02 Dec Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for Travel Lovers
The shopping holiday season is finally upon us. So, if you have a travel lover on your list (or want to treat yourself), our holiday gift guide for travel lovers will give you some ideas to help you with your shopping! Happy Holidays and Safe Travels!
1. Experiences
My favorite type of gift is the gift of an experience. Fun activities and adventures are something that will be remembered and cherished, especially when it’s something you can do together but is still appreciated when you are apart as well. There are so many options, from a broadway play, to a snorkeling trip, to a spa day, a culinary tour, a tour from a company like Viator or Urban Adventures or even an entire vacation if you are feeling generous!
2. Packing Supplies
Staying organized while traveling can be a challenge, but it is the key to packing light and essential packing supplies can help in doing so. Packing cubes and packing folders work miracles by keeping like items contained and compact. Compression sacks do just as the name sounds, they compress your clothing articles into a super small space and can even double as a laundry bag for dirty clothes. Two great compression sacks are Sea to Summit and the Hobo Roll. Cute toiletry bags always make a fun gift as well.
3. Travel Themed Items for the Home
Travel themed items to fill your home keep the travel memories and inspiration alive. Items such as scratch maps help keep track of the locations your traveler has visited. Mugs, coasters, or necklaces with maps, make for great ways to remember favorite destinations, as well as the city prints from JHill Design.
4. Flight Comforts
Long flights can be draining, so help make them comfortable by buying one or a few of these items: a compressible blanket, an eye mask, headphones, or a jet lag toiletry package to ease any flight stress.
5. Travel Inspiration
A good travel book or movie can provide entertainment while on the road or inspiration for planning a new trip. Some of my favorite travel related books are Better than Fiction, New York Times 36 Hours, Roads Less Traveled and The Last Train to Zona Verde. There are so many movies that have inspired me and make me want to travel to a specific destination, but one of my recent favorites is Midnight in Paris, as it keeps me dreaming about my favorite city.
6. Wardrobe/Fashion
Functional wardrobe can be a drag and not very fashionable, but thankfully, there are several items that do look good and still serve a purpose. One such brand is Scottevest–their line of jackets, vests and sweaters are all super functional with multiple pockets for you to store all you need to carry. There are enough pockets for many items so you won’t always have to carry a shoulder bag or backpack with you when on a hike or out exploring a city. Tieks are comfortable, stylish flats for women that can fold up into a very small size. They come with a storage pouch and can fold to easily fit inside a purse. Another great pair of traveling shoes are Sseko Designs sandal sets–you can change the straps in an instant to a different color and tie them in numerous ways to create an endless amount of varying looks that barely take up any bag space. Light scarfs are another item that can really come in handy when traveling–from covering up at a sacred site, to dressing up an outfit, or blocking wind on a chilly night, travelers will always be thankful for this item.
7. Smell Goods
Smelling well while traveling can be an issue for some, so travel size perfumes and cologne, or toiletries that adhere to the pesky 3.4 fl. oz. rule can really be handy. Solid shampoos also help with the liquid carry on limit as they don’t need to be screened separately–my favorite solid shampoo is made by Lush, but there are many others that will do the trick as well. Some travelers prefer to bring their normal toiletries on the road with them, so reusable containers such as the ones from GoToob can be lifesavers. And, last but not least, keeping clothes clean is also important to staying fresh. With the Scrubba Washbag, clothes can be washed in the comfort of your hotel room or while on a camping trip and get just as clean as they would in a laundry machine and much cleaner than they would in a sink.
8. Tech Gear
With so many people addicted to technology (myself included!), these few gadgets can make time on the road much easier. Portable Mophie chargers help keep electronics charged on the go, while chargers with multiple USB portals can keep numerous items charging all at once from one wall outlet. Small portable speakers will get a party going in an instant and a GoPro camera can record all your memories through photos and videos.
9. Gifts that Do Double Duty
Traveling opens many people’s minds to the hardships of others around the world, so giving an item that also helps the environment or someone in need, can be an extra special gift. There are so many companies that better our world and here are a few that are my favorites. Toms shoes are great for traveling and the company has a program called one for one, where for example, with every pair of shoes purchased, they give one pair of shoes to a child in need. Krochet Kids scarves and hats keep travelers warm and help empower people to rise above poverty by creating sustainable economic development programs to support individual and community growth. WeWOOD Watches are so pretty and for each watch purchased a tree is planted by one of their tree-planting partners. JADEtribe makes beautiful bags that are the perfect carry on or weekend bag–their mission is to create financial opportunity for its female workforce while supporting artistic and cultural traditions. Samui Hanging Chairs are great to pop up for some relaxation at the beach or in the woods while camping, and the company empowers families to rise above poverty by creating sustainable, flexible, safe high-wage artisans.
10. Travel Safety
When traveling, vulnerability can be high, so these ideas that can help keep travelers safe are a great investment. Pacsafe has a range of products to keep travelers safe on the road, such as antitheft daypacks, portable safes, iPad sleeves, and RFID blocking passports wallets. Always ensure safe drinking water with an Adventurer Opti SteriPEN–they work great when you need fresh safe water in an instant.
All of the products in this list are products we love or items that I have on my holiday wish list (wink, wink, mom and dad). Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning we may get a small commission from a sale at no extra cost to you. They just help us keep the site up and running, and we thank you for your support!