Hey, how’s it going everyone?
It’s Ernest from Trip Astute.
In this video, we’re sharing our top holiday gift ideas for that special traveler in your
life, or even for yourself!
(light chiming music)
The holiday season often means buying gifts for others.
With that in mind, I thought we would review some items that are beneficial to travelers.
I tried to stay clear of the stereotypical items that are often recommended.
Instead, I wanted to focus on unique things that I’m guessing most travelers don’t
have but probably could use.
But first, if you’re new here, welcome to the channel.
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and more enjoyable.
Traveling can be stressful and expensive, so we’re looking for ways to help you maximize
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If that sounds interesting to you, please consider subscribing.
So, let’s jump into our top 10 travel gift ideas for this holiday season.
1. Destination maps and rings: If you haven’t heard, passport stamps maybe going away in
the near future.
In the past, I’ve recommended scratch-off maps that you can use to record where you’ve
traveled.
I still think these are great gift ideas. However,
another item that I recently saw featured in a travel magazine are travel rings by a
Canadian company called the Traveller Collective.
They make tiny rings that are stamped with the counties that you’ve visited.
These can then be made into a necklace or clip.
What I love about the company is that they donate 20% of their profits back to social
projects around the world.
They say that it’s their way of giving back for all the great memories and experiences
that they’ve gained through traveling.
I personally haven’t purchased them, but I’m definitely thinking about ordering a
set for myself.
It seems like a great way to memorialize and record where you’ve been and how much those
experiences have changed your life.
2. Merino wool clothing: We did a video earlier this year on why a lot of travelers are raving
about wool clothing.
If you haven’t seen it, check it out.
I actually love my merino wool shirts.
They’re not only comfortable, but they also seem wearable for more days between washes,
which is very useful when traveling.
Plus, the fabric has some unique temperature regulating qualities that make them versatile
for traveling and outdoor activities.
If you’re looking for merino wool clothing, I definitely recommend Woolly Clothing Company.
I actually got their long-sleeve hoodie after testing out their t-shirt, and it’s now
one of my favorite items to carry.
I even wear it around my apartment since it’s so comfortable.
Also, it looks like Wolly Clothing is going to launching a pants line soon, so
I’m eager to try it out to see whether it’s a good fit for travelers.
3.
Humangear bottles, tubs, and utensils: Some items that I’ve used a lot in the past few years
are my Humangear soft bottles and utensils.
I’ve mentioned it in a couple of videos, but I always think that they are a great gift idea
for travelers.
Like packing cubes, there are many manufacturers of these silicone and plastic bottles and tubs, but Humangear
was the original.
I always manage to find a use for their gear, especially when it comes to packing my liquids
and toiletries.
We’ve even used them for picnics at the beach, and they always work well without leaking.
4. Portable safe: We’ve done a lot of portable safe reviews in the past.
I really like these devices, and have found them useful for a variety of situations like
Airbnb stays and when traveling at smaller hotels.
These are definitely useful products for travelers, especially those that stay in hostels
or are traveling through developing countries.
Check out our portable safe playlist for more information.
5.
Packing gear: Ok, packing cubes might be the most common item on this list.
A few years ago, it seemed like packing cubes were a new thing.
But in the last few years, they’ve really grown in popularity, and rightfully so.
They’re a very useful item for traveling.
That being said, I feel like you can never have too many of them, especially when they
are available in different sizes and shapes.
And if packing cubes are just too common for you, consider other packing devices and tools
like compressible laundry bags or clothing envelope folders.
We’ve done reviews of several of these items, so check out our packing gear playlist for
more information.
6. Organizers: As a traveler, I’m always looking for new ways to organize my gear.
I have a few organizers, and each fits a different need.
I recently got a passport organizer from Zero Grid that I really like.
It’s extremely durable and high quality.
I like that it has RFID protection, zips up, and is made from ripstop nylon.
Their products even have a lifetime warranty.
If you look online, you’ll see that they’re affordable and have a lot of great customer
reviews.
For electronics, I’m always looking for ways to keep everything nice and tidy.
When I travel, I usually pack two different electronics organizers since I’m carrying
a lot of cables and chargers.
I’ve really liked using the Travelon Urban Tech Accessory Organizer that I featured in
our How to Pack Cables and Chargers video.
I also got a Zero Grid Electronics Travel Organizer which has been great.
The Zero Grid organizer has a ton of elastic straps which means that I can fit a lot of
different items, in all sorts of different configurations.
In fact, I’ll usually carry one of these organizers in my suitcase while keeping the
other in my backpack.
I like to keep the chargers and cables that I might need on the plane close by, while
my drone or camera chargers can usually stay packed in my larger bag.
7. Chargers: As we accumulate more electronics in our life, we usually need more chargers.
I love multi-port chargers that allow you to charge more than one device at a time.
Those of you familiar with our videos know that I love battery chargers and power banks
from Anker.
I always carry my tiny Powercore Mini+, and it’s come in handy more times than I can
remember.
Also, I recently received an interesting charger from Hip Product Factory that allows you to
charge your phone at the plug.
This might seem like a weird thing, but I can’t tell you how many times I've been in a hotel
where there seems to be a lack of plugs.
This allows me to charge my phone at the plug rather than leaving it on the floor, where it could get stepped on
when I'm walking to the bathroom at night.
This is another company that I am interested in exploring because they seem to make a lot of products
that address common travel issues.
8.
Travel camera: This is by far the most expensive item on the list.
Earlier this year, I did a review of the DJI Osmo Mobile 2 smartphone stabilizer, and I
actually did not recommend it for travelers, mostly because it seemed to be bulky and cumbersome
to use.
Definitely check out the video for more details on why I decided to return it.
However, DJI has recently released a new gimbal that is pocket-sized and extremely powerful.
It hasn’t officially been released yet, it comes out on December 15th, but a lot of tech reviewers had a chance to
review it, and it seems like most of them found it to be amazing.
While I don’t have one either, it’s definitely on my list of gear that I am planning to get
soon.
I have a larger full-size gimbal, but this would allow me to travel with less weight.
While your smartphone is a very powerful and capable camera, a separate and stabilized
gimbal and camera gives you a lot of creative options.
Plus, DJI is planning to release accessories like an underwater case, which makes this
an awesome camera for those of you into adventure trips and sports.
9. Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: This actually a great way to give the gift of travel without
spending any money.
For those of you in points and miles, you may want to consider giving Global Entry
or TSA PreCheck to a friend or family member.
If you’re a point and miles collector, you often have multiple
cards that reimburse you for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck.
For example, I renewed my Global Entry last year with my Chase Sapphire Reserve.
However, if I had another card that offered the reimbursement, like an American Express
Platinum or Capital One Venture card, I could offer to pay for the program with my card
allowing a close friend or family member to get either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
There isn’t really a seamless way to gift Global Entry or TSA PreCheck to someone else.
You would need to have them use your card when paying.
However, I think it’s a great way to use a benefit that you already have and may not
use while also improving the travel experience for someone else.
Keep in mind that your card’s benefit can only be used once every five years since that’s
how long Global Entry membership lasts.
Also, while I think that Globel Entry is a much better value than TSA PreCheck, the application
process for Global Entry is a lot more exhaustive and comprehensive.
If you have someone who might have some issues with their background or history, then you
might want to opt for TSA PreCheck over Global Entry.
10. Airline gift cards: Several credit cards offer a travel or airline credit.
Most popular is the American Express Platinum and Gold cards which give you credit toward
airline incidentals.
However, while gift cards are usually not considered an incidental purchase, certain
airline gift cards are known to work in triggering this credit.
In fact, I needed to use the $100 airline credit for my American Express Gold card for
this year, and I recently purchased a gift card from Southwest.
Keep in mind that you’re limited to airlines that you’ve designated with this benefit.
I’ll include a link to a Points Guy article that reviews which airline gift cards qualify
for the credit.
We’ve shared several links in the video description.
Trip Astute does get a percentage if you use our link.
It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it helps us to continue building content for
the channel.
Lastly, If your holiday plans include traveling away from home, make sure to check out our
holiday travel video from last year.
We also have free packing and travel checklists that you can download from our website for
free.
I’ll include a link in the video description.
We’re hoping that it comes in handy.
If you enjoyed this video or found it useful, please give it a thumbs up and consider sharing
our video with others.
It really helps us with growing the channel and our community.
Also, make sure you enter our 10,000 subscribers giveaway for five $20 Amazon gift cards.
The contest ends on Friday, December 14th.
Until next time, travel safe and travel smart.