2017 Travel Gift Guide for the Well-Travelled Woman
10 Gift Ideas for the Female Traveller in Your Life
It can be tricky to find the perfect gift for a well-traveled woman. Whether it’s your friend, sister, girlfriend, wife, mother, or other the goal is give her something she’ll be able to take with her to make her trip more enjoyable. But how do you separate the useful from the useless, the innovative from the overdone?
I’ve combed through tons of products and rounded up some of my own favourite items from the past year, as well as things that will be on my own Christmas list this year, to create my travel gift guide for well-travelled women.
PopSockets
If you’re looking for the perfect stocking stuff for your selfie-loving, Snapchatting travel friend, look no further than PopSockets. These handy little devices attach to your phone case and allow you to hold your phone more easily with just two fingers. I always found it awkward to hold my phone and take a photo with the same hand – my thumb just wasn’t that flexible. Now I don’t need to worry about dropping my phone while trying to get the shot. It also doubles as a prop/stand and a cord management tool.
Kameleon Convertible Travel Dress
There are many travel dresses out there who promise the world and fall short. The Kameleon convertible travel dress isn’t one of them. It’s made from a good quality, quick dry fabric that has a nice drape and doesn’t feel cheap. It’s versatile enough to give you a few different looks without trying to be 850 things in one. It also rolls up compactly for easy packing. Read my full review.
Saddleback Leather Backpack
Have a luxury traveller on your list? Get them one of the best leather backpacks I’ve ever seen. Saddleback Leather Co. bags are made with such high quality thick leather and top craftsmanship that the company slogan is “They’ll fight over it when you’re dead.” I believe it. The thin front pocket backpack makes a great carry on bag for someone who routinely checks their luggage and just wants a few essentials with them at their seat. You can easily fit a 15” laptop, novel, headphones, inflatable travel pillow, eye mask and whatever else you need to make that long haul flight doable. I had a fellow traveller stop me at an airport gate recently to tell me that she loved the look of the bag. I imagine as I continue to break in the bag it’ll just get more and more character.
Multi-currency Wallet
One of my pet peeves when I travel to multiple countries on a single trip is having to juggle various currencies in one wallet. For example, on my recent trip I found myself with Canadian dollars, UK pounds, and Euro all in my wallet. I don’t want to travel with multiple purses but swapping out bills is a pain. Enter the multi-currency wallet from Aspinal of London. It has 4 colour coded zippered pouches where you can keep your bills and coins. Jumbled currency problem solved.
Packable Down Jacket
If you’re in Europe in the fall and you’re not wearing a packable down jacket, are you even really in Europe? While having a drink in Ljubljana in September I counted at least 30 people stroll buy in some form of this cool weather staple in 30 minutes. My pick is the Ultra Light Down Jacket from Uniqlo. It’s super lightweight but with a minimum of 90% down filling it’s still warm for those chilly fall days. The best bit, is that it packs down super small into its own carry case. I once even jammed mine into my Pacsafe purse. Any wrinkles fell right out and it fluffed back up with a few shakes. Pair it with a raincoat you’re good for most weather.
Water Sneakers
Here’s something I wish I’d had on my trip this year to the Philippines. I wore my $5 Walmart rubber flip flops most of the time because I was constantly in and out of water, including a 45min jungle hike to a waterfall. Mesh water sneakers would’ve served me a bit better for the boat in Sabang, motorbike daytripping, or that jungle hike. They’re lightweight, quite squishable for packing and definitely look nicer than traditional water socks.
Airport Code Love
I don’t know about you but after travelling awhile you start to talk in airport codes. No longer do you look for flights from Toronto to London, but instead search for YYZ to LHR. Airportag has a large range of products that you can pick up with your favourite three letter code. I always get a little thrill seeing my home airport on things. Personally, I’ve got my eye on the YYT pouch for storing all my random cords and adapters.
GorillaPod
My latest piece of tech gear that I can’t stop raving about is my Joby GorillaPod Hybrid. I use an iPhone tripod attachment to take timelapses, extend my selfie reach, and to take full body shots when no one else if around. I can also use it as a phone stand for watching Netflix. ;) It’s small enough to fit into my Pacsafe purse so I can have it with me throughout the day without feeling burdened. The bendable legs mean that you can use a GorillaPod in places that a regular tripod would fear to tread. Attach it to a fence post or a stair rail or hang it from a tree branch.
Saje Arrive Revived
No one has time to let jet lag get in their way of their vacation. Pack a bottle of Arrive Revived jet lag and travel mist from Saje Natural Wellness and fight that jet lag head on. The mist helps reduce drowsiness and fatigue and increase alertness. For when coffee just isn’t enough to keep you up until a reasonable bedtime.
SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick
Carry on only travellers are always on the lookout for products that won’t take up precious space in their 1L liquids bag. How does a stylish traveller go carry on only without packing their cleansers, shampoos, moisturizers, and more? The SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick is a great non-liquid option. Just twist up the solid and swipe over damp skin and massage with fingertips to lather. Free from artificial colors, parabens, and synthetic preservatives, this is recommended for all skin types, even sensitive.
That’s it for my 2017 travel gift guide. I hope you found some great gift ideas for the well-travelled woman in your life.
November 13th, 2017 at 2:48 pm (#)
Nice list! I am looking for a nice backpack. I have a pac safe one but I really don’t like it. I like the idea of the multi currency wallet too, but I like my bills and coins separate from each other.
November 30th, 2017 at 7:51 am (#)
That Packable Down Jacket and Water Sneakers really look good. I’ll get them soon. Thanks for the tip!