7 Helpful Gifts For People Who Love Travel
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Whatever the occasion may be (Christmas, birthdays, Mother’s Day, graduation), how do you go about selecting gifts for people who love travel? If they are frequent travelers, chances are they might already have the newest and best items on the market.
As a minimalist, I primarily buy things only when necessary. I see no need for extra things “just because” unless I’m 123% sure they will 1) add value to my life, 2) make travel more convenient, or 3) make dreaming up future trips more fun. I carefully weigh the pros and cons of adding any item to my collection and conclude that the following items are very helpful.
I use these things every time I travel, even around town. I’m sure the travel-loving friends and family in your life will love them, too!
Helpful Gifts For People Who Love Travel
1. Portable Power Bank
For years I maintained my phone’s battery while I traveled by using just OK versions of portable chargers I’d picked up for free at conferences, and I always carried an extra wall charger that I’d use any chance I got. That all changed after I purchased my Anker PowerCore 10,000 portable charger.
On my recent trip to Europe, I mainly used my phone to take photos and videos and charged it throughout the day with . It’s compact, pretty light, and has a fast charge! Plus, I only had to recharge the power bank itself every 2-3 days.
Some of the PowerCore 10k power banks were recalled in 2025, but I highly recommend Anker power banks over other brands. Since I just finally upgraded to iPhone 17, I’m in the market for a wireless, magnetic power bank.
Must-have accessories that go with your portable charger:
2. Packing Cubes
Honestly, what was I even doing before I discovered packing cubes? They help keep everything so organized – I love it! It doesn’t hurt to have a few different styles and sizes on hand for different types of trips.
Smaller packing cubes are especially good for wrangling small things like adapters, chargers, and cords. However, stay away from large packing cubes because they are pretty unuseful after a certain point.
3. E-Reader
Regarding e-readers, for a long time, I thought the versatility of my Kindle Fire far outweighed that of a simple Kindle. Since it’s a tablet and not just an e-reader, I could listen to audiobooks, watch movies and tv shows, browse the internet, and play games when I traveled with it.
4. Anti-Theft Purse by Travelon
I can’t speak highly enough about Travelon’s “messenger bag” style. This bag comes on every trip I take. It seems small but can hold a lot of stuff within its multiple pockets.
Most importantly, my DSLR fits in the main compartment, and there’s room for my phone, wallet, a water bottle, or a travel coffee mug (like the one below). Plus more if need be. If I’m not carrying my camera, my Kindle Fire can slide right in its place along with a notebook and pen to take notes.
All Travelon bags have slash-resistant bodies and straps, and all compartments have a locking zipper. It really is the ultimate anti-theft bag!
The only downside to this bag is that the adjustable strap is slippery. So, I was constantly readjusting it. The fix I came up with was to secure it with a safety pin that hasn’t budged in years.
5. Travel Coffee Mug
I don’t go anywhere without this travel coffee mug, whether I’m traveling or not. It’s a perfect size (fits A LOT of coffee), keeps my coffee hot for hours, and it’s 100% leakproof! I’m known to have the dropsies, so this is a great feature for me!
This is an everyday item for me since it helps me avoid single-use plastic while I’m out and about. That makes it an absolute must-have item no matter where I travel.
6. Grayl Reusable Water Bottle with Filter
The Geopress Purifier is a powerful on-the-go water filter and reusable water bottle in one.
In less than 10 seconds, it filters 24 oz of water, removing pathogens like viruses, bacteria, and protozoan cysts from any water source. It also filters pesticides, chemicals, heavy metals, and microplastics to improve water quality, smell, and taste no matter where it comes from.
Light packers or city travelers may prefer the smaller Ultrapress Purifier, which holds 16.9 oz of water, to save space in their luggage.
Plus, if any part of your Grayl water bottle is ever damaged, they have an entire line of replacement parts. So you don’t have to replace the entire bottle
Must-have Grayl accessories:
Grayl provided a Geopress and Ultrapress Purifier as a gift to try out. However, I do highly recommend them.
7. GoPro
If you love photography, you can never have too many cameras, right? Especially if you’re adding a powerful and compact camera to your collection!
At first, I was unsure of which version to start with, but after reading through the specs and reviews of each version, I decided on the GoPro Hero7 White. As a beginner GoPro user, I didn’t want to go for something too advanced and end up not using it correctly or effectively. At this stage, the features that were important to me were that it is waterproof, has a touch screen, and is connected to my iPhone via the GoPro app.
Must-have accessories for this GoPro:
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