With Christmas just around the corner, here are a few ideas for wonderful and useful gifts for those you love who love to travel. And, bonus, they are small and easy to pack.
1. Compression socks. These are great to wear during long flights to keep the circulation going and, according to the medical community, help reduce the chance of blood clots. They also keep your legs warm and supported during a long day of traveling and sightseeing. Our daughters, (a nurse and a doctor who work anywhere from 12–28-hour shifts) love them and wear them every day to work and when they travel. Whether you prefer plain black, fun colors and designs to make a fashion statement, or ones with copper to help reduce pain and swelling, you can find them at retailers such as Kohl’s, Walmart, and Target. I just bought a pack of 8 in fun colors/designs on Amazon for $24.69 for our girls as stocking stuffers. Shhh! Don’t tell.
2. Roller board Luggage: That is the generic name for luggage on wheels. Having well designed luggage with sturdy wheels and is lightweight is a must for travel. Repeat after me: “Packing light is packing right!” Even if your vacation is on a cruise ship, you are still going to need to get your luggage to and from the airport, take it through customs/immigration, and probably to and from your hotel room and the ship. When you buy, look for ones that are very sturdy with study wheels, but not heavy. I had some luggage that weighed 14 pounds empty; so, trying to stay under the 50-pound weight limit so I wouldn’t have to pay the “excessive baggage fee” cost at the airport, was challenging. Now I have a roller board that is only about 4 pounds and fits easily in the overheard compartment on the plane. And, since it is so light, I can easily lift it into the overhead myself for those times I am traveling alone. I got it on Amazon, the brand is IT luggage.
3. Travel backpack. John keeps his laptop in his backpack and I have my purse, sweater or jacket, reading materials, iPad, hat. We always do carry on with our luggage (even last weekend - I had clothes for the long weekend and all our grandsons’ Christmas gifts in my one carry on- yep, I’m a little proud of that). Our luggage goes in the overhead and our backpacks go under our seats. Pro Tip: get a backpack that has an opening on the back so you can slide it over the handle of your luggage; it’s so much more comfortable to haul around the airport, down city streets and on and off trains. I learned that from a dear friend who is a flight attendant.
4. RFID money belt. You can wear this under your clothes to hold your important valuables such as your passport, credit cards and money. If you are on a cruise, you will be able to use your safe that’s in your cabin during the cruise, but there will still be times when you need to carry these items on you (for example, the part of the trip that is before and after the cruise) and you want to keep these items safe and protected. Choose one that is made with comfortable fabric since it will be worn next to your skin and comes with the RFID-Blocking anti-theft technology to help prevent identity theft from unwanted scanning and skimming.
5. Extra Battery pack for your cell phone. You don’t want your cell phone to die just as you climb to the top of the summit and pose for the “We did it!” photo. Having a working cell phone is not just important for those once-in-a-lifetime pictures, it is also an important security device in case you need to get help, get a translation (with Google translate), or find your way around a new city. We always carry an extra battery pack when we travel. I keep mine in my purse, John has his in his backpack. We bought these on Amazon and this 2-pack is a very good deal.
I hope these gift ideas are a blessing to you. Feel free to call, email or text us soon. We’d love to help you plan your next great adventure….
Remember: Packing light is packing right!