Any suggestions for a useful gift for a walker?

[lucysmam]

I'm stuck for ideas for my dad, he buys what he wants when he wants 🤷‍♀️

He enjoys walking, with friends, so wondered if any keen walkers here might have any useful accessories he might not already have or they wouldn't be without?

Walking poles?

Waterproof map cover
OS maps for the areas he regularly walks in (new ones are occasionally nice!)
Really good walking backpack (modern ones come with sweat reducing back mesh, waterproof covers etc)
Very nice walking socks, can't have too many

Gloves (I often lose mine so always need spares)
Good walking socks
Walking maps

Nice backpack
Socks (walking socks are so expensive!)
Camelback

OS does personalised maps, where you can choose the area you want to include and things like a specific photo on the front. I think they look amazing! Black Friday offer too shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/custom-made/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAy4eNBhCaARIsAFDVtI1h6g7bZsYRCAU2N8AmLeWNcWtwgHjQDXrZODSgZXLNHX-6URmwvt8aAsULEALw_wcB

Electric hand warmer that doubles as a phone power bank

Merino wool socks or On Cloud boots/trainers. Depends on your budget.

A subscription to trail magazine

Socks are good as expensive but they have to be the right thickness to work with his walking shoes and boots otherwise they're useless.

I have the OS map digital subscription, which is brilliant but I'm not sure if it's very present-like.

But chances are that he just buys what he wants when he decides he needs it and if he doesn't have it, he doesn't want it.

I love:

Buff neck/head warmer/scarf/balaclava/general wonder tube - i am never without one
Collapsible water bottles/coffee cups (take up less space once used)
Drisack

The best thing I've ever bought was an osprey day sack to go with my "big" bag (which converts into a rolling suitcase).

Hip flask or good qualty thermos flask

Binoculars?

I would imagine a keen Walker would have decent socks, poles and rucksacks mapcases etc as standard walking gear
People keep buying me them as secret Santa type presents!
I ve been given 4 personalised maps ( pointless I have OS subscription so I down load what I want.
The best i can come up with is maybe a subscription to Alltrails or Fatmap. Both are brilliant apps in different ways.

Spotting/identification books? - wildflowers, birds, trees, fungi, etc.
Also something like Wainwrights? I find generic "50 best walks in Britain" pretty useless - they usually have three local walks (that you know anyway) and all the rest are too far away.

The personalised map (with your location in the middle) can be a good gift for those of us who live on the edge of a map!

My favourite thing I have is a running type belt. Not as big as a bumbag but big enough to hold my keys/phone/money/tissue/mint/hand sanitizer. I use that for upto 10 miles.

If not I'd say nice gloves. I lose quite a few. I like the jardiniere type ones that are probably meant for runners.

That should have been karrimor!

If he's comfortable with technology then a year of OS maps for his phone might be good. Or perhaps one of these themed maps:

marvellousmaps.com/

Food flask

How about a "Walkers pocket companion" by Malcolm Tait? www.amazon.co.uk/WALKERS-POCKET-COMPANION-Pocket-Companion/dp/1862057931/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=the+walkers+pocket+companion&srpt=ABIS_BOOK&qsid=261-3251565-0766334&sres=0471121681%2C1862057931%2CB00RWNYKJK%2C1856754707%2C1910124923%2C0241343607%2C0319090175%2C0319090167%2C184486538X%2C1898481806%2CB08ZBLYCF5%2CB08FPB32S7%2C0319263657%2CB08Q6M6QWS%2C1786573881%2C1671613856&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1638019633&sr=8-2

Full of short stories, trivia and unusual info. I have the birdwatching one and it's great.

A framed os map of his favourite walking route.

If he goes up in the mountains or other areas in the six a personal locator beacon.