I have a gift challenge. Anyone want to play? It's not easy.

If you know where he likes to hike I would get a book from that area.

Or a NYTimes best seller, maybe one about business....

I keep hearing about this one... (it is fiction)

Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible,’ by Peter Pomerantsev

A knife. Benchmade knife. Men love knives.

A team tie would fall into this price range...if you know his college affiliations, that would work as well.

I like the book about hikes in your state, but would add a camelbak waterborne in with it.

Sponsor an animal on his behalf. You get info that you could wrap for opening. He can either continue it or let it slide when the year's up.

That's what I was going to suggest.  That type of gift would go well with the outdoorsmen in my group.

How about a donation in his honor to an organization that supports the area where he likes to hike?

A book on local/regional hikes is a good idea. I agree with AKathy. People with hobbies mostly have they want and it can be hard to buy for them without knowing specifically what they need/want (and even then, those items are likely going to be more than $30). My husband and I are hikers and know a lot of hikers and I can't think of anybody who uses a wooden hiking stick. If somebody uses hiking poles, they are typically the telescoping kind and they cost more than $30. And if that is something he would use, he likely already has them.

Good hiking socks are expensive and I always appreciate getting those, although it might feel boring to just give socks. I like Smartwool socks, but my latest favorite is Darn Tough socks. They are high quality, wear well, and as a bonus are made in the USA.

Other books: A Walk in the Woods or The Last Season

You could be describing a few of my friends! They are the worst when it comes to selecting the right gift. If they want something, they just buy it. There's no spouse in the picture to slow their roll when they're eyeing a new rookie card or tie, and they're incredibly picky about the clothes they wear or accessories they carry.

For the price range you're working with, I would go for something consumable. The gin is a great idea. Maybe a collection of trail mixes or protein bars with one of the life straws another poster mentioned?

You could find a nicely bound copy of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, which has almost become required reading for businessmen (CEOs often buy copies for each of their employees to read), I think that would be one non-consumable item that he would appreciate, especially if you and/or someone close to this guy could write a nice inscription in it to make it a bit more personal.

I know you said he isn't into gag gifts, but thinkgeek.com has lots of clever little gadgets that might actually be useful.

A mini desk top drum set.

sisterbdsq I'm laughing at your story. Not that the hippo died but that you gave everyone a dead hippo. What a great family memory.

Lol!

After reading his description, I was going to suggest an introduction to ME as a gift! He sounds like a great guy. The flaw in this idea is I am old enough to be his mother, married (happily) and probably wouldn't take kindly to being wrapped and opened at an event.

Anyway. . . for $30, I would stay away from a tie as I doubt you can find one at that price point to be consistent with the way I am guessing he dresses. Check out the site Beekman 1802 for some unique gifts. I am betting he gets money clips, wallets, etc. quite frequently as gifts so I would stay away from those types of things.