50 mountain things worth gifting, all under $50

Socks, hats and necks

For the cold

The gifts that get worn on every lift ride.

1. Hat SKIDA Alpine Fleece-Lined Hat, Elysian Fields $45

   92% polyester, 8% spandex outer, polyester fleece lining. Made in Vermont.

   The print is the gift. It dries fast after a sweaty skin track.

2. Neck SKIDA High Pile Polartec Fleece Neckwarmer, Glade $42

   Polartec high pile fleece, 100% polyester, bluesign approved. Made in Indonesia.

   Soft as shearling against the chin on a cold chairlift.

3. Socks Darn Tough Women's Hiker Micro Crew Midweight $26

   59% merino, 39% nylon, 2% Lycra spandex. Made in Vermont.

   Darn Tough guarantees its socks for life, which makes this the gift that outlasts the boots.

4. Ski socks Darn Tough Women's Function X Over-the-Calf Midweight Ski & Snowboard Socks $34

   57% merino, 40% nylon, 3% Lycra spandex. Made in Vermont.

   Over the calf so nothing bunches under a ski boot cuff.

5. Neck Turtle Fur The Turtle's Neck, Original Fleece Neck Warmer $22

   100% acrylic double-layer fleece. 3.2 oz.

   The one half the lift line already owns, because it works.

6. Neck Turtle Fur Double-Layer Neck Warmer, Recycled Micro Fur Fleece $26

   100% recycled polyester. 1.6 oz.

   Half the weight of the original, for the skier who runs warm.

7. Neck Minus33 Midweight Neck Gaiter, 100% Merino $24.99

   100% merino wool, 245 gsm.

   Merino instead of fleece, so it does not hold odor after a long day.

8. Socks Minus33 Heavyweight Over the Calf Wool Socks $25.99

   80% merino, 10% nylon, 9% stretch nylon, 1% spandex. Made in the USA.

   The heaviest socks on this list, for the friend with cold feet.

9. Socks Farm to Feet American Trail Damascus Full Cushion $27

   55% US merino, 43% US nylon, 2% US Lycra spandex.

   Full cushion for long days in stiff boots. The wool is American-grown.

10. Socks Faribault Mill Trapper Wool Socks, Wheat $32.50

    Merino wool blend; the mill does not publish percentages. Woven in the USA.

    Cabin socks from a Minnesota woolen mill.

11. Hat Kari Traa Rose Beanie, 100% Merino $45

    100% merino wool.

    From the Norwegian brand started by an Olympic freestyle skier. Warm enough to ski in.

12. Hat Smartwool Thermal Merino Reversible Cuffed Beanie $35

    100% merino wool. Made in Vietnam.

    Reversible, so it is two hats for one gift.

13. Neck Icebreaker Unisex Merino 260 Oasis Chute $40

    100% merino wool, 260 weight.

    A heavier merino tube that works as a neck warmer or a hat.

14. Socks Ibex Nomad Herringbone Crew Sock $25

    45% merino, 49% nylon, 6% Lycra. Made in the USA.

    A herringbone sock handsome enough for town.

15. Hat Quince Mongolian Cashmere Ribbed Beanie $34.90

    96% cashmere, 3% polyester, 1% spandex. 7-gauge.

    Real cashmere under $35. Wear it to dinner, not the skin track.

Kitchen and cabin

For the house

Coffee on the porch and something sweet from a Vermont sugarhouse.

1. Mug Snow Peak Ti-Single 450 Cup $29.95

   Titanium, 450 ml, 70 g. Made in Tsubame-Sanjo, Japan.

   Weighs next to nothing and lasts forever. It goes on the stove and in the pack.

2. Utensil Snow Peak Titanium Spork $8.95

   Titanium, 16 g. Made in Japan.

   The stocking stuffer everyone uses more than they expect.

3. Mug Klean Kanteen 12oz Camp Mug $28.95

   90% recycled 18/8 stainless steel, vacuum insulated.

   Keeps coffee hot on a cold deck long enough to finish it.

4. Mug Stanley Classic Legendary Camp Mug, 12 oz $25

   18/8 stainless steel, double-wall vacuum insulated.

   The green one looks like it came out of a fire tower.

5. Mug Hydro Flask 12 oz Mug $27.95

   Stainless steel, insulated.

   A lid and a handle, which is all a car-to-lift coffee needs.

6. Cups Barebones Enamel 2-Tone Tall Cup Set, Indigo Blue $29.99

   Enamel over steel. Two 16 oz cups.

   Two cups for the porch. Enamel chips if dropped, which is part of its charm.

7. Maple Runamok Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup $19.95

   Organic maple syrup. Made in Fairfax, Vermont.

   Vermont syrup aged in bourbon barrels. Check the bottle size before you order.

8. Maple Runamok The Sugarmaker's Bundle, two 375 ml bottles $39.90

   Organic Grade A maple syrups. Made in Vermont.

   Two syrups, a host gift that gets opened the next morning.

9. Maple Barred Woods Maple Vermont Maple Candy $23.95

   Pure organic Vermont maple syrup, nothing else. Made in Johnson, Vermont.

   The page lists one price for two box sizes, so confirm what you are getting at checkout.

10. Candle Vermont HoneyLights 3 x 3 inch Pillar Beeswax Candle $30

    Beeswax, cotton wick.

    Beeswax burns slow and smells faintly of honey. A cabin gift with no fragrance to argue about.

11. Laundry Herd Supply Co. Felted Wool Dryer Balls, set of 3 $30

    New England wool. Made in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    For the house full of merino. They cut dryer time without softener.

Care

For the gear they already own

Wax and wash that make good things last longer.

1. Wax Otter Wax Heavy Duty Fabric Wax, Regular Bar $12.95

   Beeswax, plant waxes and oils. No paraffin, no PFAS. Made in Portland, Oregon.

   Rewaxes a waxed cotton jacket at home.

2. Kit Otter Wax Waxed Canvas Care Kit $39.95

   Two wax bars, odor eliminator, spot cleaner. Made in Portland, Oregon.

   The gift to go with somebody else's expensive jacket.

3. Boots Otter Wax Boot Wax, 2 oz $9.95

   Beeswax, lanolin, orange oil, vitamin E. Made in Portland, Oregon.

   Keeps leather boots shedding snow. A five-oz tin is $16.95.

4. Wool care Nikwax Wool Wash, 300 ml $11.50

   PFAS-free, water-based.

   Merino lasts longer washed in something made for it.

5. Leather Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather, 100 ml $10.45

   PFAS-free, water-based.

   For leather gloves and boots before the first wet day.

6. Balm Bag Balm Original 4 oz Tin $9.29

   Petrolatum, lanolin, paraffin. Made in Vermont.

   The green tin from Lyndonville that every Vermont farmhouse keeps by the sink.

7. Sun Badger Active Mineral Sunscreen Cream SPF 30, 2.9 oz $18.99

   18.75% zinc oxide, organic sunflower oil and beeswax. Made in New Hampshire.

   Snow reflects sun. This goes in the ski jacket pocket and stays there.

8. Wax Fjällräven Greenland Wax, 90 g $10

   Paraffin and beeswax.

   For anyone who owns a Fjällräven pack or jacket and has never rewaxed it.

9. Wax Filson Oil Finish Wax, 3.5 oz $10

   Filson does not list the ingredients.

   Made for Filson's tin cloth, and a quiet hint to the person who owns some.

10. Lips Sun Bum Mineral SPF 30 Sunscreen Lip Balm $3.99

    8% zinc oxide, shea, beeswax, jojoba.

    The cheapest thing on the list and the one that prevents the worst day.

Small gear

For the pocket and the pack

The small things every skier and hiker ends up needing.

1. Straps Voile Voile Strap, Nylon Buckle, 20 inch $8.50

   UV-resistant polyurethane, nylon buckle. Made in Utah.

   Holds skis together, fixes a binding, splints a pole. Every tourer carries three.

2. Knife Opinel No.08 Carbon Steel Folding Knife $23

   XC90 carbon steel, 3.28 inch blade. Made in France.

   For cheese and bread at the top. Carbon steel darkens with use, which is the point.

3. Light Petzl TIKKINA Headlamp $19.95

   300 lumens, 92 g, 3 AAA batteries.

   For the walk back to the car after après.

4. Light BioLite HeadLamp 325 $49.95

   325 lumens, 50 g, USB rechargeable.

   Rechargeable and thin enough to forget it is on.

5. Flask Stanley Classic Easy Fill Wide Mouth Flask, 8 oz $26

   18/8 stainless steel.

   A wide mouth makes it easy to fill with hot cider.

6. Warmth Zippo HeatBank 3 Rechargeable Hand Warmer $29.95

   2,600 mAh battery, up to 3 hours of heat.

   Replaces a winter of disposable warmers.

7. Ski wax Sluff Wax Cold Wax, 100 g bar $24

   Plant-based, from Vermont-grown sunflowers. PFAS-free. Handmade in Vermont.

   For the skier who waxes at home, made from Vermont sunflowers.

8. Ski wax Purl Natural All Season 3 Pack with Scraper $43.95

   Plant-based. No petroleum, soy or PFCs. Three 68 g bars.

   A whole season of wax plus the scraper to use it.

9. Skins mountainFLOW Skin Wax Rub On, 56 g $16.95

   Plant-based, USDA Certified Biobased.

   Stops snow sticking to climbing skins. Only a touring skier will understand this gift, and they will love it.

10. Goggles Smith Large Microfiber Cloth $10

    Microfiber, 13.77 x 11.81 inches.

    Wiping goggles on a glove scratches them. This does not.

Maps and books

For the planner

Paper that survives the trail.

1. Map National Geographic Trails Illustrated 749: Mount Mansfield, Stowe $14.95

   Waterproof, tear-resistant paper. 1:63,360.

   A map that survives rain, for the friend who hikes Stowe in summer.

2. Map National Geographic Trails Illustrated 740: White Mountain National Forest West $14.95

   Waterproof, tear-resistant trail map. Covers Franconia Notch and Lincoln.

   For the Franconia Ridge hiker, and good on a wall.

3. Guidebook Green Mountain Club Long Trail Guide, 29th Edition $19.95

   Printed guidebook with color maps.

   Every purchase supports the club that maintains Vermont's Long Trail.

4. Guidebook AMC White Mountain Guide, 31st Edition $26.95

   Book plus six pull-out maps.

   The book New Hampshire hikers have trusted for generations, maps included.

Before you buy

Where it falls short