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Let me set the record straight about something: Socks are a very practical gift for a dad, at least one who hikes. Trail miles burn holes in the toughest knits, so if the dad on your list logs enough of them, he’ll likely be happy for the refill. The only problem: They’re a predictable pick. Give the same gift enough times in a row, and the thrill of opening it tends to dissipate.
Looking for a more creative gift? Let our official Dad-in-Chief help you. I’ve gone through this week’s sales to pick out the discounted presents I’d be happy to unwrap this Father’s Day. These three Backpacker-tested gifts are a sure hit.
Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL1 Solution Dye Tent
$300 (25% off) at REI
You’ll notice this is a one-person tent. That’s not an accident. As the representative for all backpacking dads, while I love hiking with my kids, there are times when I would rather not have to field complaints about mileage, bribe my partners with gummy bears, or answer approximately 8,000 questions about whether grasshoppers are bugs or why we’re not allowed to eat the mushrooms growing on the trail. Besides only having room for one exhausted adult, the Tiger Wall—winner of an Editors’ Choice award for its 2-person version—features a sub-2-pound weight, pitches with a single pole, and color-coded webbing at the corners to make pitching it simpler. (The two-person version
Granite Gear Blaze 60L Backpack
$165 (45% off) at Backcountry
Backpacking with kids means carrying more gear than you ever would while hiking alone, while simultaneously having to keep your pack weight slim enough to tote one of the little gremlins when they decide they’re too tired to walk. The Editors’ Choice-winning Blaze 60 is a middle-of-the-road design that splits the difference between lighter-weight packs and full-feature load-haulers, weighing just 3 pounds but comfortably toting up to 50 without an issue. The body—100-denier Robic nylon body with 210-denier UHMWPE ripstop in areas likely to take a lot of punishment—survived encounters with rough desert rocks and more in our testing as well. While we haven’t tested it against teething toddlers, we’re willing to bet it’ll stand up.
ENO TechNest Hammock
$70 (30% off) at REI
I’ll be real with you: Dad is tired. (Mom is also tired, but this is a Father’s Day gift guide, so Mom can go pound sand.) There are few things as rejuvenating for a tired Dad as a spell in a hammock, and this one from ENO is a lightweight, packable option that’s suitable for anything from impromptu lakeside naps to full-on summer hammock camping trips. Bonus: Like the Tiger Wall, the TechNest is also designed to fit one person. Dad’s hiking partners—3-foot-tall, wiggly, mud-smeared ones in particular—will just have to find some other way to entertain themselves.
