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I know, I know. It’s not even Halloween yet. But, that just gives you plenty of time to get some of these awesome gifts for your loved ones before the holiday rush begins! I decided to do a not-so-typical Travel gift guide because I’m sick of seeing the same things on every list: GoPro, drone, packing cubes, Fujifilm Instax Mini, luggage, you get the idea. You’ll see them, I promise. I already have.
Yes, they may be great things for travelers, I mean, I have four of the things I just listed, but I want to give you a few fresh ideas for the travelers in your life.
Hydro Flask
You know I’ve mentioned this like, a zillion times, but a Hydro Flask water bottle is the perfect gift. I have the 40 ounce and carry it with me everywhere, literally everywhere. It gets a little heavy, but they do have smaller ones (32 ounce and 21 ounce), and it’s worth the weight because it keeps water ice cold, or hot, for hours! Plus, if you’re trying to be more green and use less plastic, this will cut down on that. And if that’s your (or their) goal, stainless steel straws are a great companion to the Hydro Flask.
Chacos
I’ve also talked about these quite a bit, but I loooove my Chacos. They are the perfect hiking shoes for land and in water. They’re heavy duty. And you can customize them online and they come in all kinds of super cool prints. They take a while to break in, but they last forever and are super comfy once they are broken in. For these I would maybe get a Chaco or REI gift card or something since there are a few different styles (toe loop or no toe loop, single or double strap) but it’s hard to go wrong either way.
City/State/Country print
This isn’t a great thing to take traveling, but it’s a great thing to spruce up a home to come back to. These city (or state or country) maps are the perfect addition to a travel themed room. I love making shadow boxes with my souvenirs and this would look great among the shadow boxes. Plus, you can get them for pretty much anywhere!
Essential oils
Ok, ok, you’ve probably heard of them and are probably pretty skeptical. I’ll start this off by saying I’m not trying to get you to buy a starter kit or spend hundreds of dollars on two oils. Let’s be real, I can’t afford that either. These are high quality and affordable, and best of all not MLM. I use Eden’s Garden and there are a few oils that are perfect for travelers. Peppermint and ginger can help those that get a little motion sick. Pollen buster is great for those affected with seasonal sneezes and Shine just smells like heaven. There are tons of other wonderful ones, let me know if you need any recommendations. A diffuser is great for use at home.
Skillshare premium membership
I’ve mentioned this before as well, but Skillshare is a great way to stay occupied on planes, trains, and automobiles while learning awesome new skills. But, it’s also a great way to beat post travel blues. I’ve been teaching myself to watercolor paint and have watched a few courses on Skillshare. I’ve also learned a bit more about writing novels and creative non-fiction. A year subscription for this is only $99 and will let them learn pretty much anything they could ever want. It’s perfect for those eager to be educated.
36 Hours Books
These are fun books to read, but not great for low budget travelers. You can find them for places all over the US, Europe, and Canada. They can give great ideas on must-see things, places to eat, and (more expensive) places to stay. It’s a great resource if you want to splurge a little, but they do make great books to display at home on bookshelves or coffee tables. I really enjoy the few that I have.
LUSH goodies
I’ve recently become obsessed with LUSH. I’ve used the solid shampoo for a few years for travel, but would like to start using it all the time to cut back on more plastic use. Even better, they’re cruelty free and all vegetarian, with some vegan. You can’t really go wrong, but some of the great things for travelers include: Honey I washed my hair shampoo bar, Jumping Juniper shampoo bar, Creme de menthe mouthwash tabs, and body wash in the small travel size bottles. Other things I love include: Ro’s Argan body conditioner, Gothic Fairy shimmer bar (only out for Halloween), Guardians of the Forest bath bomb, Sleepy lotion, and Fairly Traded Honey shampoo. Like I said, it’s hard to go wrong. I wouldn’t recommend the solid conditioner, though. It smells great, but didn’t do much for my hair.
Personal Locator Beacon
Alright, this is great for those loved ones that love hiking. It might be better for people just in the US or Europe (you just have to get the right one based on where you are or plan on going), but they can help with peace of mind for those of you still at home. It’s an emergency locator, so if something goes wrong, see 127 Hours, this can get them emergency help and save their life. It’s easy to use and they can even let you know that they are still safe (with certain models). It’s great for people that like hiking alone or do long hiking trips. They’re on the pricier side, but to me, 100% worth it if it can save their life in an emergency.
Leave No Trace Tee
For your nature loving travelers, this Leave No Trace tee is perfect. It’s comfy and cute and perfect for travel or to wear at home. They have all kinds of tees for outdoor and adventure lovers, so don’t worry, there are plenty to choose from. AND you can get 15% off with the code W2W. I mean, they can have a whole new wardrobe!
Kindle Paperwhite
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, and I’ll keep saying it as long as it exists. I love my Kindle. You can have hundreds of books, never running out of anything to read. You can read in the blazing sun or pitch dark of night. It’s super light. It’s small enough to fit in a smallish purse so you can bring it everywhere. It stays charged for weeks at a time. I don’t know what else I can say about how wonderful this is, but I definitely know that the traveler (and probably you) in your life needs this. This is probably the most ‘typical’ thing on this list, but it will always be on this list for me. That’s how much I love it.
Badger chapstick
I love this chapstick. It’s probably my favorite brand and they all smell wonderful. Everyone needs chapstick, especially people traveling a lot spending time in dry airplanes and buses and what not. The grapefruit and tangerine are my favorite, but it’s hard to go wrong with these. They are on Amazon, but I would look at your local Wholefoods or similar store to see if they are a little cheaper. Another good option is the flavored Burt’s Bees. I don’t like the original, but the grapefruit, strawberry, mango, and all those are awesome.
Travel watercolor set
As I mentioned before, I’ve been learning to watercolor paint and love it! It’s also a great way to document travels and stay busy during down time between adventures. The Koi Sakura 48 set (in the picture) is awesome because it has a lot of color variety. It’s not super compact, but I think it would be worth it to travel with it for the amount of colors in it. It also comes with a mixing tray that fits in the case as well as a watercolor brush pen. Another great set is the Winsor and Newton Cotman set (in the picture for the Skillshare membership) which is much more compact, but has less color selection and is a little difficult to mix colors with. I love both and think both are great options. Don’t forget paper!
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Are you excited for the holidays? Is there something special you want? What is your favorite thing about the holidays?
