Practical, Useful Gifts for Travelers They’ll Love

Gifts for Father’s Day, Birthdays, any day! 💖💘💝

-updated April 24, 2021

Giving practical, useful gifts is important – first off, I get so much joy when I can gift someone a great present – don’t you?! 🥰 And, as a person who ditched most of my material things in order to travel the world, I really appreciate thoughtful, useful gifts for travelers. It’s so tough to think of just the right thing; especially for men, so this list includes lots of things for men as well as women (who are SO EASY to shop for – am I right?!).

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Practical Gifts for Travelers: Gear

1. Kodiak Leather – gift items for traveling (men love these – women too!)

These rugged leather items from Kodiak Leather (a family run business) are trendy, cool, heirloom bags made by hand; their fantastic quality and workmanship means they can be handed down to your children, and theirs. When I travel with my duffel bag, or use the Kodiak Leather satchel as a carry-on, I always get admiring looks, and “Love your bag” comments.

I have so much trouble finding nice gifts for men – Kodiak Leather is my favorite place! I love their quality, and guys love this stuff too. The big leather tote (pictured above) is my new favorite thing. Find duffels, laptop carriers, satchels, some canvas items, backpacks, passport holders, luggage tags, messenger bags, toiletry bags, and much more. In other words, there are items for any budget.

2. Binoculars – a REAL must

Not often considered! Something I didn’t have until I went on safari: Binoculars! I found a very compact set with a case, and now, I carry them with me on every trip. Last used on a river cruise to enjoy the cliff carving at the Iron Gates of the Danube, and on the Giza Plateau in Egypt.

3. Scratch-off Travel Map

4. Boundary Supply LLC – Professional Backpacks and more

Boundary Supply carries many different kinds of sturdy modular travel backpacks, great for travelers. There are specific backpack types and their camera bags are excellent solutions for photographers. Boundary Supply also offers some clothing, money belts, and many other items that travelers love.

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5. Bose Noise-Cancelling Headsets

6. Portable Chargers – a MUST

Portable Chargers come in a mind-boggling array of choices. After purchasing more than 8 over the years, here are my conclusions: don’t get a tiny, el cheapo one. They don’t last. You need a powerful one (26800 mAh is best), and I like to be able to charge at least 2 devices at once, quickly. Cheap chargers take forever to charge themselves, and to charge your device as well – such a hassle. Once I finally got a really good one, I was delighted at the speed of charging, and it will charge my 2 phones and my laptop at the same time…problem solved!

7. WiFi Hotspot

If you travel a lot and like to keep in touch with home and document your trip on social media, you know the hassle of finding reliable WiFi or dealing with local SIM cards. The Fonebud W is a device that solves that problem by creating a WiFi hotspot from 4G and 3G phone networks in 90 different countries by using e-SIM technology to seamlessly switch between networks. It also allows users unrestricted access to Google, YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp in China without having to use a VPN. The Fonebud W serves as a wireless charging device for new phones equipped with wireless charging capabilities. Plans are “pay as you need, pay as you go,” with data plans starting at $2 per GB.

To buy: fonebud2u.com, $157

8. Packing Cubes! SO MANY to choose among!

Use this link: Packing Cubes to see many different sets. They are a wonderful way to organize your suitcase, and some of them also compress items, so you can travel with smaller luggage. The set above was gifted to me last year, and they’re wonderful. I use the drawers in hotels, and they go right from the luggage to the drawers – easy peasy.

9. Passport Organizer – and much more…

10. Satchel & Page Fine Leather Goods – Bags, Jackets, & More…

11. International Travel Adaptor – a Must-Have for Travelers

This adaptor has worked for me everywhere I’ve been, including Africa, South America, and all over Europe; there are multiple USB ports to charge several electronics at once. Carry one and done! I remember when you needed an adaptor for each different country…

12. Lynq Tracker

 LynQ is a great device that will help you find your friends, family, kids, or even your pet. Ideal for finding people in the mountains, hiking, skiing, biking, or even just at a crowded musical festival, LynQ displays a big arrow pointing to where your friend is so you can follow and find them. The system can keep track of up to 12 people in a three-mile zone and has a 3 day battery life.

To buy: lynqme.com, $209

Gifts for Travelers (maybe you?): Travel! 😍

• Trip.com is a clearinghouse for flights, trips, hotels, activities, tours, trains, tickets, and often have great deals. I use it often.
• Undercover Tourist is where to find great deals, discounts, and coupons on Disney trips, and more. I personally am not into Disney, but I know that many are, and you can find terrific savings on this site.
• Intrepid Travel is a fantastic resource for joining small group trips around the world at excellent prices – highly recommended. Their latest deals are here.
• BookVIP has special deep discount luxury resort offers – REALLY deep discounts!    

Gifts for Travelers: Travel Guides + Maps

• National Geographic Travel Books – the classics!
• Fodor’s Guides are also popular guide books, specific to countries or regions.
• Or, you may prefer Rick Steves Guides
• Atlases and Maps are Traveler Favorites. I *love* my 7×5 foot wall map of the world; it’s so visual, to see where I’ve been, and what’s left!
• Globes! – For the curious traveler, globes are an inspiration…and great for kids to visualize the world. This is what my grandkids are getting this year- so they can see where Grandmommy lives (New Mexico) vs. where they live (Germany).
• Travel Guides for U.S. National Parks; great for road trippers and National Park fans.

Gifts for Travelers: Activities

1. Viator Guides: Activity Suggestions – This is how savvy travelers find amazing things to do, anywhere, anytime -even for a staycation! There are over 350,000 activities throughout the US and the world listed. And, best of all, you can keep things flexible with Viator. Reserve now & pay later to secure the activities you don’t want to miss without being locked in. And, of course, free cancellations. Viator is having a big sale right now; check it out!

2. Get Your Guide: Activities ANYWHERE! Get Your Guide is another website for travel activities around the world – including at home. Click Get Your Guide to see the vast variety available. You can put in any place, any city you’re interested in around the world to get tons of ideas for your visit.

3. Big Bus Tours: When I land in a new city, especially if I’m jet-lagged, I often take a Big Bus tour to get an overview of the place and decide what areas I want to explore more in-depth on the following days. Hit this link: Big Bus Tours, then search for cities in America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, or Europe. Maybe there’s even a tour for a nearby staycation!

Travel Insurance is a Must!

It may not be that sexy as a gift, but it’s very necessary! Roam Right is the travel insurance I use for my trips; even if you have a pre-existing condition that may prevent you from traveling, they will cover your trip, from cancellations to lost luggage: all those undesirable things that could happen. You put in your dates and destinations at Roam Right to check out your coverage.

Gifts for Travelers: Home Decor

It’s an afterthought, but I absolutely adore my glassware and other kitchen stuff from Well Told Designs. They have all sorts of glasses, etc. with maps, constellations, and science designs – they’re my favorite, go-to items at home. And, the men I know think they’re great too. So – check out the article about Well Told Designs.

Gifts for Anyone Else

If you need inspiration for anyone besides travelers, there are the cool Amazon shopping guides (that I just discovered! 🙄) with gift suggestions for anyone! Shop toys, electronics, fashion, home, beauty, stocking stuffers, white elephant stuff, by price categories, $10+

Special deal for Amazon:

You can use your Discover card points on Amazon, to pay for your Amazon order! First, Activate this offer to your Amazon account. If you don’t have a Discover card yet, get one here, for a $50 statement credit! Update: You can also use points from most other credit cards – check here to use points on Amazon from American Express, Chase, & Hilton programs.

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What did I miss? What are some of your favorite travel items?