 |
| Even travelers love chocolate dipped strawberries! |
Merino wool ($20-$150+).* Whether it's these socks ($20), or something more expensive like a shirt ($75), your nomad friend will appreciate the lightweight, quick drying and less smelly item. I have tried Smartwool and Icebreakers and they are a little on the thin side, but definitely dry fast and don't stink, and there are other brands like Ibex or Unbound that may be a little thicker and make things that are not as geared toward active people. Also, I have heard great things about merino underwear and bras, but have never tried them myself.
Osprey Collapsible backpack ($41). I usually just carry a Chico bag with me, but having a backpack for day hikes and such would probably be a better idea. I have done a lot of research and this Osprey version has gotten good reviews! I have also had Osprey packs in the past and they hold up well.
Universal travel adapter. ($20) I have one of these that is just the plugs only (no USB ports) and I love it but I am constantly having to swap things when charging, or get one of these multi charging blocks (which I do have and use) which starts to get redundant and bulky!! If your nomad does not travel internationally though, the charging block is golden. With this one you can also charge one computer with a plug (or other three pronged items) and all of your USB items at the same time!
Lightning charging cable with adapter. ($23) Again, cutting down on cords and accessories is very helpful! I currently still have a few things with a USB-mini, so this cord would not help with that, but it is good for any USB-A or USB-C (or old iPhone) charging! You can also get ones that are just USB-C and USB-A if that is more your jam.
Ankor power bank.* ($59) This one has 20,000 mAh of charging capabilities, which will charge your phone approximately 5-6 times. I find that even if I am traveling in a place where there is electricity (aka not camping) this comes in very handy. The one I have linked is their newest one, which is an improvement on mine, as it has a built in USB-C, three ports, including one USB-C, and a monitor on the front so you know how much power you have left. Even if you are traveling in the car with your family, this can be a great way to have extra power if you are all trying to charge at the same time.
Laundry detergent sheets.* ($12) If you are on the road for a while, these are great. They don't take up space in your bag, or use up your liquids quota and they are better for the environment. I actually use these in real life too. Pro tip: you can rip them in half and just use half and it is enough for most loads.
One bag travel backpack by TomToc (40L). ($80) I have read a lot of reviews for which bag is best and is also carry-on eligible for most flights. Some European carriers have very strict rules, and a lot of the bags that will comply are super expensive! The TomToc seems the best bang for the buck, but if you want to spend more the Osprey Farpoint ($135) and the Tortuga Backpack Pro ($350) get really good reviews.
Do you have any good gift ideas for travelers? Do you own or use any of the above items? What kind of carry on do you use when traveling?
If you haven't already, you can fill out this form with any questions you want answered for my upcoming ask me anything post!!
This post is part of NaBloPoMo. You can find the rest of my posts for this challenge here. You can find the list of participants and their information here.
Laundry detergent sheets are such a great hack, especially for flying when liquids are limited!
ReplyDeleteYeah, and they have improved a lot over the years. I used to be afraid that they would not clean my stuff enough, because the first ones I tried were very environmentally friendly, and did not smell at all and were a bit wimpy. But now they are great! Do you do laundry when you are on a longer trip, or do you just have your hotel or guesthouse do it? For me, it depends on where I am, but sometimes it is just easier to have someone else do it (in Asia and South America it is SO CHEAP and they will do it in a few hours sometimes).
DeleteMy takeaway is that everyone needs chocolate covered strawberries this Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI love the price point on all of these. I don't remember how much I paid for my backpack but knowing me it was probably less than $100. I've had it forever, it's in great shape, and does everything that I need a backpack to do, but sometimes I wonder if there is something better out there. I recently came across a review of backpacks and all of the picks were in the $300 price range...uh no.
I don't think that I knew that detergent sheets existed. That's genius!
If you stay in a place long enough to need to do laundry, those sheets are the best! Yes, backpacks are expensive and the Tortuga one gets really good reviews but I am not really ready to drop that much on a(nother) pack! I spent a lot on my backpacking pack, which has completely paid for itself by now (had it since 2017 and this year used it for ~ 250 days!) but it was not cheap. I may have to splurge for a travel bag since I will be using it pretty much every day but for now, I am keeping my eye out.
DeleteMy Christmas list is all merino wool. I honestly want 75% of my wardrobe to be wool, but it's pretty spendy getting there. It's delightful that you can wear it so many times without needing to wash it and it looks good for an extended period of time.
ReplyDeleteIt is spendy! Which is why it's the perfect gift idea. I would spend $20 on a pair of socks for someone else but probably would not spend that much for myself.
DeleteHa, oh the irony of me complaining about gift guides on a day when you post a gift guide! Lol. I think they are helpful for people who are trying to come up with clever ideas for gifts. I do not have to buy for many people, besides my children really, so I don't have a need for great ideas. But if that changes, I know where to go for ideas!
ReplyDeleteWe do not do any adult gift exchanges in our family. My parents give us cash a pair of socks, often smartwool (which I do love) or bombas. Joan will want to get something for me so I'll probably ask for a sweatshirt or a puzzle maybe. But I wish she would just not buy us anything at all!
I have the same issue with K. I told her we are going to be in Germany together and she can just pay for dinner one night but she insists on getting something tangible. So I have to make a wish list just for her really! The good thing is, I just put things that I was going to buy for myself on the list. The bad thing is, I can't buy them for myself until I know which one she is getting me!
DeleteI love Smartwool socks. I don't travel like you do, but I find that they keep my feet so warm in Chicago winters. I had old fashioned wool socks when I was studying abroad. I believe I wore liners, like thin socks, under them to keep from itching? And I didn't wash them often. Mini is preparing to study abroad and I envision a lot of gifts for her will be geared towards her study abroad time. Some of these items will probably be great for her, so I appreciate the info. I wonder if she can use Ed's backpack (I believe it was an Osprey). I seem to think they tell you to get one that's fitted to your height/size. She is 6 feet tall. Ed is 6'3".
ReplyDeleteErnie, for backpacks, usually it is torso size that matters, not height. So if their torsos are similar, it would probably work. Also, the range is quite large, so it is likely that it will work. I wear wool socks for skiing, like the thick ones from the 80s, and they don't itch, but they are THICK! So I would prefer a little thinner version!
DeleteI have a lot of laundry sheets, they work well for us. Currently we're on a powder kick, so cheap, very effective.
ReplyDeleteI love smartwool and bombas socks. I haven't tried more merino wool clothing, mostly it makes me think of Almonzo Wilder, in Farmer Boy, those were the sheep they raised.
That is funny; Little House throwback! I don't remember if I read the Almonzo series; was that Pioneer Girl? I definitely remember her meeting him, but I don't know if I read the later series or not!
DeleteThese are awesome. You reminded me that I'm almost out of laundry sheets, and I ordered them in the middle of reading this post : )
ReplyDeleteYou reminded me that I used to have a bunch of Chico bags, and somehow have lost them all over the years. Those were GREAT. They just folded up tiny in my purse, so I never found myself at the store with no bag. Do they still make those? Maybe I should look into the collapsible backpack.
They do still make Chico bags! I actually got mine as swag from a race, but we used to use them as kids (and I grew up right near Chico, so am super excited that they made it so big!) I love that you ordered detergent in the middle of this post.
Delete