The BLT Holiday Gift List!
It’s December, which means it’s time for holiday gift lists! You know the ones: Top 10 Gifts for Women Who Travel, What to Buy for the Traveler Who Has it All… I’ve clicked so many of them. There are always intriguing new products designed with the frequent flier in mind. But the more I click these lists, the more annoyed I am. Why, of all the incredible gadgets and gizmos out there, are the lady-specific lists featuring a new lipstick?! Or an 18kt gold compass pendant (“so no matter where she roams, she can always find her true north”… barf). These things improve my travel experience zero percent. Not to mention how infuriating it is to see innovative multi-use shoes featured on lists for men, and an unnecessary beauty product on the lists for women.
In my experience, the products that men find useful while traveling are the very same ones I appreciate as well. WEIRD. Things like the best packing cubes or an innovative passport protector aren’t gender-oriented. What’s more, it’s frustrating that companies insist on pushing women to be beauty-aware on the road instead of encouraging them to have a more practical and cohesive travel experience. Conversely, why are women told to pack essential oils to keep us calm in flight while men are not encouraged to do the same? We can all benefit from the plethora of products designed to make travel more comfortable, streamlined, and enjoyable.
After that rant, it won’t surprise you that my holiday gift list for the jetsetter in your life is universal. At the risk of being trite, here’s my Top 10 Fun and Useful Gifts for People of All Genders Who Like to Travel [still working on that catchy title tho…]. If you want an idea of what I personally take with me on almost every trip, you can also check out the My Kit page for more ideas! Now, in no particular order, the Budget Luxury Traveler’s inaugural December gift list:
There are lots of colors to choose from!
1) The Stojo Collapsible Cup
This cup is amazing. It collapses down to fit in a jacket pocket or purse, is virtually leak proof, and holds hot beverages like a champ with the sleekly designed built-in sleeve. Will it keep your shit hot for hours? Nope. Will it save the planet one cup at a time? Yes. Yes it will.
2) Amazon Kindle (the basic one)
It doesn’t have internet or apps, so no distractions. Battery lasts for weeks in airplane mode. It holds hundreds of books (and you can check books out from the library too!). It’s backlit so you can read in bright sunlight or in the dark. All that and it takes up less space than a paperback, and weighs less than your cell phone. Oh, and the new ones can sync seamlessly to Audible so you can go back and forth between listening to your book on “tape” and reading it in… type. The main difference with the paperwhite version is that it’s brighter and waterproof. I enjoy the flat light of the basic, but you decide!
3) Patagonia R1 (full zip)
This thing has come on almost every vacation with me since I impulse purchased it a few years ago. It keeps me super warm on cold airplanes, looks better than a sweatshirt, and is impressively unobtrusive in my suitcase. Somehow, it’s a perfect layer for anywhere from 40-70*. You’ve done it again Patagonia. Also, the R1 comes with or without a hood, and in various zipper length options. I’d recommend the full zip just for ease of use. They make men’s and women’s versions of all styles, obviously.
4) Grayl Ultralight Water Filter
I’ll be honest, I don’t own this. But I wish I did. You may have noticed after reading item #1 on this list that I hate single use containers. I always travel with a water bottle, but it can be a challenge to find places to fill it up with safe drinking water. I often end up having to buy bottled, which is expensive and hurts my soul… Enter the Grayl, a water bottle that also filters using carbon so your water tastes cleaner than clean. Plus, no batteries, chargers, or extra parts—a win for people like us who pack light! It looks bomb, and the internet loves it. Comes in three different colors!
5) Pack This! packing list
I use this even when I’m confident I won’t forget a thing. Turns out, Pack This! always wins, and reminds me of something I would have missed on my trips. It’s a notepad style item, with 60 or so sheets. That’s a lot of vacations people… even though I’ve used it again and again, mine is still old enough to include “travelers checks” on it. Don’t worry, the updated version covers your bases with tech, etc for the modern millennial(+) traveler. The back of each sheet is blank for last minute ToDo lists or any unique/specific items you didn’t find on the front.
6) Portable charger by Anker
Speaking of tech, seems like half my suitcase requires recharging these days. The streamlined, high powered, multiple USB port Anker chargers are a godsend when I’m on the road. Bonus: when you have to recharge your charger (oy vey) these are fully powered in less than four hours, and you’ll get 8+ cell phone charges out of it (from the style pictured… they have several styles)! Never get stranded without your Airbnb address again!
7) Sockwell Compression Socks
In case you forgot since we’ve been friends so long, I’m a nurse (not just a blogger/influencer/internet sensation OK?!). I wear compression socks to work every day, and Sockwells are my faves. They come in fun prints, have graduated compression so your calves don’t feel like sausages bursting out of their casing, and they’re regular sock thickness so you can wear them in your shoes like normal. They have “moderate” or “firm” compression levels. Now, after that strong sell, a disclaimer: I have the coldest feet in the world, so I really appreciate having warm socks on the plane. But if you’re hot blooded, you may want to look into the compression leg sleeves that don’t have the foot part. Those are also convenient if you’re wearing pants and sandals on the plane! Unless you’re a socks and sandals kinda person, in which case, you do you. Wow, who knew I could write such a long paragraph about socks? K, thanks, bye.
8) Cord Ties
Again, tech. I can’t wait for the day when everything can wirelessly charge. Until then, I keep my cords controlled with ties because otherwise I GO INSANE. Ahem. These velcro ones are neat, and since they seem to only be sold in packs of like 30+, you can give them to all your friends because I’m sure they’ll be jealous of how organized your cords are. There are a ton of different styles of these, but I like these velcro ones cuz they remain attached to the cord when not in use, which is handy when traveling!
Branding by these guys is on point!
9) DRAM CBD Drops
If you’re into feeling chill, these might be nice for you. No, they will not get you high. No, they will not cure your cancer. But the thing I like about DRAM is that they have immense quality control in their hemp products, and that’s super important [more on that some other day…]. Anyways, a couple droppers full of this wonder sauce and you’ll be cool as a cucumber while navigating airports or other travel stressors. Bonus—the bottles come in 0.5 or 2 ounce sizes so you can carry these babies on!
Leopard: so hot right now.
10) Baggu Foldable Tote Bags
These are weirdly useful when traveling, weigh nothing, and take up zero space. I’ve used them for everything from grabbing groceries for my Airbnb, to separating dirty clothes in my suitcase, to throwing in all my extra shit that doesn’t seem to fit anywhere when I’m a hot mess leaving a hostel at 4:45 AM to catch a train [who’s terrible idea was that?!]. So yeah. They’re useful. And even if you don’t use them, you’ll never be pissed you brought a few along because they practically disappear in your suitcase. They come in three sizes (big, standard, and baby), and fun prints.
Note: None of these are my images. Duh. They come from the linked websites.
Another note: Whenever possible, I have tried to link directly to the vendor’s website, not to Amazon… but almost all these products can be purchased on Amazon. Just make sure you’re not buying knock offs, because I found tons of them for almost every product listed here. Particularly important with the DRAM CBD product, as CBD can be very sketchy!!