shoulders and sweaty back, and potentially stinging him. It’s easy to forget how hot the sun can get while hiking and how easily you can get sunburnt. With this long-sleeved sun shirt, your dad will avoid looking like a lobster while also feeling awesome, thanks to its thin fabric providing sun protection.
8. Socks
Socks are essential when going hiking. Some men prefer thicker, padded socks, while others opt for Athletic Works Men’s Crew Socks. The ones above cost $10. As long as your dad doesn’t get blisters, he can wear the ones he finds most comfortable. Socks tend to be on the more affordable, making them an easy purchase if you’re not looking to spend a lot of money. In many cases, men typically don’t enjoy going sock shopping, so they’ll likely be happy that you did them a favour and bought them new socks that don’t have holes in them.
Final Thoughts
A merino t-shirt, convertible pants, shorts, two fleece jackets, a sun shirt, sunglasses and socks are the eight best hiking gifts for dads. These ideas offer varying price ranges to suit your budget. A personal gift can go a long way by making a dad in your life feel special by providing a thoughtful gift for him, rather than a generic gift that any man could receive. Your dad will tend to think of you every time he uses the thoughtful gift you gave him.
Even better than a gift, offer quality time with your dad doing what they love. Father’s Day is about appreciating the effort and time they’ve spent with you throughout the years. The least you could do is offer one day a year and make it all about them. Cook breakfast, go for a walk, or go golfing or hiking – whatever they like – but quality time together is priceless!
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