Buying presents can be daunting at the best of times, but what do you get someone who spends half of their time out of the country? Short of buying a plane ticket (which by the way, isn’t on the list but if you can afford it, do it!), it’s hard to know what to get that’s not a waste of money, and isn’t going to sit at home and gather dust.
I’ve put together a list of 15 present ideas for travellers and wanderers amongst us, from £5 to £100!
- Waterproof/adventure camera – Nearly everyone has a smart phone nowadays, which all have amazing cameras, but one of the downsides is that they aren’t generally very robust and they don’t come with all of the accessories. A Go-pro, or cheaper equivalent, is great as it has so many attachments to allow you go hands-free and take it everywhere with you – even underwater!
- Backpack – Whether you’re buying for a traditional ‘backpacker’ or just a frequent holiday-er, this £30 backpack from IKEA is perfect to travel with! It’s got so many compartments and can hold a LOT of stuff (think of it as a Mary Poppins bag), and so is great for carry-on luggage. The top can be folded right down to a smaller, more manageable size rucksack, and used for day to day adventures as well.
- Potable Charger – This is an absolute MUST HAVE for travellers. With so much beauty that the world has to offer, social media is the best way of sharing their holiday pics with friends and family! For this reason, smart phones generally run out of battery very early on in the day. For a decent charger, you’d probably spend around £25, but make sure to buy one as compact as possible for easy transportation. In my opinion, this is one of the most practical presents!
- Scratch map – This is a great idea for people who travel a lot, as it’s a creative way of keeping track of where they’ve been. Scott and I have one each and we’ve framed them ready to go on the wall! They start from £10 and you can find loads of variations on Amazon.
- Wash bag – The chances are, they will already have a wash bag of sorts, but it’s really important to make sure it’s both waterproof on the inside and out (to avoid any spillages or stains) and is relatively flexible, to enable it to be packed or shoved into backpacks.
- Travel bottle – Pretty self explanatory this one. Help them save the world (and some money), and buy a reusable water bottle. This WaterWell travel bottle costs £30, and filters out 99% of pathogens from any fresh water source (taps, lakes, streams, and even puddles). They also do a 1 litre fold-able pouch for £25 which is even better for easy storage.
- Walking boots – If you’re looking for present ideas for travellers who do a lot of exploring on their holidays, why not buy them some new walking boots? A decent pair could cost you anything from £30-£100, so a perfect gift regardless of your budget, although you could always just stick to a comfy pair of socks instead..
- Personalised photo album – I got Scott a personalised photo album for his bucket list last Christmas for £60, but they start from £25 on Not On The High Street. I know that technology has taken over, and most people keep their photos on their phones/laptops, but there’s something quite nice about having an album full of memories! Imagine ‘Ryan’s trip to Thailand‘ or ‘Sophie’s gap year 2019‘ – this is one of those presents that you don’t know you want, until you have it!
- Kindle – Exploring the world is amazing, but let’s be honest – the actual ‘travelling’ element can sometimes be a bit boring and long-winded. A Kindle is so compact and holds thousands of books; it’s the perfect way to pass the time and relax in between adventures. You can buy a Kindle for around £80 on Amazon.
- Personalised collectable travel key-chains and jewellery – Bit of a mouthful. This is a lovely gift for people who like mementos, and can be for both men and women. Vagabond Life offer engraved travel rings which you can add to key chains, bracelets and necklaces, to keep track of every country that you visit. El Camino is another great place for bracelets – they are effectively charm bracelets, however instead of collecting charms, you collect location beads.
- Shewee – Okay, some people may find this more of a jokey present, but for girls who are into walking and hiking (where toilets aren’t always accessible), this is actually a VERY practical gift. They start from about £5, so are perfect as a stocking filler, or Secret Santa present!
- Travel books – When Scott and I look to book our next holiday, we have three go-to travel books; Lonely Planet – Where to go When, Lonely Planet – The World, and 101 Weekends in Europe. All three of them are under £20, but there are hundreds of travel books out there depending on which best suits.
- Solid toiletries – From shampoo and soap to deodorant and toothpaste powder, solid toiletries are cheap to buy, and have many benefits; they are normally much more eco-friendly as the plastic packaging is reduced/non-existent; they take up a lot less space; they’re brilliant for taking through as hand luggage and you don’t have to worry about decanting to get through airport security! You can find these in shops like Lush and Ocado.
- Bum bag – Everyone needs a bum bag. Rucksacks are great when you need to carry a lot of things, but just day to day they can be quite a nuisance to watch out for and carry around. A bum bag (AKA fanny-pack) is just the right size for money, phone, camera, and your water pouch (see bullet number 6).
- Travel diary – If you know someone who loves writing and documenting their trips, then a travel journal or diary could be perfect. There are LOADS out there, in stationary shops and online, starting from around £10.
Quite a few of these ideas came from presents that Scott and I have given each other in the past (and a couple are now on my wish list).
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