Distant Shores: 62 Gifts for Someone Who Is Going Abroad
Leaving for distant shores is always a thrilling occasion. As the plane taxis on the runway or the boat leaves the harbor, the fleeting thrill of transience takes over as you head to a new land to sample the food, the culture and the life of a foreign country. Traveling abroad can be daunting, but it can also teach you things about yourself and the world that you never even conceived of before.
If someone you know is going abroad, you might want to get them a gift to take on their travels. Our list is full of gifts that are handy to have in a pinch, or help your recipient make the most out of their trip abroad. If you give them one of these awesome gifts, you might be lucky and get a postcard or a souvenir back!
Wherever the destination, you might find yourself in a place without access to safe drinking water. It might be in places with less-than-trustworthy tap water, or it can be much farther afield like a river or lake. Whatever the source, the SteriPen can sterilize water taken from it using its UV lightbulb. The SteriPen can purify a liter of water in 90 seconds and can sterilize up to 150 liters on a single pair of AA batteries.
Whether you be at sea, city, or summit, you can’t go wrong with packing a handy dandy easy-dry towel. Never know when the next spill, bout of sweat, or surprise wetting might occur, so it always helps to be ready to tackle any problem that needs an absorbent Polyester and Microfiber quick-dry towel head-on. The Sea to Summit Drylite Towel is incredibly light considering its absorbability, and is also remarkably compressible, making it a godsend for space-savers.
Never know when the dreaded day that your phone suffers a 6-foot drop or falls into water 6 feet deep. The LifeProof NÜÜD was built to withstand both and is freeze-proof to boot for those travelers who tend to visit colder climes. Whether you like to embark on adventures that are likely to get your phone dropped or wet, or you go about relatively normally throughout your travels abroad, it always helps to have an extra measure of protection for your ever-valuable smartphone.
The travel pillow is the frequent flyer’s best friend. However, most travel pillows aren’t much of pillows, to be quite frank. The Cabeau Evolution S3 improves on all the shortcomings of conventional travel pillows, with soft memory foam, quick-dry fabric, and an integral rear strap to keep the pillow well-aligned when in use, making it easier on your back. It’s even got pockets for storing small items and comes with a well-made travel bag that compresses it down to half size.
Better to have a waterproof container for your things than to cry later when an unexpected torrent washes over your day pack when out and about. Aside from the rain, you can also unsuspectingly pass by a festival that involves spraying water about, and people in a festive frenzy wouldn't discriminate between locals and travelers carrying a bunch of sensitive items in a non-waterproof bag.
This travel adapter trumps all else by sheer simplicity, and the inclusion of USB outlet compatibility. It’s simple because you need only rotate the dial to the locale of your choosing (UK, US, Asia, EU, etc.), and you’re set to charge up everything. Gone are the days of bringing along all manner of adapters so you can utilize the local power grid, the Dandelion has got you covered.
Bookish individuals would rejoice to have a Kindle along with them on their trips abroad. The paperwhite handles any lighting with ease by simulating the look of a page of the paper and is incredibly readable in the dark thanks to its subtle lighting system. Thanks to its paper-simulating screen, there’s also no glare from sun reflections.
A versatile digital camera solution in a very portable package. The RX100 VI is lightweight, sleek, and can throw down with the best DSLRs out there with its Carl Zeiss lens and 20.1 MP fidelity. Travelers abroad who don’t want to lug bulky cameras but want to take professional-quality pictures will be overjoyed to receive something like this.
While abroad, you might find yourself without the opportunity to stock up your power bank so you can charge on the go. Luckily, solar power banks such as this one exist to deliver a constant stream of charging power to a traveler constantly on the move. This works especially well for travelers who like to adventure a lot in the wilderness or some such, but it works just as well for those who simply shift from one destination to the next.
For those travelling abroad who need a lot of data for their work or simply for storing images and videos, they’ll become fast friends with the Samsung T5 portable SSD. With up to 2 terabytes of data delivered at lightning-fast speeds, the T5 can provide travelers with ample storage space for travel pictures, as well as their entire library of music, movies, and other media.
Anyone who’s ever flown anywhere is sure to be familiar with how much airlines charge for excess baggage. The Tarriss Jetsetter Digital Luggage Scale was designed with precision in mind (up to a tenth of a kilogram or 0.2 pounds), so you can dodge those pesky fees easily. This luggage scale has a maximum load of 50 kilograms (110 pounds) and comes with a long-life lithium-ion battery.
In one’s travels, one only ever needs one good hat, and the Tilley Airflo Hat fulfills that role with flying colors. With its wide brim to protect the face and the neck from the harsh sun and its generous headroom to allow for ample ventilation (hence the name), the Airflo is a shining example of what travel hats should be.
Compression socks help mitigate leg exhaustion during long flights by applying pressure to the foot and lower leg to keep it from going numb and falling asleep. Unlike previous iterations of compression socks, instead of feeling constricted, Sockwell socks deliver compression while still being incredibly cozy and comfortable. What's more, is that the merino wool that these socks are effective at preventing foot odor.
Some of us enjoy a good cocktail, even if we have it in places where one usually doesn't. This old fashioned-themed cocktail kit was put together by the The Cocktail Box Co. just for that "some of us." Packaged within are all the ingredients needed to craft a solid cocktail combination, sans the alcohol, of course. It makes 6 premium cocktails. The Cocktail Box Co. also has a champagne cocktail kit on offer.
Having trouble getting a constant Wi-Fi connection abroad? This Wi-Fi Travel Router from TP-Link provides a quick and easy solution to the constantly Wi-Fi hungry traveler. With the ability to connect multiple devices and extend the reach of existing Wi-Fi hotspots, you can effectively make just about any location Wi-Fi-enabled. Aside from that, it provides its layer of security when connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots.
Instantly get that sweet pic you just snapped in your hands, hot off the press! The Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 delivers a classic Polaroid experience with the style and functionality of a modern-day camera. It’s got modes for several lighting conditions, as well as a smart flash that varies the intensity by auto-detecting the surrounding light and the subject distance.
No one could ever go wrong with a classic power bank, and the EasyAcc is about as simple as they come. Recharge your gadgets at any time when you’re between charging opportunities, with its 4 USB ports and enough power on a full charge to charge an iPhone six times over. It’s even got a new and improved flashlight to boot.
So many testimonials are out there about how getting packing cubes to help organize their luggage changed their lives, and you don’t get that many pleased reviews without having a worthwhile product. This 4-piece set of packing cubes from G4free will help keep organized everything from tiny odds and ends to most if not all of your clothing, and keeps it neatly tucked in your luggage, fully eliminating any possibility of clutter!
The latest Fire Tablet model is miles ahead of its predecessor, able to fit in more TV shows, music, movies, books, podcasts, and other media for their consumption during off hours. Its new and improved battery can last up to 10 hours on a full charge. There’s even an option to get a model with 400GB of internal storage, which would probably enable you to load your entire library of media onto it without even bothering with an external SD card.
Like with any place you’re going to need a good jacket to keep you comfy and protected from the elements while out and about abroad. The Arc’teryx Hybrid Jacket, aside from being stylish, is an absolute champion at keeping the occasional frigid breeze or sudden rainfall from putting a damper on your day. It's also incredibly lightweight and breathable, making it appropriate to wear for most situations.
If you're looking for gifts for someone who is going abroad who tends to have a lot of electronics, this organizer bag will make him, or her breathe a sigh of relief. The Jelly Comb Organizer Bag has multiple pockets and straps for storing cables, cords, batteries, chargers, and whatever other electronic device paraphernalia have you. It’s even got space for a small tablet in a hidden envelope.
Ladies who like to travel with their jewelry tend to be sick and tired of the hardships that come with all their pretty pearls and earrings and whatever else have you. No more, with the WODISON Travel Jewelry Organizer. It has separate sections to keep paired jewelry like earrings together, and easily tangled jewelry like necklaces and bracelets from one another. Its removable pouch handles any larger pieces like heavy pearl necklaces nicely.
Some people (and gift-givers) can’t quite afford things like fancy modern polaroids or DLSRs as gifts for someone who is going abroad, but Shuttermoons 5-in-1 phone camera lens kit provides a fantastic low-cost solution that’ll enable you to take professional-quality photos with none of the expensive gear. All the classic phone camera lens gear is here, including a wide-angle lens, fisheye lens, and a macro lens, enabling even the humblest smartphone to rival the quality of basic DSLR cameras.
The special feature of this sleep mask is its contoured design, which gives it optimal light-blocking capability while at the same time preventing it from coming into contact with your face, which is great if you have sensitive skin or like to sleep with makeup on. It easily fits any face type thanks to the large buffer space between the mask and the skin, and the straps used to fasten it are tangle-free, even for hair.
Going abroad when you’re on a strict medicine regime that involves a variety of medicines can be pretty tricky, particularly on the organization side of things. Case-It’s Med Manager takes care of that, with its elastic holder loops that hold on to pill bottles of just about any size, as well as an interior pouch that holds other medicines and medicinal paraphernalia. Included with the product is a 7-day pill organizer. You can also add a luggage lock for the Med Manager for some added security, thanks to its double zipper design.
Even if you keep your toothbrush all prim and proper, there's no guarantee that microbes won't multiply all over the very thing you use on your pearly whites every day. Enter the Pursonice S1 Portable UV Toothbrush Sanitizer. Pop the included toothbrush in the case, and it'll immerse it in a UV bath to kill any uninvited guests that have made camp on your trusty old toothbrush.
Ironing can be a hassle even if you’re somewhat settled into your new abode somewhere abroad. Luckily such magical items as the Lewis N. Clark Wrinkle Wiz were invented to make managing garments while abroad a little easier. It eliminates creases and clings, effectively rendering the need for a bulky iron and ironing board moot. To top it off, it also imparts a pleasant scent to clothing that can combat even the worst smells.
15 inch Garment Sleeves – For when even packing cubes seem too bulky for storing clothing, packing folders provide a much slimmer solution. Any clothing enclosed within the bounds of this smart envelope from Dot&Dot will come out looking perfectly pressed as if it were ironed not 10 minutes ago. The fact that it's a folder instead of a bulky container also guarantees that the clothes put in it won't end up a crumpled mess after a shove here and a jostle there. Each folder can pack up to 10 articles of clothing and even comes with a folding board for easy storage prep.
This adorable little travel organizer is primarily designed to keep women’s undergarments well-organized, but as the “multi-functional” in the name suggests, it can be used to store just about anything else too. The main pocket can be used to neatly arrange multiple objects of similar size to women’s bras, and the elastic pockets meant for panties can also hold on to larger objects such as cans or canisters.
Seal away your collection of packing cubes, packing folders, and other special space-saving containers in this neat, expandable package. With generous storage space that expands if it still turns out to be insufficient, the Platinum Elite is incredibly easy to organize your stuff in, and the wheels roll like something out of a dream as well. It truly eliminates much of the tedium of stuffing things into your suitcase and pulling it around everywhere.
When Skyping with a loved one who has gone abroad, you want to get the best resolution possible. No one likes having a heartfelt catching-up with fuzzy resolution. With the Logitech C922, you can exchange your “I miss you” ‘s and other sweet nothings while viewing your partner’s reaction with unparalleled fidelity. With its automatic light correction, even dark settings can appear decently lit.
There are times when you want to lug your stuff around on a backpack, and there are times when pulling it all behind you seems ideal. For those who experience that sort of duality every time they go abroad, wheeled backpacks like the High Sierra Ultimate Access 2.0 will make for the perfect carryon. The 2.0 includes a removable daypack for when you need to carry a smaller selection of items.
When it comes to space-saving, you can’t go wrong with a set of trusty packing cubes to keep things together that would otherwise be loosely packed inside your luggage. Keep everything from tools, medication, clothing, electronics and other miscellaneous items neatly packed where they won’t find themselves jumbled in with items that they shouldn’t be jumbled in with. There are few better ways to optimize space efficiency.
The Trtl Pillow was designed to enamor the savviest space-scrimping travelers out there with its light weight and incredible portability. On the exterior, it looks like just about any old pillow, but check closer, and you'll notice its innovative internal framework that properly cradles any sleepy head that might need its services, even if that person finds himself falling asleep in an uncomfortable middle seat. It’s also designed so that you can attach it to luggage handles, meaning you don’t have to bother stuffing it in an already stuffed luggage bag!
There are times when you need to whip up a container for some stuff in a hot jiffy, and the Wandf was designed exactly for that purpose. Unbelievably lightweight at 9.8 ounces, and foldable to an incredibly small size, fully deployed it’s 20 inches wide and can take on up to 40 liters of stuff. Immensely versatile, the Wandf can function as a grocery bag, beach bag, or whatever else you need it to.
The GE Security Door Stop was fashioned with a traveler’s peace of mind in – well, mind. In places where home safety is not a guarantee, the GE Security Door Stop employs a single nine-volt battery to help travelers sleep easier wherever they may find themselves resting their weary heads. This nifty device gives your door has an added layer of security against anyone who might try to break in by being both an effective doorstop and an incredibly loud alarm that’ll wake anyone in the vicinity if someone tries to break in.
For women who are in constant need of a good hairdryer, the BaByliss Pro will soon become your best friend. With all the power of the average hairdryer and more, the BaByliss Pro delivers top hair drying performance while at the same time being incredibly compact thanks to its lightweight and foldable design.
Travel jewelry needn’t be packed in zip-lock bags to be preserved for long journeys. The Vlando Faux Leather Jewelry Box safekeeps all you’d ever need for a jewelry-bedecked night out. Everything from rings and earrings to necklaces and bracelets are kept safe in this compact yet sturdy and secure jewelry box.
Losing things are enough of a fussy business on your home turf; imagine if it were to happen to you abroad! Enter the Tile Mate; attach the tile onto your preferred item with your method of choice (be it tying, tucking, or stapling, whatever you please), and if that item ever happens to be misplaced, the tile will show up on the smartphone tracking app. The app can make the tile ring, too, for when you're red hot on the trail but still can't seem to pinpoint the exact location.
The same premium quality Bose is known for, now improved with wireless capabilities and Google/Alexa compatibility, as well as a bunch of other modern features. The QuietComfort 35 II boasts two noise-rejecting microphones, as well as three tiers of noise cancellation, allowing you to tailor how much of the environment you want to be able to hear. What’s more is it’s able to read texts, schedules, and Google search results to you, and is capable of taking search queries, as well as queue up music through taking voice commands. It also comes with an aux cord for when the Bluetooth battery dies.
Know someone who never stays in one place too long while abroad? An Airbnb e-gift card ought to suit them nicely as a gift. It's delivered through email too, eliminating the wait times of snail mail that the transient sojourner seldom has the luxury of time for. Honored in hotels in over 180 countries, these gift cards should set them up for a couple of days of a hotel experience like no other.
Drawstring bags are one of the simplest-yet-sweet daypack solutions, but they’re also notoriously easy to break into and steal from. No more, with the LOCTOTE Flak Sack. It’s waterproof, slash-proof, and locks at the mouth of the bag. Works well for storing odds and ends like towels and extra shirts, as well as valuables like electronics and wallets while you’re out frolicking somewhere neither would be feasible to bring.
For those who think that collapsible bottles are a bit too zany and want to go with the traditional space-saving solution, Platypus's SoftBottle is a pretty solid choice. Unlike a collapsible that folds down into a disk, this one crumples into just about any shape to fit in any container, be it a pocket or a hand. Its design also makes it incredibly lightweight, coming in at 34 grams (1.2 ounces), it's got 80% less weight than hard water bottles. This particular bottle has a capacity of 1 liter (34 fluid ounces).
Liquid soap and shampoo can create an unnecessary amount of mess in the case of sudden spills in your luggage. Plus, being liquid, they consume quite a bit of space. The Ethique Solid Shampoo Bar is utterly mess-free and is the equivalent of 3 bottles of shampoo. What's more, is that it's incredibly friendly towards dry and damaged hair.
Someone who knows at least one card game couldn't be hurt by packing one deck of cards as an alternative, traditional method of entertainment. What's more, is that playing cards with strangers is a great way to break the monotony of travel and make some new friends. These travel-themed playing cards slap a thematic aesthetic to playing cards with fellow travelers at the airport or at a hostel or wherever else you might be staying.
Another to add to your repertoire of solid consumables, O’Douds natural solid cologne provides all of the fragrant goodness of traditional men’s cologne without the inconvenience of carrying it around in liquid form. What's more, is that it lets you dodge the liquid carry-on limit at airports. As a cologne, O’Douds’ scents certainly stand up on their own, leaving its users smelling like an upstanding man should for a full day.
Sometimes you encounter a situation that warrants you to take a selfie. To that end, employing a trusty selfie stick to take it away during once-in-a-lifetime photo ops is imperative to make the most of such a situation. This particular number from Mpow has a 270 degree adjustable head and is extendable to 31.5 inches, allowing for a wide range of picture-taking configurations. There’s an included Bluetooth remote as well, so you don’t have to fiddle with the selfie stick controls. It’s also amazingly portable, coming in at only 7.1 inches retracted.
Repacking all of your items into your luggage when it's time to leave wherever you stayed at can inevitably lead to messes and loose items being scattered throughout the suitcase, particularly with small items like chargers and those of the sort. The Origami Unicorn TUO provides you with a medley of pockets to put all of these items in, effectively removing the possibility that all of the small parts of your luggage will get jumbled around in the bag even after you spent so much time tucking them in neatly. As a bonus, it also comes packaged with a drawstring laundry bag, with a divider too!
No matter how high-quality the leather you put into making a passport holder, it’ll end up showing signs of wear and tear eventually. Nobody likes seeing their passport holder all beat up, so a specialized passport holder is what’s needed to keep the whole package looking sleek. The SimpacX Passport Holder is made out of lightweight but unbelievably durable fabric and gives all of the protection a traditional leather passport holder offers, with so much more longevity and portability.
Many people tend to get restless on the plane and struggle to find sleep, especially when they're not used to flying and the plane encounters frequent turbulence. With a 100% memory foam neck pillow, comfortable ear plugs, eye mask, and cell phone pocket that protects your phone from getting damaged when listening while sleeping, it is the definitive set of airplane sleeping gear.
No traveler deserves to get stuck out in the rain with an umbrella that’s gone leaky from frequent use. The Vumos Umbrella ensures that you never have to go through that experience. More than your standard automatic umbrella, the Vumos boasts fiberglass ribs, guaranteeing that it won’t end up upturned even when being whipped by the strongest winds. The canopy itself is made out of Pongee fabric, specially designed to repel water; meaning that this umbrella instantly dries with a single shake, enabling you to put it back into the sturdy case that’s included with your purchase.
A good thermos is a difference between cold and warm, steamy-hot and lukewarm. When out abroad doing stressful work or simply going through the motions of being a vagabond, a hot drink on a cold day and vice versa can give you just the perk-up you need to keep you going. The Hydro Flask delivers that with the utmost quality, with its double wall vacuum insulation, keeping drinks at your desired temperature for far longer than ordinary thermoses.
One of the most pressing matters when coming to another country is ensuring that your chargers and other electronics are compatible with the electrical outlets in that country. The Flight 001 adapter eliminates all the muss and fuss by being compatible with outlets from over 150 countries. It even ships with a color-coded world map to tell users how to orient the adapter pieces to let them tap into the local power grid.
Going abroad usually means saying goodbye to your pet, and for someone who lives alone, that can be quite the pickle, especially if there's no one nearby to play pet-sitter for extended periods. Pet-sitting services can fetch a pretty high price for prolonged periods, too. The WOpet comes in with a solution for that conundrum, allowing you to program automatic meals for your pet, with serving sizes of up to 4.5 cups for 4 meals a day. For an added measure of automated pet love, you can even record a voice clip to play back to your pet to announce that supper’s ready and that he’s been such a good boy today (hopefully).
For some luggage configurations, even something as small as a standard hairbrush is too bulky to be packed in with the rest of the stuff, and there’s the added annoyance of having the handle break during transit. Fits in the palm of your hand, the Tangle Teezer eliminates both the handle and the unnecessary bulk of a hairbrush. Its teeth are amazing at detangling hair, effective for both wet and dry hair, giving a gentle brush and leaves your hair feeling as soft as if you had been brushing extensively with a regular hairbrush.
Travel makes dry skin even drier than normal, and being in an unfamiliar clime that your body isn’t used to can aggravate that effect. Burt’s Bees Tips and Toes delivers the definitive solution to dehydrated skin, with its all-natural ingredients that are gentle on the skin and have virtually no possibility of ill effects. It’s got everything from hand repair to foot cream to lip moisturizer and does not skimp on the body lotion and deep-cleanse face cream either.
These cool reusable bottles eliminate the added annoyance of managing bottles of lotion and shampoo, especially since they’re another thing you need to dispose of once they’ve run dry. GoToobs are easy to clean and refill thanks to their wide openings, and the liquid loaded inside flows out incredibly smoothly as well. Perfect for people who move about a lot while abroad.
By any road, there always comes a time when you want to bust out a Bluetooth speaker and enjoy your tunes or whatever auditory content have you blasted throughout the room. The Sony SRSX11 provides just that type of service in spades, whatever use you had in mind for it. Listening to hot new tracks and watching movies on a laptop with friends has never been so high quality. The incredible compactness and power efficiency (12 hours battery life) is only the icing to this premium Bluetooth speaker.
Seasoned travel packer Hitha Palepu, of the hit travel blog "Hitha on the Go” teams up with other packing gurus to teach the less enlightened of us how to properly put the things in the bags without ending up in tears. All manner of packing advice, from techniques to compress items to increase space (without breaking them of course) to decide whether or not you need to bring a certain item, can be found within this comprehensive book of accumulated packing wisdom.
Having a set of miniature tools at your disposal can be immensely useful in any situation, and that’s the idea that went behind the invention of the multitool. This particular iteration, the Leatherman Wave, is equipped with 17 common tools, like a screwdriver, scissors, bottle opener, and knives. Aside from being nifty, the tools included in this multitool are sturdy as well.
Charger cables tend to have a will of their own, and that will is usually to get themselves entangled despite their owners’ best efforts. Special pockets and compartments or no, short of tying cables up, they’re bound to get jumbled. That’s why clips are incredibly useful for a quick and easy way to keep that from happening, and the This is Ground Cord Organizer Tacos give people a quaint way to do that. Clip the wires into the tacos, and never have to worry about them getting tangled up again.
