27 Nov Holiday Gift Ideas for Travelers

The holiday season is upon us, and gift giving should be fun, not stressful. I always have a hard time picking out gifts for people, and it’s so difficult for me to create a Christmas list for my parents. When I give a gift, I want it to be useful, meaningful, and most of all, something that the person actually enjoys!

Travelers can be hard to shop for—oftentimes they only carry very specific items that are carefully selected and worthy of taking up a coveted spot inside their luggage. But, that doesn’t mean your gift has to actually travel with the recipient—experiences and items for the home can make great gifts, too.

If you have a travel fiend on your list to shop for this year, here are our holiday gift ideas for travelers. All of the items in the list are either items we already own and love or are items that are on our Christmas list this year, as well. Happy shopping!

Airportag Swag

One of my current obsessions is the travel themed website, Airportag. I swear I want over 30 items from this store—narrowing down my few favorite items to put on my Christmas list was quite the task, I tell you. The store features shirts, throw pillows, canvas prints, coffee mugs, magnets, cell phone cases, tote bags, and so much more. Each item has a quote, an airport code or some other travel related design/wording on it. A few items that made it onto my Christmas list are the “Take Risks” coffee mug, the “Let’s find some beautiful place to get lost” throw pillow, a few different magnets and the Reykjavik airport tee.

Eno Hammock

We absolutely love our ENO Hammock. It’s small, lightweight and can hang up just about anywhere. It’s definitely a staple on our camping and hiking trips—there’s something amazing about being able to set up your own little spot in the trees to relax. Our two favorite hammock spots this year were the sunrise view of Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota and a lunch break view overlooking Bowman Lake in Glacier National Park.

GoPro

I recently wrote a post about why you should travel with a GoPro, so needless to say, I think it is a great gift for any traveler! It’s small, easy to use, durable, can be attached almost anywhere, and takes great photos and videos. We use our GoPro to capture footage on all of our adventurous pursuits and it’s been a great addition to our current camera set up.

Mophie Powerstation

Our Mophie Powerstation come with us absolutely everywhere. Since we are almost always working on the go, having an extra source of battery for those times when you are running low is super helpful. I can’t tell you how many times our powerstations have saved us over the years. The powerstations are about the size of an iPhone and can charge almost anything that gets its juice from a USB cable. Typical smartphones can get approximately 2 full charges out of a fully charged powerstation. There are a variety of options available from the legacy powerstation (which we have) to charging phone cases, and more.

Goal Zero Solar Power Kit

Speaking of charging your electronics on the go—Goal Zero Solar Power Kits are currently on our wish list. From smaller solar panel kits to larger solar generators, they are a great way to get power whether you are off the grid or are looking for a green energy source. While it’s nice to disconnect when you are out in nature, we usually need power to charge our cameras and gear. Plus, sometimes you just need battery power, and this is a great way to get it.

Passion Planner

When you are on the go a lot, it is great to have a planner that will help keep you organized. I am in love with my new planner for the upcoming year. The Passion Planner has been great at keeping my priorities in check and my days focused. It has helped me set goals for myself that are in line with my passions, and makes it easy to see my results. There is also a space to list “good things that happened” every week—there is nothing better than reminding yourself of all the positive things that happen, no matter how small. When I am having a tough day, it’s a great spot to look to stay positive.

Travel Experiences

I’m big on giving (and receiving!) experiences as gifts—experience based adventures are typically the only way Micah and I exchange gifts. We usually pick an experience or two and celebrate with an adventure! One of my favorite things to do is to try something I’ve never done before, and tours from places such as Context Travel or Viator are a great way to find something new and exciting to try. We loved our Viator food tour through Emilia Romagna last spring and we can’t wait to try out a couple of tours with Context Travel next summer when we are in Europe. There are so many wonderful experiences out there to enjoy, and they are even better when they facilitate bonding times between loved ones!

Scrubba Wash Bag

The Scrubba Wash Bag is another item on our current wish list. Finding a place to do laundry on the go is always a challenge. This convenient and packable item is perfect to throw in your bag for a portable laundry station outside in nature or in the comforts of a hotel room. A machine quality wash can be obtained in just a few minutes, and it eliminates the need for spending money on laundry services or washing your clothes in a sink that may not be very clean. Plus, you can get away with packing less as you are guaranteed to have a spot to wash your clothes on almost any trip. I’ve heard great things about the Scrubba Wash Bag and can’t wait to try one out for myself!

Epic Wipes

Know someone who is an avid adventurer? If so, Epic Wipes are a great idea for an unexpected gift! These wipes are basically massive wet wipes that you can clean your entire body with. They definitely come in handy on camping trips and outdoor adventures where you don’t always have access to a shower. Each wipe is 16 times larger than a normal wet wipe, extremely durable, and they are biodegradable which means they are more friendly on the environment. They are made from bamboo, saturated with an abundance of liquid, non-toxic with gentle ingredients, eucalyptus scented, and they are reusable, too. We’ve had more than a few camping trips where these would have come in handy, and now they are a staple in our camping bag!

Amazon Kindle/iTunes Gift Card

I’m going to be boring here and suggest a gift card from Amazon Gift Card or iTunes. My phone is full of music and books to keep me occupied on long legs of transit or for some relaxing downtime. It’s nice to have a stash of credit to dig into for that song you have stuck in your head or that book you’ve been dying to read. Or, you could go for an old fashioned paperback book instead—for a few book ideas, check out our first edition of our travel book recommendations.

Buff

I recently purchased a Buff and it’s already been a great addition to my gear. Basically, a Buff is a scarf that can transform into a number of uses at the drop of a hat. You can use it to warm your neck and face, as a headband to either keep warm or to contain unwieldy hair, or even as a makeshift eye mask if you are trying to sleep on the road. They come in a variety of fabrics and are great for summer, winter and everything in between. I can’t wait to take mine out on the ski slopes with me this winter.

Aroamas Solid Perfume Sticks

Trying to fit all of your liquids into a small carry-on bag is always a challenge, so I like to eliminate the amount of liquids I travel with as much as possible. I try to use solid shampoo and conditioner and am really excited to try out the Aroamas Solid Travel Perfume Sticks that are going to arrive on my doorstep soon. They also come in scents for men, as well! Smelling nice shouldn’t have to be a luxury, and with these tiny portable sticks, you can refresh easily on the go!

Smartwool Base Layers

Because we live in the tundra called Minnesota, I find that I can never have enough quality base layer options. But, even if you don’t spend a large portion of your year freezing at temperatures that regularly drop below 0ºF, base layers can always come in handy. One of my favorite items for keeping warm are my Smartwool Bottoms. They are lightweight and thin which makes them great to layer under any pair of pants I own. Plus, they do a great job keeping me warm outside while not overheating when I head indoors. I also wore them all summer when we were camping—they were great for the chilly nights we encountered but weren’t overly warm when the sun came up.

Collapsible Food Containers

Another item that is great for camping or cooking on the road are collapsible food containers, like the ones from Roaming Cooking. When not in use, they can fold down to almost nothing and if you need a bowl or a dish you can pull it out and be ready to go. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve needed a bowl and weren’t prepared with one on hand, so this is a great solution to add to any travelers bag.

Paracord Bracelet

The Paracord Bracelet is a great accessory to bring with on your outdoor adventures. The bracelet can be unraveled if you find yourself in an emergency and in need of rope. They can be used in so many ways, and you never know when it will come in handy. The best part, if you use it in a survival situation, you can send your story to the company and they will send you a new bracelet for free!

GoGo Inflight Pass

The ability to check your email, get some work done or just browse the internet while flying through the air is quite the concept. We always like to hop online when we fly–it’s nice to feel productive when you are stuck in a seat and have nowhere to go. GoGo offers all day passes, 1 hour passes and monthly subscribtions.

Passport Holder

It’s a good idea to keep your passport protected when you are on the road, so why not store it in an adorable passport holder?!  I love the passport holder options from Flight001.com–they are so much fun and functional, too. I have the one above on my Christmas list this year, but there as many other great styles and colors available, as well!

Bose SoundSport Headphones

Headphones are a necessity for a traveler, and Bose SoundSport Headphones are a great option with excellent quality. They help block out unwanted noise in tight quarters, and they allow you to listen to whatever you decide without annoying others around you.  I never leave home without a pair of headphone stashed in my bag!

 

Share with us! What items are on your holiday wish list?

All of the products in this list are products we love or items that we have on our holiday wish list (wink, wink, mom and dad). Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning we get a small commission from any sales at no extra cost to you. They help us keep the site up and running, and we thank you for your support!