Traveler's Holiday Gift Guide: Our Favorite Essentials from Around the World

Written By Carolyn Kimery

Hello hello! Long time no post! We are loving our trip and cannot believe we have been gone for almost six months. With the holidays coming up, and our family asking what they should get us, I felt that a Traveler’s Holiday Gift Guide was something I wanted to talk about!

If you want a quick guide of gift ideas, see below. I’ve also added links so you can go straight to Amazon or the corresponding websites. ALSO, because I believe in being completely transparency, we do get a small kickback, if you purchase through our Amazon and Allbirds links. BUT! regardless of those links, we stand behind these products and would not recommend them if we didn’t 100% love them.

Prepare yourself, this blog post is going to be a doozy. Again, use the links below for a quick gift guide!

 

HERE WE GO!

Packing Essentials

Let’s talk packing essentials! If you’re on the road for a long period of time, having a well packed bag is, well, essential. We spent a lot of time researching and even buying and returning products until we found the perfect packing cubes, and bags. We needed bags that would be easy to carry on budget airlines, as well as could be checked, if need be. AND we also needed a way to organize those bags, to preserve space and keep everything in order.

Daniel and I spent hours researching backpacks, roller bags, suitcases; you name it, we looked at it. After visiting two REI’s, countless camping stores, and purchasing/returning a number of bags, we settled on the Venturesafe® EXP45 Anti-Theft Carry-on Travel Pack from Pacsafe, as our main bags. With a price tag of $279.95, these bags do not come cheap, BUT it was all of the features that sold us.

Venturesafe® EXP45 Anti-Theft Carry-on Travel Pack

All zippers are lockable and the material is cut proof. Inside is a stainless steel anchor cable that can be use to lock your bag to a pole, a bed frame, you name it! We’ve even used it to attach all our bags together.

We wanted bags that would fit, even on a budget airline, but didn’t want to lose out on space. These 45L Carry-on style backpacks open as if they are suitcase and have plenty of room for our packing cubes and accessories. The material is incredibly sturdy, having stood up to being thrown by airport staff, and even accidentally dropped down a flight of stairs. The anti-theft feature was a big hit for us, too. All zippers are lockable and the material is cut proof. Inside is a stainless steel anchor cable that can be use to lock your bag to a pole, a bed frame, you name it! We’ve even used it to attach all our bags together.

The internals of the backpack were also a selling point. There are pockets EVERYWHERE on this thing and actually useful ones. The padded laptop sleeve fits a 16” laptop, which is hard to come by. Most laptop sleeves are for 15” maximum. There are pockets for pens, your ID, coins, you name it. There is even a flatpack pocket that is great for scarves/sweaters/clutches/etc.

Our little pack mule selves, in Peru.

The backpack is also comfortable to carry. The shoulder straps are padded, as well as the handle on the side of the bag. You can carry it either as a backpack or briefcase style. There are padded hip straps and a chest strap to secure the bag for longtime wear. These have come in handy when we’ve been walking to our hotel or just around town, waiting for our flight.

These bags have been amazing and for currently 6 months of hard travel, have held up VERY well.

 

I briefly mentioned that we also purchased packing cubes. Guys, there are so many packing cubes out there! Ones that zip, ones that compress, ones that dont compress, ones with netting, ones without netting, etc etc etc! It’s a big market and I can now see why. We ended up going with the Compression Packing Cubes, Gonex Extensible Storage Mesh Bags Organizers from Amazon, in blue and deep blue. At only $29.74, the cubes are a steal and you get five different sizes cubes and a wet laundry bag.

These packing cubes have been lifesavers!! Keeping all of our items organized and sectioned out, so we don’t have to dig every time we are looking for something. I, of course, packed way more than Daniel did, so my bag tend to be a bit more stuffed, but these packing cubes handle it very well. One note on compression cubes, specifically, they do create a hard cube and do not squish easily in the bags. I dont always zip the compression zipper, but its good to have if I need them compressed more than normal.

While the 45L bags have worked best for us, Pacsafe also has a slew of different sizes (30L, 35L, 40L), if you’re wanting something smaller. Any bag they have would make a great gift, as they are all anti-theft and super cute! I highly recommend checking them out. I’ll need to write a whole blog post just about them, because I’m obsessed with our bags.

Both packing cubes and a travel specific backpack are great gifts for your fellow wanderlust friends and family.

Tech and Gadgets

Now! let’s talk Tech and Gadgets. If you’re wanting to give gifts to that digital nomad, Netflix binger, booktok obsessed person; these are some great items that we highly recommend. Everyone has a different travel experience; not everyone is traveling and working. Some are traveling for vacation or a an extended holiday. We think all of these items are worth it. Daniel has been working and with that comes the issue of adaptors… South America’s power plug… New Zealand’s… Greece’s…. all of these places have had a different type of plug and we needed something that would work, but not take up a ton of space.

Enter… MOGICS Bagel(Black) Universal Power Strip | Working from Home Essential . This power strip, or as we call it “the donut bagel” has been one of the BEST purchases we have made. This universal adaptor has been a lifesaver. It’s small, light, and easy to pack! What more could you want in an adaptor? It has four universal plug adaptors - UK, EU, AU, and US. All in one small hand held “bagel”. The cord unravels from within the donut itself, and adaptor piece fits in the center so you don’t have a loose piece floating about.

There are two USB ports and six places to plug in accessories. We can plug in two laptops, both our phones, and an additional plug for our headphones and still have room. Plus the price tag is nice! The Bagel is $49.00, so would make a great stocking stuffer or an inexpensive gift option to the millions of adaptors out there.

The second tech gift we recommend is probably my favorite, just due to the fact that I’m a huge book nerd! Drum roll please! drrrrrrr Imagine me fake drumming on the couch ha.

Let me introduce you to my Kindle Paperwhite. My fellow bookish friends who have a Kindle can attest to just how amazing it is. This was actually a holiday gift, for me from my Momma! A big part of Daniel’s and my relationship and our travels, center around coffee shops and reading together. We love exploring new coffee shops and spending time just reading. We also have taken long flights and the Kindle Paperwhite has been an absolute game changer for my reading list.

It’s compact and easy to pack, so it fits easily in a purse or even a pocket in a backpack, without any issue. The battery last weeks, even when I’m reading hours on end. It has adjustable backlighting, which helps when reading during overnight flights. You don’t have to turn on an overhead light and bother those around you. Plus, you can set it to dark mode, to protect your eyes when reading in the dark.

The Kindle Paperwhite also has a bundle that included a canvas flip cover. You can see that version, here. Now, the Kindle Paperwhite will put you out $169.99, without ads, but in my personal opinion, it’s worth every penny. I carry my Kindle everywhere and it’s been a great way to continue reading, while traveling. I think it’s the perfect gift for any book lover and can also help fuel future gifts. Whether that’s through Kindle Unlimited Gift Cards or even Amazon Gift Cards, to help stuff it full of books!

The last gadget gift idea I want to talk about is for the camera/video obsessed traveller. Say hello to our friend, DJI Osmo Mobile 6 Gimbal. We bought the gimbal during a quick jaunt back to the states and it has been incredibly helpful for our videos and photos. Not only does it act as a tripod, for taking videos and selfies, but it also has a built in app feature that allows you to program shots and follow subjects with a quick touch. Daniel really enjoys photography and while it doesn't currently fit in the budget to buy a camera, the gimbal was a great way to get clean shots and videos with his phone. In New Zealand, we were able to use the gimbal to get some amazing shots of our hikes and of the two of us, without having to jerry-rig our phones.

With the price of the Gimbal being a little higher at $149.00, I still think it’s a great gift for the instagram/Tiktok traveller! We use our gimbal all the time and it’s easy to transport about.

Travel Accessories

Sometimes it's the little things that are the most helpful. When I sat down to put together the list for this guide, I couldn’t stop on this section. After a lot of thought I narrowed down the list to four travel accessories that have been indispensable.

We’ve be “chasing fall and winter” so there have been quite a few places where we need to bundle up. Daniel hates being cold so we decided to get a pair of rechargeable hand warmers. The KICLBD Hand Warmers have been a lifesaver for our cod fingers!. They have a battery life of up to 10 hours and have three different heat settings. We’ve taken these on hikes, around town, and even used them in the car, when the heater wouldn’t warm up fast enough. They easily pack away in a backpack and only take about 40 seconds to warm up.

They only cost $19.00, making them a great stocking stuffer for anyone. I plan to use these, even when we are back home. They will be perfect for cold office days and the renaissance festival.

While we are on the hiking subject! One of the items we ALWAYS have in our bag, while hiking is our Travel Towels. I looked at a few different sizes and brands before deciding on the Matador -Ultralight Travel Towel. We went with the size large for if we needed to use it while staying in hostels, without normal towels.

The towel is very light, but still absorbs water without issue. It packs into a small mesh storage bag without having to fold, which is great when you’re out on a hike and want to put it away quickly. We’ve used the towel to sit on, dry off after wading through a stream, as a picnic blanket, and even as a shawl. I forgot to bring my scarf to a temple, in Thailand, and used my towel to cover my shoulders and back. It didn’t look too bad in pictures ha

The towel cost $36.00, but is 100% worth the price. If I was creating a travel or camping gift basket, I would include on of these towels.

The third travel item that we recommend, is also more than just a travel accessory. Daniel bought the MZOO Sleep Eye Mask, for me, as a gift a few years back and I LOVE this eye mask. We bought a second when we left and we each wear ours every single night. It’s perfect for long plane rides, rooms that don’t get very dark, and when you’re struggling to sleep. It comes with a silk carry bag so it won’t get dirty in your carry-on.

Currently it’s on sale for $18.99, but is normally $28.99. Anyone who you give this to with love it!

The last travel accessory I wanted to talk about is one you may have seen me mention on our instagram; my Oura Ring. I could write an entire blog post about the Oura Ring and how much of a difference it has made in my daily life. The biggest takeaway I want to mention, is its sleep tracker. With time changes, no real set schedule, and new beds every few weeks, my sleep schedule took a hit when we started traveling. The Oura Ring tracks my sleep patterns and stages, allowing the program to give me a sleep score, every morning. These sleep scores are based off of how restless you are, when you go to sleep, when you wake up, and a bunch of other metrics. Knowing how I slept, the night before, other than how I physically feel, has been incredibly helpful in planning our busy days and rest days.

Not only does it track my sleep, but my activity, steps, and heart rate. It’s also super cute and a great accessory! I hate wearing a watch at night, so the Oura Ring allows for comfortable nighttime wear. I have the OG ring, but the newest rings also measure you oxygen levels and come with a ton of more information in the app.

The Oura Ring starts at $300 and goes up depending on what finish you choose. The newest ring also has a membership that costs $5.99 per month with the app, so I would keep that in mind when purchasing.

The Oura Ring is a great gift for anyone! I’m planning to get one for Daniel, this Christmas.

Health and Safety Items

I spent a lot of time thinking about what I needed to bring, in case of an emergencies. I’m accident prone… so the first thing I purchased was a General Medic Mini First Aid Kit. It had plenty of room for adding additional bandages and medicine I thought I might need. It’s nothing fancy, but I think would make a fabulous stocking stuffer. It’s half-off right now for Black Friday too! $9.99 instead of $19.99.

The other item I bought, after the first three months abroad, was a filtered water bottle. We spent three months in South America and one of my least favorite things was constantly having to buy water bottles and worry about the water. I got sick a few times from the water and so I ordered a Brita Metal Bottle before we even got home, (Peep the bottle and Humphrey in the picture 😉)

It’s now been with us since New Zealand and I love this thing. I didn’t need it in New Zealand for the filter, but 100% needed it in Thailand. Back home, we joked that I like having an emotional support water bottle, so this had become my emotional support travel bottle ha! You’ll see it in a lot of my pictures and videos. when hiking or around town. The bottle costs $41.49 and comes with a single filter, but it lasts for a while. You can purchase additional filters, as well. I only brought the one, for this trip.

If you’re not a Brita fan, there are a ton of other filter bottles out there. LifeStraw makes one called the LifeStraw Go Series that runs in the same price range at $48.71. I always recommend a metal bottle as it better for your hormones, as easier to keep clean on the go.

If you have that someone in your life who loves a good water bottle and always needs another added to their collection, I definitely recommend gifting them a travel filter bottle. ;)

Shoes and Clothing

Now, onto my FAVORITE SUBJECT; shoes and clothing! We are living out of backpacks, y’all… for a whole year! So I was very very careful about what clothing I wanted to pack and why.

The very very first thing I started researching, was shoes. If you’re anything like me, you LOVE a good pair of shoes and being able to switch up your style is important. I knew we would be doing a lot of hiking and a lot of walking, in general. So I decided on two pairs of shoes, my Allbirds Women's Tree Skippers and ALTRA Women's AL0A548E Lone Peak 6 Trail Running Shoe. Daniel went with the Men's Tree Dasher 2, which he picked up in New Zealand! and the ALTRA Men's Lone Peak 6.

I stumbled onto Allbirds when I was trying to find comfortable and cute around town shoes, that would also not immediately start smelling after continued wear. I also wanted a light, easy packable shoe. Enter the Tree Skippers. at $100, these shoes are beyond worth the price. Not only are they incredibly light weight, they are also machine washable! This made a big difference to me, because I wanted white or neutral shoes, and being able to wash them anywhere has been a god-send. They don’t ever get stinky, but being white they do tend to get dirty. I can wear these all day, with or without socks, and my feet never hurt. I also never had to break them in! They were comfortable from day one and only got better!

The Tree Skippers are made with responsibly sourced eucalyptus tree fiber; which is a big deal to Allbirds, as a brand. They are focused on sustainability and making sure that everything they create is responsible. I loved my Allbirds so much, that when we went to New Zealand and found a physical store, Daniel bought a pair of the Men’s Tree Dasher 2’s. He initially only brought a single pair of shoes and now basically only wears his Allbirds! His are wool, so they also are great for keeping away the stink. Sadly, his color is no longer available, but they have so many colors one each of their shoes! These run at $135, but Daniel said he would have paid more, he loves them that much.

We love Allbirds so much that I reached out to them about partnering and they were awesome enough to give us a link! So if you use any of our links for Allbirds, you will get a FREE pair of socks! You do have to add the socks to your cart, in order to receive them! We do get a small kickback, but we wouldn’t be recommending them if we didn't love them. I refuse to be one of those people.

These shoes are great for travel, but also are just great in general!! We are currently in Paris, and I’m already planning a trip to the store, to potentially buy another pair!

About the ALTRA’s. We knew we would be doing a lot of hiking and wanted shoes that could be worn around town, but also work as hiking shoes. I’ve been in the gym for a while an used to run, so I was very concerned about the type of shoe we should bring. Having a small obsession with barefoot style shoes, we settled on the ALTRA’s for easy packing and comfortability.

The shoes have a wide toe box, which allows your toes to spread out and help you balance naturally. Squishing our toes together, especially when exercises is not good for your feet and you need to take care of them! Both the men’s and women’s run at about $150.00 but are worth the price. They work great as a travel shoe, but also would work very well for anyone who is a trail runner and wants a pair of barefoot style shoes!

ALTRA Men's Lone Peak 6

ALTRA Women's AL0A548E Lone Peak 6 Trail Running Shoe

Now let’s talk about clothing. We knew we would need clothes that wouldn’t be washed every single week and needed to stand up to that. Let me introduce you to Merino Wool. This fabric is amazing and we ended up with quite a few pieces. Daniel specifically has four shirts and a zip up hoodie that are merino wool. All of his items came from Unbound Merino and he LOVES them. I love them too, because I don’t have to wash them every week! .

Unbound Merino makes some great items and they are so comfortable. Socks, shirts, jackets, leggings, even button downs! I know some people struggle with wool being itchy, but we have never had any problems. Any of the items on here would make great gifts and I think are great for any time of the year. Doesn't need to be cold outside to wear these items. They do amazing in the winter and the summer.

The pieces do range in prices, v-necks are $75 and hoodies are $175, but I say for the quality and how long these items will last, they are worth every penny! Daniel loves everything he bought, from them and wants to get more for when we are back home.

Phew! We made it to the end of the blog post! 😂 Thanks for reading this far, you’re the best!

I know that finding the right gift can be very stressful, especially as the holidays loom. I hope that these items help you find gifts for those travel crazies, in your life! We really do love everything we brought on our trip and wish we had space for more things. Just a reminder that we do get small kickbacks for some of the links, in this blog post.

Thanks again for reading! If you have ANY questions, please feel free to comment to below and we will reach out! We would also love to know what your favorite travel essentials are and what gifts you would give to your travel obsessed friends and family members.

I’m planning to be blogging more often now, so keep an eye out for what's to come!

Carolyn Kimery
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