Everybody gets socks for Christmas. Every traveler gets packing cubes. But what about something truly unique that will surprise and delight?
These unique gifts for travelers may not be one of a kind, but they are certain to delight. A suitcase for carrying wine, interesting travel keepsakes, a wind proof umbrella, and a safe that fits in the trailer hitch of your vehicle. Browse this list and you just might find a gift you weren’t expecting to buy.
2021 Holiday Gift Guides
Before you can buy the perfect Christmas gift, you have to find it. Each year, I publish a series of Holiday Gift Guides to help you find fantastic travel gear, accessories, unique gifts, and awesome items to put under the tree.
- Ocoopa Rechargeable Hand Warmer
- VinGardeValise Wine Bottle Suitcase
- GrowlerWerks uKeg Go Growler
- BoxLegend Garment Folder
- Addalock
- Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella
- The Wander Club Travel Keepsake
- Orvis Engraved Brass Luggage Tags
- Onewheel
- Anker PowerCore III 10K Powerbank
- Garage Monkey LED Road Safety Flare
- Joby GripTight Pro 2
- Cafflano Klassic All-In-One Coffee Maker
- Ember Travel Mug 2
- HitchSafe
- SPOT Personal Locator Beacon
No. 01
Ocoopa Rechargeable Hand Warmer
Cold hands, warm heart is a nice slogan for date night, but in reality, cold hands are just miserable. Of course, gloves would be a nice way to stave off the coldness – or you could use the Ocoopa Rechargeable Hand Warmer.
With a 10,000mAh lithium-ion battery, the electric hand warmer features three settings from 95-degrees to 131-degrees and can last up to 15 hours. When the battery dies, simply plug it into a USB-C charger for a quick recharge.
No. 02
VinGardeValise Wine Bottle Suitcase
Are you looking for the perfect gift for the wine lover in your life? The VinGardeValise Wine Bottle Suitcase just might be the perfect gift for someone who frequently flies to vineyards around the world.
The hard-shell suitcase features high density foam inserts that can hold five 750ml bottles of wine safely. The TSA-compliant lock on the suitcase will keep your precious wine secured while rolling through the airport. The case features enough room for personal belongings for about a four-day trip to your favorite vineyard.
No. 03
GrowlerWerks uKeg Go Growler
The most frustrated aspect of finding a great craft beer while traveling is the inability to take very much of it with you. Not all craft brewer bottle or can their beers, and even when they do it’s limited quantities. Growlers are great for taking the beer with you – but it doesn’t last very long.
The GrowlerWerks uKeg Go Carbonated Growler changes that. Using an 8-gram CO2 cartridge – sold separately so be sure to get a few – the growler can maintain fresh contents for weeks after getting filled. With a 64-ounce and 128-ounce capacity, it’s finally possible to take that newly discovered craft beer with you on the road to your next destination.
The GrowlerWerks Maintenance and Cleaning Kit would make the perfect stocking stuffer.
No. 04
BoxLegend Garment Folder
Whether or not you use packing cubes while traveling, you will at least need to fold your clothes – even while at home. The BoxLegend V3 Garment Folder makes that tedious task effortless and quick, giving you more time to plan the trip.
The third version of the popular garment folder is made from sturdy plastic with secure joints. It folds flat for travel – measuring just 9.5-inches by 11.6-inches. Using the three panels, it’s easy to fold pants, shirts, jackets, and even blankets in mere seconds.
No. 05
Addalock
Hotel rooms almost always have a deadbolt lock to keep you safely secured inside. But what about long-term rentals, Airbnb, and bed and breakfasts? Often, these types of lodging feature only the lock on the doorhandle.
Addalock gives you the opportunity to add a lock to a door that needs an extra. The device uses a durable piece of metal that slips into the door’s latch, secures the faceplate, and then secures to the inside of the closed door. Addalock only works on residential doors, but it secures those doors against lock picks and kick ins.
No. 06
Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella
The biggest fear of using an umbrella during a summer thunderstorm is a gust of wind turning it inside out. But with the Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella, that fear can be put to rest. Resin reinforced fiberglass ribs keep the Teflon-coated fabric secure, while a vent at the top allows wind to blow through and keeps the rain out.
The umbrella is less than a foot long, weighs less than a pound, and features a slip-proof handle for carrying. It’s the perfect travel umbrella for your next adventure!
No. 07
The Wander Club Travel Keepsake
The Wander Club Travel Keepsake is an interesting way to collect mementos from your travels. The keepsake begins with a Token Holder – leather keychains or necklaces. Then, tiny travel tokens are slipped onto the holders. Tokens are engraved with names of states, countries, landmarks, and national parks – and you can order custom engravings.
No. 08
Orvis Engraved Brass Luggage Tags
A unique gift for the frequent traveler would be the gorgeous Engraved Brass Luggage Tags from Orvis. Up to four lines of custom text – each twenty-five characters long – can be engraved onto brass tags with brass carabiner hooks. With a set of three custom tags, it’s a good start to getting all the bags tagged before the next adventure!
National Park Week 2024
Learn about the annual celebration of the National Park System and read my travel guides to national park units across the country.
No. 09
Onewheel
It took 8 years for Kyle Doerksen to reinvent the way people get around. In 2013, he founded Onewheel in Santa Cruz, California, and gave us all a new and exciting way to explore destinations.
Onewheel is a small standing platform built around a single wheel, equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the wheels have a range of 6-18 miles. Riders balance the Onewheel like a surfboard on a wheel and ride down the streets, sidewalks, and trails at nearly twenty miles per hour.
No. 10
Anker PowerCore III 10K Powerbank
In a world of mobile devices, endless streaming, and constant data transfers, we need power to our cellphones more than ever. Anker is an industry leader in portable powerbanks for cellphones, tablets, and laptops, but with their latest powerbank they have taken to the next level.
The Anker PowerCore III 10K Powerbank features a Qi charger to wireless charge your cellphone. This allows you to simply place the phone beside the charger in a bag, purse, or flat surface, and the charging begins. With a 10,000mAh lithium-ion battery, you’ll be able to charge your mobile device dozens of times.
No. 11
Garage Monkey LED Road Safety Flare
Car problems stranding you on the side of a busy highway is scary enough to begin with, but at night it can be downright daunting. Traditional flares would do the trick for alerting other drivers, but the Garage Monkey LED Road Safety Flare is by far the best tool on the market.
The waterproof, battery powered devices have 9 flare modes including strobe, flash, and steady – the lights are powerful. The 4-pack bundle has been out of stock because of supply chain issues, but the 2-pack bundle is still available and would be a good starter kit.
No. 12
Joby GripTight Pro 2
Cellphones are the most used digital camera for recording video and capturing still photos. Naturally, people want to hold cellphones vertically – but that doesn’t always make for the best videos or photos. That’s why the Joby GripTight Pro 2 is such a useful accessory.
The grip can secure a cellphone to a tripod or handle grip and – using a knob on the back – rotate from a vertical orientation to horizontal. The Pro 2 – the latest version made by Joby – also includes a cold shoe mount for adding a small light or microphone.
No. 13
Cafflano Klassic All-In-One Coffee Maker
The Cafflano Klassic All-in-One Coffee Maker is one of the coolest – or hottest – ways to make coffee while traveling. A drip kettle, ceramic burr grinder, stainless steel cone filter, and 450ml (15.2 oz) tumbler screw together into a compact form for easy travel.
It is almost an all-in-one – you still need to add hot water. The Bodum Bistro Electric Water Kettle is a 17-ounce electric boiler to get the hot water you need for a great pour over coffee.
No. 14
Ember Travel Mug 2
Keeping your coffee or tea warm in a travel mug is great, but what if you could keep it warm at precisely the temperature you like? With the Ember Travel Mug 2, that is exactly what you can do.
Ember first came on the market with their 10-ounce and 14-ounce smart mugs for use around the home or office. Powered by a lithium-ion battery and controlled by an app on your smartphone, the mugs keep the contents at a precise temperature you choose. The Travel Mug operates the same way, but also includes a touchscreen on the mug for control without the app.
No. 15
HitchSafe
Do you travel with a spare key or fob for your vehicle? What about a credit card in case you lose your wallet? Storing them inside your vehicle can be problematic – unless you have a safe. The HitchSafe is a unique and interesting device that allows you to store a small amount of goods inside the trailer hitch of your vehicle.
The HitchSafe secures to your trailer hitch and keeps contents protected with a four-digit code. A rubber cover hides the numbers from sight, adding an extra layer of protection. Inside, you have just enough room to keep a few items to help you out of a jam if the worst happens while you’re on the road.
No. 16
SPOT Personal Locator Beacon
Most hiking trails have logs where hikers can register their journey, giving rangers a tip in case something happens along the way. But even knowing someone is lost on a trail does not guarantee they’ll be found quickly. The SPOT Personal Locator Beacon, or PLB, is a device that adds a layer of protection anywhere in the world.
The SPOT PLB uses a direct satellite connection that transmits your GPS location to a secure network. Users with access – parents, spouses, or friends – can access your location through the SPOT website to see your current location. The SPOT Trace only tracks your GPS, but the SPOT Gen4 allows you to send preprogrammed custom messages to alert authorities you are in danger.
