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Gear & packingBy Clever Tourists · Published · Last updated
The best gift for a traveller is something they will use on every trip and that does not add weight: a better bag, a way to organise the bag, or one piece of weather gear that replaces two. Travellers already own the basics, so novelty items (scratch maps, passport-shaped mugs) tend to stay home. Everything below comes from our gear list, the kit we used over 526 days in 20 countries.
• Ask how they travel, not where. A carry-on-only traveller wants smaller and lighter; someone on a road trip cares less.
• Replace, don't add. The most welcome gifts upgrade something they already carry and complain about, such as a worn-out daypack or a jacket that wets out.
• Avoid sizing guesses on shoes and clothes unless you know their size and brand, or include a gift receipt.
• Skip anything fragile, bulky or single-use. If it will not fit in a carry-on, it will not leave the house.
The Osprey Porter 46 was our main bag for the whole trip. It opens like a suitcase rather than from the top, so you can pack and unpack from a hostel bunk without emptying it, and the harness tucks away when you check it in. Osprey sells it as a carry-on size, but cabin limits vary by airline, so a budget-airline flyer should check the specific limits before relying on that. Our full Osprey Porter 46 review covers it in detail.
It suits someone who moves every few days. For a person who flies to one place and stays put, a wheeled case may still make more sense.
A crossbody bag that stays in front of you is the simplest defence against pickpockets on metros and in crowded old towns. The Pacsafe Citysafe CX is built around anti-theft features (locking zips and slash-resistant materials) and converts between a crossbody and a tote, so it works as a day bag at home too. It is a good gift for someone heading to Barcelona, Rome, Paris or Hanoi.
Shoe bags keep dirty soles off clean clothes and double as laundry bags. They are a cheap gift that a traveller will use every single trip. See small travel gifts and stocking stuffers for more ideas in that range.
A waterproof shell that packs small covers rain in Southeast Asia's wet season, spring showers in Japan and wind on the Great Ocean Road. Pick a size with room for a fleece underneath, because the jacket is the outer layer on cold days too.
For someone with a trip already booked, money toward the trip is often the most useful gift: a night in a better hotel, a food tour or a museum pass. Our booking page lists the search tools we use for flights, hotels and tours.
Something they will use every trip without adding weight: a better carry-on backpack, an anti-theft day bag, packing organisers such as shoe bags, or a packable rain jacket.
Bulky, fragile or single-use novelty items, and clothes or shoes in a size you are guessing. If it does not fit in a carry-on it usually stays home.
Osprey sells it as a carry-on travel pack, but cabin size limits vary by airline, so check the airline's limits, especially on budget carriers.
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