Published September 18, 2025 07:25PM
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6 Life-Changing Pieces of Hiking Gear Under $10
Level up with these smart backpacking accessories, all of which cost a Hamilton or less.
Flint and steel (Photo: Courtesy / Tejasvi Ganjoo (background))
A dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to. Or $5. Or even $20, honestly: A college friend messaged me this week to point out that the $4.75 bacon cheeseburger from one 2008 episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives now costs $17. That’s pretty hard to swallow—no pun intended.
Still, a little bit of cash can still go a long way, provided you know how to spend it. Last year, writer and former Backpacker editor Corey Buhay shared a list of seven life-changing pieces of gear hikers could buy for $5 or less, from a long-handled spoon (no more saucy knuckles) to reflective guylines (no more tripping on your tent’s cordage in the middle of the night). Consider this an ever-so-slightly pricier follow-up: For just an Alexander Hamilton—or 59 percent of the cost of Flavortown’s favorite burger—you can add one of these game-upping accessories to your pack.
Better Coffee
When Starbucks introduced Via, their line of instant coffee, in 2009, it was a notable step up in quality for caffeineheads everywhere: Instead of glugging burnt Folgers, backpackers could start their day sipping on something more full-bodied. Via is still fine, but in 2025 you have better options. One reliable pick: Boulder, Colorado-based Alpine Start. Their original blend is a smooth, easy-sipping brew that’s ready in seconds.
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Flint and Steel
If you’ve ever tried to use one to get your blaze going, you’ve probably figured out that a flint and steel is not the easiest way to light a campfire. (You’ll need a lot of tinder and a lot of patience, making it a better emergency fallback than everyday solution.) One thing we love it for, though? Lighting a camp stove. On the Fjallraven Classic in northern Sweden, I figured out I could use it to spark my burner from about a foot away, removing the need for me to maneuver a lighter next to the burner and effectively eliminating singed arm hairs. Walmart’s Ozark Trail Flint and Steel is a compact, cheap version that packs together in a plastic box the size of a couple of sticks of gum.
A Fold-Flat Bowl
Flat-pack bowls may not be the perfect backcountry tableware (I personally award that honor to Guyot Designs’ squishy silicone bowls) but they are some of the most versatile. Laid flat, Fozzils’ Bowlz can serve as cutting boards or serving plates for a backcountry snack smorgasbord. Snapped shut, they can hold just more than 20 fluid ounces of whatever your heart and stomach desire. They’re easy to clean, and at 1.4 ounces each, pretty easy to carry, too.
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A Trail Bidet
No one likes to pack out their toilet paper, but in dry environments like deserts or the alpine, it’s usually necessary. You could use natural materials instead, but after a couple of days, you may find yourself feeling less than comfortable. One easy solution: a trail bidet, which lets you ditch all that for an instant fresh-and-clean feeling. The lowest-tech solution is to buy a disposable plastic water bottle and poke a hole in the cap. However, CuloClean’s universal cap, which secures to a water bottle of your choice with its rubber O-rings, lets you wield your bidet at a friendlier angle.
A Pot Pocket
I’ve written about my love for AlpineAire’s (H)Eat Pouch, a neoprene pocket that slips easily around any pot or dehydrated meal to save fuel, speed up rehydration, and ensure your dinner is still piping hot when it’s ready to eat. Unfortunately, that particular doohickey is off the market. One alternative? TOAKS’s Pot Pocket, a sleeve made of canvas and reflective insulation that does basically the same thing. The large version weighs 0.9 ounces and can fit the TOAKS 1100-milliliter pot or any other cooking vessel with a 115-millimeter base.
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Better Tent Stakes
Ever pushed so hard on one of those lightweight, three-fin tent stakes that it starts to cut into your shoe’s outsole? NEMO’s Airpin Ultralight Tent Stakes feature a rounded geometry on top to help you avoid that, plus a tapered pin that sinks into the ground with minimal pressure. The stakes also feature an M-shaped cleat on top, allowing you to tighten and secure guylines without the hassle of tying and retying knots.
