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Frequent travelers are tricky to buy for.
They like to travel light, but stylish. They love new gear almost as much as a new destination – but it’s got to make sense. It must make travel easier and/or more fun. If it creates more work than its worth, they’ll leave an item at home to gather dust.
Here at The Ever Curious, we’ve gone through plenty of gifts and gear, and we’re happy to share with you a few of our must-haves that we wouldn’t leave home without.
Baboon to the Moon’s Go-Bag (Big size)
Good luggage is hard to find, and most of the options out there are pretty boring – not Baboon to the Moon. We drooled over these bags for a few months before splurging on a pair, and we have no regrets. Our BttM bags serve as the cornerstone of our travel toolkit.
They’re cool, colorful, and hold plenty. We can pack well over a week of clothes into them. On shorter trips, we can get by with just one. Yet they don’t look or feel bulky. The backpack straps are actually comfortable and easy to adjust. The outside is constructed from a super tough, very water-resistant fabric that’s double-layered on the bottom for even more durability.
I’ve got the gray one, Riley has the green one. Over years of travel and getting thrown around by TSA, they still look great – definitely easy to spot on the luggage carousel.
The Big size that we have runs around $230, but there are plenty of smaller options available.
Packing Cubes
Riley was so skeptical of these at first (because I am an organized person, and he is not 💁🏼♀️), but after seeing them in action, he’s become a believer. For travelers who start their trip with a well-organized suitcase and end it with a bag of sweat-smelling chaos, these are a game changer.
I love these because I can easily find what I need without jumbling up my entire suitcase. It’s nice being able to separate what’s clean and what’s dirty. Once you get to the hotel, unpacking is an absolute breeze thanks to these cubes. Also, if you get the ones that are labeled, like mine, they can serve as sort of a packing checklist.
Packing cubes are a budget-friendly gift. You can get some higher-end ones that compress clothes so you can fit more in your suitcase, but there are a million options out there for under $30. These are the ones I use.
Loop Quiet Ears earplugs
Airports, trains, buses, they can all overwhelm the senses. I initially bought my Loop earplugs for family gatherings (y’all, my folks are loud), but they quickly found their way into my travel bag.
They’re absolutely fabulous on the plane. They block out the general drone of the aircraft and massively turn down a chorus of crying kiddos, so I can actually enjoy my flight and work on my sudoku.
Loops are a gift your traveler might not expect, but I promise they’ll come to love them. They’re lightweight, super comfortable, and you can adjust how much noise they block out. Plus, Loops are light on your wallet.
Portable steamer
What’s all that outfit-planning and suitcase-cramming worth if you still have to wear wrinkled clothes? Hotels and AirBnBs can be hit or miss on whether they provide irons or steamers (ones that work, anyway), so we’ve found it best to bring our own.
The Conair handheld steamer works great, and it’s designed to take up as little room as possible in your luggage. It even comes equipped for both domestic and international voltage. It’s a great buy for a mere $40.
Birdie safety alarm
I believe with common sense, it’s 99% safe to travel practically anywhere. But it’s easy for one thing to lead to another and find yourself in an area or situation that sets your danger-antenna tingling.
The Birdie alarm keychain ($30) sets off an incredibly loud siren and flashing strobe light to draw attention and help deter an attack. Activating it is super easy, just pull the body of the alarm off the pin to set it howling.
Mine is part of my everyday carry, even outside of traveling.
Passport case
Carrying a passport and a wallet is too much to juggle during the airport shuffle. My passport case helps keep all my must-haves together and organized. That way I have just one thing to keep on-hand as we make our merry way.
And it’s cute! I love my Cabana passport case from Paravel. It’s actually come to replace my normal wallet full-time. It’s slim and light while still providing plenty of room for my passport, cards, cash, even another little notebook if I wanted one. You can customize it for your traveler by adding their initial to it.
You can go in a ton of directions with a passport case. For a more rugged option, there are plenty of nice leather artisans out there offering reasonable prices. Some come with RFID blocking lining and some are outfitted to hold an Apple Airtag, so whatever your traveler prefers, there’s an option out there.
Anker portable power bank
Let me tell you, my Anker 737 power bank has been a lifesaver on many occasions. Tech-savvy people can dig into the specs, but it powers my laptop on roadtrips, long flights, at the coffee shop, anywhere really. It can charge three devices at once and I can go days on a single charge. Its digital display tells you how long it will take to recharge a particular device, how hot it is, and other nice-to-know info.
Design-wise, it’s pretty compact for what it is, and it’s tough enough to endure any bumps and bangs your traveler may put it through.
Waterproof playing cards
We survived the pandemic playing cards around the kitchen table. When we could finally travel again, we started spending our layovers posted up at the airport winebar willing away the time with round after round of Gin Rummy.
Travel comes with its spills and accidents, and a cardboard deck can become an easy casualty. Waterproof playing cards, however, are built to hang tough!
I find that we often default to screentime during the in-between parts of travel. In my experience, playing cards is more fun, and it helps to be present and unwind during the hustle and bustle.
If your traveler doesn’t know how to play any card games, this gift could be an opportunity to bond and teach them a game you know or learn something new together.
Travel guides and books
The worst feeling a traveler can have is getting back from a destination and realizing they missed something awesome. The right travel guide can plug them into their next destination and point them to unmissable, unforgettable experiences.
Herb Lester creates super-cool guides that will resonate with your traveler, whether they’re into classic literature, fashion, even horror movies.
Wildsam guides are pocket-sized city guides that help your traveler find the hidden gems in their next trip. I love that they come in a range of scopes, like specific cities, regions like the Southwest desert, and famous highways like Route 66.
When we have a trip coming up, we like to read books from and about our destination. For example, before our trip to Cuba, we read novels from revolution-era writers and a doorstopper history of the Bacardi rum family. See where we’ve been going and what we’ve been reading here.
Travel experiences
Most items on this list help simplify the nagging logistics of travel, or focus more on the getting-there part of the journey. But you can also gift destination experiences that will take your traveler’s trip to the next level.
Context Audio Tours brings local insights and untold stories about your traveler’s destination right to their ears. With Context, they can explore a city how they want, at the pace they want. They can even dive into specific topics like WWII sites or fabulous bakeries.
Viator Tours lets your traveler pick a destination experience that’s perfect for them. These tours are flexible and unique, led by passionate local guides.
Travel photo shoots can commemorate a trip and allow your traveler to put the phone down. Flytographer sets your travelers up with a local photographer who can help create the perfect photo session.
Get them on the road
If your traveler has a trip in mind, I’d love to help them plan it out. By working with me, they can spend less time planning and fussing over logistics and spend more time enjoying a seamless, rewarding adventure.
Trip planning and research, even if you aren’t sure where you want to go
Booking accommodations, activities, and transportation
Detailed itineraries uniquely designed from scratch
Getting them VIP treatment where they stay and handling any curveballs that come their way.
Who knows? If you or your traveler work with me on your next trip, you might just get a little stocking stuffer of your own from The Ever Curious. 😉
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