Chet Malinow x Rustek Wood-Inlay Phone Case

Rustek, maker of handmade wood-inlay phone cases, skateboards and lifestyle accessories collaborated with Chet Malinow to offer a Wood-Inlay Phone Case. The sapele- and maple-wood phone case is aesthetically-pleasing with flowing calligraphy-inspired designs and organic grain patterns. Compatible with all sizes of iPhone, Samsung and Google Pixel phones. Although this is priced at $40, I believe it still fits well within the stocking stuffers under $40. rustek.co | $40

Spurcycle Titanium Key Clip

The Titanium Key Clip from Spurcycle conveniently clips and stashes keys. It also fits very conveniently in a Christmas stocking and allows room for other items, in case you’re feeling generous. Laser cut from a slab of ¼-inch titanium, it is a robust, rugged and light key clip that is made in the USA. Bonus feature includes an integrated bottle opener, because why wouldn’t it? spurcycle.com | $39

Freshly Minted Socks

These hip, made-in-Italy cycling socks have mid-century modern designs and colors and they’re made (in Italy) for the cycling life. All socks are $20 and a portion is donated to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, also known as NICA. Jump here to the SpinCycle News to read more about NICA to get more kids on bikes. Because each sock is $20 and the theme is stocking stuffers under $40, you can buy two pairs! Thefreshlyminted.com | $20

Spurcycle Multi Pouch

Cyclists will appreciate the new Spurcycle Multi Pouch because it keeps essentials organized regardless of where they’re carried—jersey pocket, backpack or pannier. It’s made of durable Cuben fiber, measures a scant 11.5 cm x 19 cm and weighs in at only fourteen grams. The multi-pouch folds and snaps to best fit essentials and keeps them within easy reach, wherever it is stowed. The pouch can also be snapped two different ways to compress it either horizontally or vertical or snapped back to back with a second pouch for more cargo capacity or simply to separate items. Bonus points that it’s Made in the USA. My favorite item to carry in my Spurcycle pouch? A Spurcycle Titanium Key Clip. spurcycle.com | $29

Trail Butter Mixed Nut Butter

As an all-natural endurance energy food, Trail Butter can be thought of as either a “spreadable bar” or “blended up trail mix”. Either way, it’s healthy, unprocessed nut or seed butter comes in many forms: Single-serve packets, pouches and sixteen-ounce jars. Each flavor has its own unique blend of real-food ingredients and provides a balanced, slow burning energy that is calorie-dense for those long hikes in cool weather. So far my favorite way to eat this is to spread on a Pamela’s Gluten Free Graham Cracker and mix into oatmeal. trailbutter.com | $12 – $20

Chamois Butt’r for Her’ Anti-chafe Cream

This butter you don’t eat, but any cyclist would welcome this stuffed in her Christmas stocking. Like the Original version, the Chamois Butt’r for Her’ is non-greasy, prevents chafing on long rides and rinses easily in the shower or bath. It’s the ingredients that make it a little more inviting than the original flavor. Her’, I have found, doesn’t go on nearly as thick. Its ingredients include aloe vera, green tea leaf extract, tea tree oil, shea butter and lavender oil. chamoisbuttr.com | $18

Hangtime KOALA

Another perfectly-sized gift for the Christmas stocking. The Hangtime Koala is an ingenious clip and silicone harness system to quell the fears of losing your $1,000 Smartphone on the trail, in a lake, or down into the pongy abyss of a pit toilet. The phone harness is made from industrial-grade silicone that stretches enough to fit any phone. It attaches to your body (or backpack straps, jacket pocket, etc) via a strong polycarbonate clip and urethane tether that stretches up for four feet. The more you tug on the tether the harder the clip’s teeth sink into whatever you have it anchored to. Simply attach the Koala to your phone, clip it to your pack’s harness strap or a jacket pocket and go. hangtimegear.com | $25

North St. Fuel Pouch

As gravel riding and self supported endurance races are gaining in popularity, so are the needs for bike packing necessities. North St. of Portland, OR is meeting the demand with its North St. Fuel Pouch. When jersey pockets don’t offer enough room, or an item that can’t be trusted to jersey pockets because it would be easily tossed out of a pocket or fall out during a crash (read: keys or a cell phone), the North St. Fuel Pouch provides a great option to store those valuables. Riding with the pouch on your top tube makes it convenient when you need something quickly like gels or your phone to snap a picture.  northstbags.com | from $39.99

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Helinox Chair Zero

The Helinox Chair Zero tips the scales at a svelte 1.1lbs and folds up into the size of an overstuffed Chipotle burrito. The reason I love this chair so much is that I can fit it into my Osprey Mira daypack or strap it on the outside for a comfortable seat at the top of a mountain or for a trail lunch and beer. So much better than perching on a rock or sitting on wet grass. helinox.com | $120

Trail Butter

As an all-natural endurance energy food, Trail Butter can be thought of as either a “spreadable bar” or “blended up trail mix”. Either way, it’s healthy, unprocessed nut or seed butter comes in many forms: Single-serve packets, pouches and sixteen-ounce jars. Each flavor has its own unique blend of real-food ingredients and provides a balanced, slow burning energy that is calorie-dense for those long hikes in cool weather. So far my favorite way to eat this is to spread on a Pamela’s Gluten Free Graham Cracker and mix into oatmeal. trailbutter.com | $12 – $20

Kora Shola 230 Crew

Yak wool is the new natural fiber in town and the Kora Shola 230 Crew  is a technical baselayer that is made entirely of yak wool. I put this to good use hiking the Superior Hiking Trail over a long weekend as well as camping on the edge of the Boundary Waters in early October. Fortunately for me, it was cold and blustery with gale-force winds. I wore this under only a softshell windbreaker jacket and was amazed at how warm it kept me and its breathability.

You will especially love how soft it feels against your skin and the amount of wearings you can get in before you start to smell like a yak. kora | $145

Deschutes Handup IPA

Deschutes Handup IPA offers all that I love about a good craft IPA. I find it to be refreshing and hoppy with afternotes of citrus. Although it was brewed to honor Deschutes Brewery co-owner Colby, Deschutes CX team captain who lost his life to pancreatic cancer last fall, it’s still highly relevant for hiking—either as a summit beer, lunch beer or for your après hike celebratory beer at the trailhead. Please remember to Leave no Trace and pack the bottle out with you. deschutesbrewery.com

Garmont Tower Trek GTX Hiking Boots

Although our reviewer Julie didn’t actually bag Mt. Everest, she got close when her Garmont Tower Trek GTX’s took her to Everest Base Camp in October. These boots gave her the feeling of “walking on air” in high elevations and rough, rocky alpine terrain thanks to their beefy and aggressive tread.

They were also comfortable, stable, sturdy and kept her feet warm on the colder days of hiking when the temps plunged to 30F/-1C. garmont.com | $330

Hangtime KOALA

The Hangtime Koala is an ingenious clip and silicone harness system to quell the fears of losing your $1,000 Smartphone on the trail, in a lake, or down into the pongy abyss of a pit toilet. The phone harness is made from industrial-grade silicone that stretches enough to fit any phone. It attaches to your body (or backpack straps, jacket pocket, etc) via a strong polycarbonate clip and urethane tether that stretches up for four feet.

The more you tug on the tether the harder the clip’s teeth sink into whatever you have it anchored to. Simply attach the Koala to your phone, clip it to your pack’s harness strap or a jacket pocket and go. Crowdfunding is going on now and they’ve raised over $300,000 and have over 10,000 backers on Indiegogo. After their crowdfunding campaign ends on November 11^th 2019 KOALA will be available the general public on their site via IndiGoGo. hangtimegear.com | $25

Deuter AirContact Lite SL 60+10

Should your National Take a Hike pilgrimage require a multi-day out the trail, the Deuter AirContact Lite SL 60+10 is the pack that our team member Alli declared, “First and foremost, I’ve never — ever — hiked with a pack this comfortable under a heavy load before. I truly used every last bit of the extended 70-liter capacity, carrying my gear, group gear, and, at times, three full bear canisters and clients’ gear.”

She should know as she tested it on Minnesota’s Superior Hiking Trail, which has its share rugged ascents and descents, roots and rocks, and narrow trails on bluff edges required grace and balance.  deuterusa.com | $220

 Leatherman Free T4 Multi-tool

The Leatherman FREE T4 Multi-Tool could easily be the quintessential knife for the hiking trail. It has twelve different tools packed into a 3.6 inch-long frame making it a lot of multi-tool for the size and minuscule weight of 4.3 ounces.

It includes a 2.2 in. carbon-stainless main blade, scissors, package opener, awl, reamer, four types of screwdrivers, a metal and wood file, bottle opener and a set of tweezers. This multi-tool knife has a tool for just about anything you might run into; whether you’re working around the house or out on a wilderness hike. Our writer even used it to start a fire using the file and a fire-steel striker. leatherman.com | $60

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