Like to feel prepared when you’ve got the road beneath your feet? Whether you’re planning a quick break or a few months around the world, this is our top 10 travel essentials!
Under £50
Portable charger
Available from around £15 the portable charger is a traveller’s best friend, and if you are looking for a gift for people who love to travel then this is a good budget option. These gadgets can range all the way up to around £100 or more so do your homework but there are many cheaper models that work very well. Check for the amount of charge that each portable charger provides and how long it can hold that charge. This is because some are more suited to a day trip whereas others can be useful for longer periods of travel. Needless to say that your loved one will be thanking you heartily when they manage to access their map app without worrying about the life of their battery.
Dry bag
There’s a huge range of waterproof, fully submersible and storm-proof bags for all manner of valuables and these can be priceless tor anyone travelling, whether it is to protect their most precious gadget, keep their camera dry on a long trek, or a fully submersible to take their valuables into the sea with them (a wonderful gift for surfers).
Noise cancelling earphones
Available from around £15, noise cancelling earphones can be bought at a very economical price. However, they do range up to around £300 so this can be a pricier item if you would like to spend a little more on for your gift. It could be worth considering a higher price tag if you are likely to engage in extreme activities or harsh environments. The best thing for people who adore travel is that if you are on a plane or other noisy environment these headphones will cancel out the background noise, which means that you don’t have to turn your music up as loud to be able to hear it, this is better for your hearing health. They can be bought as headphones or earbuds.
Flexible tripod
You can pick up a flexible tripod such as the Gorillapod for around £15 with some models that are more expensive than this. The Gorrillapod is a camera tripod that has three flexible feet that can bend and wrap around things to provide a steady camera base in any environment. The perfect budget gift for any wandering photographer in your life.
Under £100
Secure bags
A secure bag is a thoughtful and practical gift. There are many brands available and they start around £20 rising to somewhere in the region of £100 plus, with the average product around the £50 mark. Ranging from handbags, rucksacks and even wallets, they have varying safety features. Most have anti-cut fabrics and hidden pockets for valuables.
SurfEasy
Use Wi-Fi in any location without fear of an open network. The SurfEasy is a nifty little gadget that is available from around £78 and up, and it will encrypt your browsing in hotspots and other networks to protect your online privacy and identity.
Pocket projector
A small pocket-sized projector can be great if you are travelling with companions as you can enjoy a quiet night in your hotel room with the family and a movie. The projectors start at around £80 and you can get them as small as a keychain, so there is no need to worry about size when packing.
Over £100
Digital camera
Although this is probably a standard gift for someone who loves to travel there is a very good reason for this. Who doesn’t want some amazing snaps from their latest trip? A new camera might be just the thing they are looking for and you can get some excellent ones from around £100. Check for a good quality lens and high number of megapixels as these will provide a better photograph. Unless you’re printing pictures bigger than A4 as you will not need more than 8MP. Although the larger DSLR cameras can be of professional quality, think of packing and go for a smaller version if possible, or even a compact camera if professional style photos are not the top priority, although always opt for an optical zoom as opposed to a digital one.
Tablet
If they do not already own one a tablet is magnificent when travelling, as well as when they are at home! There are budget tablets that start from around £130 with the more high-end coming in at around £300. Make sure you look at memory and 3G capabilities if the purpose of buying is for travel as these will become all important when you are not in a home environment.
A trip
Of course, the top gift you can get for any travel lover is a trip somewhere, just make sure you check with people around them and their workplace before you book if this is a surprise. Alternatively you could make a home-made travel voucher saying that they can book a trip up to a certain value.