Thursday, December 20, 2007

20 Travel Gifts Under $20

This is bits of a blog post I found here.
Your local dollar store, whatever it’s called in your location, is likely to have a couple things every traveler would appreciate. Look out for the following: sink stopper plugs, refillable travel-sized bottles (make sure they’re under 3.4 oz/100ml though in order to be carry-onable), safety pins, travel sewing kits, mini flashlight, retractable headphones, snack-size zip-top bags, velcro cable straps, plastic cable ties (for locking zippers), luggage straps, etc. The dollar store is a great place to start your shopping.

TSA locks are a travel must-have. I prefer the combi locks (pictured at right) to keyed (so as not to worry about having/losing keys). Radio Shack offers a set of two TSA combi locks for $4.

For a few bucks, you can head to your local art shop or bookstore and purchase a lined blank book to be used as a travel journal. Supplement with a nice pen and some scotch tape or photo corners for adding mementos along the way.

Nalgene water bottles start at $4.50 direct from the manufacturer, with free shipping. I picked up a similar unbreakable water bottle at Target for $1 a few years ago (they’re in the camping section).

MP3 players with USB flash drive functionality have drastically come down in price, and I can’t imagine traveling without mine. I found one here for $8, another for $11. You can probably find similar deals in electronics stores near your home.

Lands’ End’s travel section features two useful gifts under $10. First is a Security Travel Belt for $9.50 (I found one at Walgreen's for $3.99 and it's can be adjusted to a larger waist if needed). I’m not a money belt/pouch wearer myself, but many of my friends and family are. Second is an $8 Passport Holder, which is essential for protecting your documents from rain, butt sweat and the rough and tumble in your backpack or handbag.

For $11 at Overstock, I found this 1/2 L Stainless Steel Thermos. You may be able to find a cheaper one at a store like TJ Maxx and IKEA has a relatively cheap one too (but not online, unfortunately).

A Swiss Army Knife is always practical and useful on the road. The Bantam at $14.50 is the most stripped down version I’ve ever seen, but has the essentials for a traveler: knife blade and bottle/can opener. There’s also a screwdriver and wire stripper designed into the bottle/can opener, for your more MacGyver moments on the road . . .

For $17, USB Geek offers a pretty amazing looking universal plug adapter. (Remember, this makes it possible to plug in your electronic item but does not change current. If your appliance doesn’t run on dual current, you will also need a power converter.)

Starting at $20, LLBean offers travel toiletry kits. It’s not a romantic or exciting gift, but as a visiting friend said this weekend, “This is the most useful gift I’ve ever gotten.” I have to agree; I got mine years ago from a boyfriend, and while he’s no longer in the picture, I use the toiletry kit 20+ times per year. I think we both have the medium size.
Full blog post found here.

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