What do you buy someone who never seems to stay in the one place for very long? Every year, relatives always struggle with gifts for David and I as we're always on the move and don't really have anywhere permanent to store things.
We don't have a house, we wouldn't take nice or expensive clothes travelling with us for fear of them being ruined. We don't really need things.
Most of what we own needs to be able to fit in a backpack, and also needs to be practical. Sure, I could fit a pair of expensive suede knee high boots in my backpack but I don't really need them.
So, instead, we have complied a list of items that travellers actually do need; or really cool, practical things that we would personally recommend.
- Nothing on this list is a sponsored product (i.e. no one is paying us or giving us free stuff to include these products in this list.)
- They are all affordable; as much as we would all love a MacBook Pro for Christmas, this list is a little more realistic with most products costing less than £20!
1. sass & Val passport cover
I love this passport cover! And as a traveler, a passport is literally your most prized possession so its good to keep it safe (and in good condition!)
£4.70
2. Luggage tag
You know when your standing at the luggage carousel and every bag looks the same? (unless you are like my papa who attaches tinsel to his suitcase) This luggage tag is super cute, and makes your luggage noticeable!
£3.45
3. Purefly travel pillow
The longest flight we've ever done was Melbourne to Dubai, which took around 17 hours. I'm not entirely sure I would have made it through that flight without my travel pillow! The Purefly Pillow comes with a bag to keep it clean and compact, it's super soft and cheap! Plus it won Invention of the Year 2014!
£17.99
4. eye mask
If you have a travel pillow then you are half way there, but to try and get any sleep on a plane then an eye mask is imperative! Especially if the person next to you wants to put their reading light on! This mask is really comfy and it doesn't touch your eyes which I really like! It comes with a little pouch and earplugs too.
£6.81
5. external hard drive
Before we left home to embark on our first backpacking trip across South East Asia - we downloaded lots of movies and TV shows onto this external hard drive to keep us occupied on the long bus journeys. It was our savior!
£44.99
6. headphone splitter
In addition to the hard drive, we used this headphone splitter to enable us to listen to the same thing without only having one headphone each! Perfect for people who travel together!
£2.35
7. TRAVEL JOURNAL
Keeping a travel journal is one of the best things I've ever done. I love to look back on old journals from years ago and be reminded of things my mind has long forgotten!
£9.99
8. solid shampoo & conditioner bars
These bars are a recent discovery of mine, and I love them! They last for ages, which means you don't need to buy bottles constantly. They are compact, light and perfect for travelling with.
£5.96
9. GRAYL WATER PURIFIER BOTTLE
The holy "GRAYL" of water bottles. This bottle kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses including Hepatitis A. This means you can drink tap water anywhere in the world and its better for the environment as it saves you from needing to use plastic bottles. Although it is expensive for a water bottle, it's an investment which will save you money in the long run.
£53.99
10. dry bag
A drybag is a lifesaver when you're travelling - from white water rafting, to scuba diving, to being on some questionable long tail boats. These bags ensure you can keep your valuables safe and dry when surrounded by water. And the Adventurer Ultra Dry comes with a waterproof phone case too.
£16.99
11. electonic accessories organiser
No doubt when you travel you will have cables, adapters and SIM cards coming out your ears. This organiser enables you to keep everything together and is super compact! Meaning you don't need to rifle through a backpack to find your phone charger.
£6.28
12. travel organiser
A travel organiser is the perfect place to keep your passports, cards and various currencies when on the go.
£14.99
13. kindle
Make those long bus, plane or train journeys go in faster by reading a good book! I never go anywhere without my kindle and it has kept me company on countless long journeys.
£59.99
14. portable speakers
These speakers are perfect for days lounging on the beach or camping weekends. Hook up any phone via bluetooth and listen away!
£16.99
15. universal travel adapter
Ironically, I bought this BEZ travel adapter when we went to Africa as I wasn't sure what the power points would be - and turns out they were British in both Kenya and Tanzania, so I didn't need it! However, this adapter is very handy and compact and covers every power point variable.
£7.99
16. lonely planet guide books
Lonely Planet, the travel guide of all travel guides. When you travel, these books are your bible and we rarely go anywhere without one.
£7.00+
17. backpacker card game
We love this game and became seriously addicted to it when we travelled Asia. We even changed some rules to turn it into a drinking game in Vietnam!
£9.99
Enjoy your Christmas shopping! We hope these products come in useful for the travellers in your life! Let us know if you buy any of them and what you think. Or, if there are any products you would recommend then drop us a message as we are always keen to discover new useful travel products!