It’s a skimpy Christmas for B. & me this year, since we just bought a house (!), but if we were doing gifts, this is what would be at the top of my list. Stuck for ideas on what to get the traveler in your life? These items are sure to please!
For the traveler who hates checking bags…
I am notorious for being anti-checked bag, so a sturdy, roomy carry-on shoulder bag that will do double duty as a touring bag at my destination, is a must. I received my Timbuk2 classic messenger from B. as a Christmas present the first year we were married & honestly? It’s one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten! I’m 5’4″ & the medium sized messenger is the perfect size for me. It serves as a carry on bag for my flight, hauling a laptop, camera, book, small purse & my quart-sized liquids bag. Once I reach my destination, it turns into my touring bag, holding my camera, notebook, wallet & goodies I pick up along the way. One of my favorite features is that it’s waterproof – I can feel confident that my camera will stay dry inside. Another perk? Depending on what colors you choose, it can do double duty as a work bag on a more casual business trip (I’ve lugged mine to several conferences). Best of all, all the bags are made right here in the U.S.!
For the gadget freak…
One of the biggest issues when B & I travel is having enough strategically placed outlets to charge all our gadgets. A laptop, Droid, two iPhones & a camera battery equals a lot of outlets. Luckily, Restoration Hardware has developed this chic, super functional roll up travel charger, which allows you to charge all your devices in one place, at the same time. Genius. Plus? It’s made out of a soft, beautiful leather.
For the travel document-er…
In addition to this blog, I love to track my travels the old school way: in a journal, written longhand with a beautiful pen. But I thought this scratch off map was also a neat way to “show off” & document your travels. Uncommon Goods (love those guys!) makes both an awesome scratch off world map & scratch off U.S. map.
For the travel dreamer…
I subscribe to an embarrassing number of monthly travel magazines – okay, only four (CN Traveler, Budget Travel, Travel & Leisure, National Geographic Traveler), but I’m a few months behind in reading, so they stack up around my house like some sort of episode of hoarders. But I love my travel magazines because they take me to places that my limited vacation days in my full time job don’t allow. A travel magazine subscription is a great gift for a few reasons: most people won’t spend money on magazines for themselves (yet, they’re very reasonably priced… most can be ordered for about $1 per issue); it’s a gift that supports a dying industry; & they’re great for not only trip planning, but also for trip dreaming. Not sure which one to pick? My DINK favorites are CN Traveler & Nat Geo Traveler, although I think Budget Travel is great for families of travelers.
Great list! And I just love that roll up travel charger. It’s stylish AND would save me room for packing the million chargers that I seem to have.