Do you know someone who’s always on the move? Perhaps they travel extensively for work or genuinely love and enjoy visiting new destinations and experiencing new things. Buying gifts for someone who rarely stays in one place can be a challenge. However, these 10 items are ideal gifts for that traveler who’s always either coming or going.
1. Mini Espresso Maker
Travel shouldn’t mean doing without that morning cup of java. For the coffee lover in your life, gift them with a mini espresso maker. All it needs is some hot water and coffee grounds and perhaps some cream and sugar. Best of all, a hand-operated mini espresso maker will also fit neatly in a carry-on bag.
2. Set of Packing Cubes
Nothing is worse than opening a suitcase and finding a jumbled mess of tangled shirts and pants. Rather than constantly dealing with that, buy someone who travels regularly with some packing cubes that will help organize their clothing and accessories into separate suitcase compartments. Many sets of packing cubes also include a laundry bag to keep dirty clothes separate from clean clothes during the trip.
3. Hoodie Pillow
Honestly, what screams comfort more than a hoodie and a pillow combined into one? Buy a hoodie pillow for the germaphobe in your life, who can now rest more easily in their airline seat without worrying about how many other people have had their heads and hair on the seat-back on previous flights. Additionally, wearing a hoodie pillow means there’s one less item to carry or pack.
4. Mini Travel Iron
Even with careful packing, clothes often get wrinkled in transit, which can be a problem on getaways that involve dressy occasions. Then again, nobody wants to lug a full-sized iron in their suitcase. Alas, the mini travel iron packs neatly in a bag and keeps nice dresses, slacks and suits looking sharp.
5. Portable Luggage Scale
Stop if you’ve experienced something similar: You arrive at the airport and check your luggage, only to discover your bags are considered overweight. Indeed, dealing with fees for overweight luggage can put a serious dent in any travel budget. However, know that buying a portable luggage scale is quite literally worth its weight in luggage. It won’t take up much room in a bag and will potentially save travelers hundreds of dollars over the course of multiple trips.
6. Travel Backpack
A great trip usually means coming home with some fancy souvenirs. However, these mementos often won’t fit inside stuffed bags. However, a fold-flat travel backpack takes up almost no room in a suitcase and features a roomy interior for packing those fabulous keepsakes. A backpack with a back sleeve can also slide over the handle of any carry-on.
7. Portable Charger
Taking photos and using GPS on a smartphone can drain the battery fairly quickly. However, investing in a portable charger ensures a smartphone won’t go dead at a critical time. Knowing this, spend a little more for a high-powered charger that will provide multiple full charges for a smartphone or tablet but is still small enough to fit in a carry-on or in a shirt pocket.
8. Personalized Carry-On Bag
Why should a carry-on bag be bland? A customized aluminum carry-on is a high-end gift for a special traveler. Options include mix-and-match colors for handles, leather luggage tags and a variety of wheel options. The result is not only visually appealing, but also tough and durable to stand up to years of travel.
9. Multiple Port Wall Charger
Today’s travelers often carry a multitude of electronic gadgets: smartphones, tablets, laptops and even portable chargers. To stop dead batteries in their tracks, know that a multiple port wall charger can restore power to each of these electronic items at once, potentially saving someone precious hours that would be required to charge each item individually.
10. Warm Parka or Jacket
Travel during the winter requires winter gear. As such, a warm parka or jacket is an ideal gift for that traveler who loves ski vacations or who frequently journeys to colder climates. A down jacket will keep anyone toasty warm, yet is lightweight and will look great on the slopes.
Great Gifts for Any Traveler
The best gifts for the travelers in your life tend to be those that will actually go to good use. Portable chargers, coffee makers and irons can make any trip more comfortable, especially since these items won’t take up too much room in a suitcase.
Meantime, packing cubes, a portable backpack and portable luggage scale can make any journey less stressful. Indeed, any traveler would appreciate receiving one or more items from this list. Plus, who knows? They may even bring you back a great souvenir as a thank you!