The traveling heart in us often aspires to live a minimalist lifestyle so we can travel longer and live a less expensive lifestyle. We avoid overpriced clothes, try to cut out expensive and unnecessary gadgets, and use up our gear ’til it’s just falling apart. Even with this mindset, there are some travel accessories that are too irresistible to pass up. Whether you need a gift idea for your traveler friends, or you just want to treat yourself, check out these five gifts every traveler wants.
GoPro
The GoPro is a tiny, versatile, waterproof video camera that is perfect for traveling. Capture your craziest action shots bungee jumping in the tropics, or document your night clubbing in Ibiza (how else will you remember everything?) This is definitely a pricier travel gadget, but one that is well worth it. The camera is specifically made for capturing adventure videos and photos, so you won’t have to worry about breaking it or carrying around a bulky camera.
Photo via GoPro
Neck Pillow
The best neck pillow is two-in-one, so you can have a pillow for sleeping on planes and trains as well as a small, normal pillow for when hostels don’t have clean pillows (it happens). I was against neck pillows for a long time, but after having such bad neck pain while traveling, I finally bought one for my flight home. It. Is. Revolutionary. I have never slept so much on a plane. Make sure to buy one before you get to the airport, so you don’t pay too much for one.
Photo via Reno Solutions
Journal
Since this is a gift, we wouldn’t mind a Moleskine or beautiful leather-bound journal, but of course, any ol’ composition book will do the trick. While traveling, we experience so many new places, food, people, and culture that documenting it is crucial to reflect on what we’ve seen. Every traveler should have a journal when you’re traveling or while you’re at home. Writing while you’re traveling helps you take a moment to rest and reflect on new experiences. When you’re home months later, keep writing because who know’s when you’ll have an epiphany about something that happened months prior.
Photo via Flikr/Matthew Mendoza
Laundry Soap Sheets
When you’re traveling for an extended period of time, the second to last thing you want to do is carry laundry detergent, and the very last thing you want to do is pay for laundry detergent. Whether you’re washing your clothes by hand or using a washer, this tiny packet of laundry sheets dissolves right into the water. You won’t get the soap suds you expect while washing your clothes, but they’ll still be fresh as ever. These are also great for a camping trip.
Photo via DormCo
Inflatable Checked Luggage Wine Bag
This idea came from a list of great travel accessories Buzzfeed put together. While a little pricey, if you’re taking home an even pricier bottle of wine from abroad, pack it into this wine bag and then into your checked luggage to safeguard your bottle. Amazon’s reviews seem to say that this wine bag works to protect your bottle during air travel.
Photo via Amazon
