This year we bring you not one, but two sets of awesome gift options for any leisure or business traveler (see part 1 here). Our travel gift guide series features useful products that we hand-selected for all types of travelers. We’re big on practicality and usability that can suit the needs of any travel style, so these items are perfect for a road trip, weekend getaway, international trip, or any other type of vacation. In fact, while you’re buying these items for a friend or family member, you may even want to consider treating yourself.
Editors’ Pick: Minimalist Wallet
When you’re walking around a foreign city, it’s best to carry as few valuables as possible. Doing so will make you less of a target for purse snatchers and petty theft since you don’t appear to have anything to offer. Plus, sometimes while traveling, you just don’t want to carry much when you go out to dinner or a bar. This minimalist wallet allows you to take along the bare minimum. Before these wallets came into existence, we would wrap a rubber band around a credit card, some cash and our room key. Sure, we could still do that, but this is so much classier — and you don’t have to worry about your rubber band breaking.
Editors’ Pick: Canon EOS Rebel T5i Digital SLR
Everyone is an Instagram photographer these days, but a legit camera separates those who want likes from those who want to frame their travel memories on the walls of their home. You’re spending a ton of time and money to go on vacation, so why not walk away with screensaver-worthy images that you’ll treasure for years to come?
The Canon EOS Rebel T5i feels smaller, lighter and more reactive than most DSLRs on the market. By “reactive” we mean that it’s fast. When the camera is set to autofocus, you can quickly snap pictures without worrying that the lighting will look poor or that your shot will come out blurry. It features a touchscreen that allows you to tap to focus (like a smartphone), which is a nice feature that gives the user more control. There’s a lightning-fast 5-frame-per-second burst shooting mode for sports and other action shots. The camera offers an 18.0-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor that captures images up to 5K. Best of all, pictures come out crisp with good color. This model would be a great companion on safari, a road trip, a food tour and any other experience a traveler might encounter. This is truly a great camera for a serious photographer who doesn’t want to drop serious money.
Lewis N. Clark TSA Key Card Lock
These locks are such a cool idea. It’s pretty easy to pick a key lock, but a key card lock is more difficult. We used these locks on our 14-month around-the-world trip and had zero problems with them. You may think that it might be annoying to carry a key card with you, but it’s definitely not. You can keep it with your passport, room key, credit cards, etc. so you don’t forget it. It’s the size of a credit card, so it takes up very little space. Each lock comes with two key cards, so you can store them separately in case you lose one.
Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack
This bag has gotten solid reviews from travelers compared to other backpacks we researched. It’s the perfect carry-on size (21 x 13 x 9 in or 53 x 33 x 23 cm), and at 40 liters it can hold all you’ll need for a weekend or two-week trip (use the packing cubes we mentioned in our other gift guide post to pack even more!). If you think this bag isn’t large enough for a short-term trip, think again. Even long-term travelers have said that this is the only bag they use while traveling.
Slim Sonic Toothbrush (62 different designs)
If you’ve read our book, you know that Mike overpacked when we left for our around-the-world trip. One of the frivolous items he packed was his Sonicare toothbrush, it required a down-converter box, charger and additional brush heads. It was just a terrible idea.
That’s why this much smaller and lighter battery-operated toothbrush is his go-to travel brush now. It only takes one AAA battery and comes with two brush heads. It’s an inexpensive, durable option and includes all the qualities of a sonic toothbrush but without the size and heft.
Electronic pickpockets have the potential to read your credit cards’ RFID (radio frequency identification technology) and clone them. There is a simple precaution you can take, and that is to use an RFID-blocking wallet. This stylish wallet will shield your cards from theft. It’s an easy, non-descript way to protect yourself. The wallet is also slim, so you can use it as your minimalist wallet and leave your bag or purse at the hotel.
All images courtesy of Amazon. This post contains affiliate links (these do not affect the price you pay). We earn a very small percent from every purchase, which we put toward keeping this site running. Hosting isn’t cheap!
get a wallet that has a chain on it to attach to your pants………..or get a security wallet under your pants………..I just got my pocket picked on the Mexico city subway……….I learned my lesson