I’ve got 10 great gifts for the travelers in your life. They range in price from $10.99 to $329. There’s something for everyone.
Later this week, the winter holiday season in the U.S. begins with Thanksgiving. For the last couple of months, I’ve been searching for gift ideas and testing products to add to my 2022 traveler gift list. Now that travel has restarted in earnest, I’ve got a great list of 10 gift suggestions for the travelers in your life.
I have two excellent audio gifts that make a great pair of gifts.
• Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones ($329) — Noise cancelling headsets make music, videos and audio books far more enjoyable when flying or taking a train or in any area with background noise. To me, they’re essential for travel. Connected to a smartphone with white noise they can even help to block out annoying sounds in hotel rooms to help travelers get to sleep. Over-the-ear headsets are superior to the in-the-ear ones for blocking acute and ambient noise.
With the QuietComfort 45, released last year, Bose is back on top of noise cancelling headsets. The wireless headset can also be connected through a standard wire connection. No matter which way it’s connected, the sound is bright and alive. The internal battery is charged through a USB-C cable. I’ve used the headset for as long as 18 hours without recharging and it had life left.
• AirFly (2nd generation) ($34.99) — AirFly is a Bluetooth adapter the lets you use wireless headphones when the only connection is a headphone jack, such as when you’re on an airplane and want to use the plane’s entertainment system. It works well in hotel gyms with treadmills and steppers. I really dislike having to connect to plane entertainment systems by wire, thereby having my physical position restricted. The AirFly paired with my Bose QC45 is a great combination to use with planes’ entertainment systems. Their battery is charged through a USB-C cable. I’ve gotten 18 hours from the 2nd generation AirFly and it still had battery life left in it.
Give Apple AirTags for travelers who have iPhones to find their luggage when the airlines lose it.
• Apple AirTag ($29.00 for a one pack or $99.00 for a four pack) — I’ve been recommending Apple AirTags as luggage trackers for a while. For those who use iPhones, they simply can’t be beat. Whenever luggage is lost or delayed, an iPhone, using the “Find My” app, can locate the luggage as long as an iDevice has been within range of the AirTag in a traveler’s bag. AirTags use Bluetooth. When an iDevice detects an AirTag, it reports its location to the “Find My” network so its owner can locate it. In 2021, Apple claimed there were almost a billion iDevices on the “Find My” network reporting AirTag locations.
I’ve never had a problem locating my luggage via my iPhone with an AirTag secreted in them on any trip I’ve taken. Apple AirTags are safe. Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have approved AirTags to be in travelers’ checked luggage.
Luggage scales and Timbuk2 Messenger Bags are great gifts for many travelers.
• Eteckcity Luggage Scale ($10.99) — This is a great little stocking stuffer for any traveler. With checked luggage limits being strictly enforced everywhere and — outside the U.S. — carry-on weight limits being enforced, an easy to use luggage scale is a must. This one has a capacity of 100 pounds (50Kg) and it’s very accurate. I’ve been using one of these for a while.
• Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag (starting at $89) — I never leave home without this classic shoulder bag. I prefer the small size, which is still roomy. It has numerous pockets, many zippered for safety, and an internal holder for a water bottle. It comes in multiple colors. It has a TPU liner for easy cleaning and keeping your belongings dry in rainy weather. Its adjustable shoulder strap has a comfortable Airmesh pad. This bag wears like it’s made from iron.
Hydro Flasks and BAGGU bags are great for every traveler and help fight climate change and waste pollution.
• Hydro Flask 21 oz Water Bottle with Sport Cap ($44.90) — Help your favorite travelers be part of the climate change, plastic waste solution and save cash to boot. Give them a great multi-use water/beverage bottle that they can keep refilling throughout their journeys to stop buying expensive one-use bottles of water. The Hydro Flask is my favorite. It keeps beverages cold all day with no sweating on the bottle’s exterior and works great for keeping hot beverages steamy.
The Flask comes with the standard mouth screw top with loop holder, but I prefer the insulated sport cap with the pull-up that I can move with my teeth or fingers. That way I can use the flask one-handed. The price above includes the cost of ordering the flask, plus the sport cap.
• BAGGU Standard Reusable Shopping Bag ($14.00) — Another way travelers can be part of the climate change solution is to stop using one-use paper and plastic bags. In fact, in many locations around the U.S. and across the globe, single use bags are no longer permitted. Moreover, shopping bag prices in stores can be expensive.
I never travel without several of these highly useful ripstop nylon, multi-use tote bags. The totes carry two grocery bags of stuff, up to 50 pounds, yet fold into thin five-inch squares in the included bag when not in use. The have built-in handles. Mine have lasted for years.
Electric adapters are great for international travelers, while power bank/flashlights are good everywhere.
• SKROSS Pro Light World Travel Adapter with USB, 3-Pole Travel Adaptor with Slide System and USB ($43.89) — Is your favorite traveler a globe trotter? This SKROSS electrical adapter is the most versatile one I’ve ever tested. I’ve been using an older model for years. There are other SKROSS models available, as well as imitation adapters from other companies, but this one is the best. One of the most important features of it is that it’s a 3–Pole adapter, so it’s good for laptops and other 3–Pole devices. It can handle up to 1,500 watts and has a couple of USB charger outlets.
• HTGK Power Bank 5000mAh with 120 Lumens Flashlight ($39.99) — Every traveler needs to have an emergency flashlight. This one is a combination rechargeable flashlight and emergency power bank for your smartphone. Its body is durable enough for travel.
You can’t beat a U.S. Park Pass for travelers in the U.S. who love outdoors journeys.
• America the Beautiful National Parks Annual Pass ($80, free for veterans and current military) — Some of the best places to travel in the U.S. are its national parks. Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone, among others, are world famous for good reason. Many of the parks have an entrance fee of as much as $35 per vehicle and $20 per person, unless you have a Parks Pass. Even if you go to just a few parks with entrance fees each year, the pass is a bargain. Senior passes cost $80, but are lifetime passes, not annual.
I hope my gift list helps you find great gifts for the travelers in your life. Have a great Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season.
After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
