Hello and welcome to episode 205 of Travel Stories from the Back Again And Gone podcast.
This is being recorded in the beautiful home office of Chateau Relaxo, FL. If you are a new listener, welcome; if you are a returning listener, welcome back. Tonight, it’s the 2024 Gift Guide.
I am enjoying a Queen Hazy IPA from Prison Pals Brewing in Doral, Florida this evening. Queen is 6.2 ABV and quite tasty.
For returning listeners, my standard holiday gift list is still intact. Feel free to indulge an old road warrior.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II – steel bracelet and should run less than $11k.
1995 Land Rover Defender – I had a chance to buy one for $30k in 1995, and I’m still bent that I passed on it. Seven or eight years ago, you could pick up a gently used one for less than $70k. Now it’s north of $100,000 for one.
The Gift Guide episodes are some of my favorite episodes.
I have two faults, probably more.
When I find a hobby, I will jump in with both feet.
Herb garden
Beer
Cigars
Fishing
Whiskey
Powerlifting
The second is that I’m an easily influenced gadget guy. Sites like Uncrate, Cool Tools, and BoingBoing Gadgets are my Kryptonite.
Typically, gifts with “Travel” in their names are useless: travel wallet, a travel scale—you get the idea.
Here are a few ideas that sound great, but they’re not.
Stainless Steel Tumblers—Yeti, Rambler, Rtic, or any tumblers that keep ice intact for three weeks. We’ve all got one, three of them, to be exact, and while they’re a great gift, they’re not great for traveling. Those behemoth steel tubes are made for hanging out on the boat or at a neighbor’s cookout.
Blacklight Flashlight—While this sounds practical, no one wants to know what germs lurk in their hotel room. Besides, if the place looks sketchy, I’ll find somewhere else to stay.
Anything Associated With Washing Clothes In Our Room – We don’t need a clothesline that stretches across the bathtub. Nor do we need a sink-stopper soap contraption. Most hotels have a washer and dryer hidden somewhere. Yet a Tide To Go Pen is a great gift.
RFID Blocking Anything – I never understood the hype over this. With the introduction of chipped cards, this is even less of a necessity. Besides, if they want your information, they’ll get it.
When choosing gifts, consider size and weight. Most of us are good at Luggage-Tetris, which means we know what goes where in our luggage. Giving us some odd or oversized item throws us off our game. The same goes for weight. If it’s too heavy, we may travel with it once—yes, once—and then we’ll donate it to Goodwill.
Looking back, it’s interesting to see the progression of travel gadgets.
In 2016, it was:
Amazon Fire Stick—Most hotel TVs have HDMI slots, so why not use that NetFlix or Hulu account on the road? Since it’s small and lightweight, it makes the cut. Most hotel TVs are smart TVs, and you no longer need an Amazon Fire Stick for the road.
Also, in 2016, it was a Travel Router. When traveling, I rarely leave home without a travel router. Convert a wired network connection into a wireless one so everyone can enjoy it. Most allow you to connect a USB drive for file sharing and stream media from any connected device. Make sure to use a VPN. Eight years later, WiFi is almost everywhere and usually free.
Most road warriors should have the following, but check to see if they’re missing any of these.
● Packing Cubes – This is one of those things that I figured I could live without. After five years, I don’t know how I would have survived without them. Feed your OCD-ness for less than $25.00.
● AUKEY Powerbank – I’ve yet to find a bad Aukey product. There’s nothing worse than having a dead phone, especially when you’re trying to let EVERYONE know your flights are delayed. I have gifted these for years; make sure whatever you order is rated 10000mAh or above. $23.00 on Amazon
● Anker PowerPort Speed 4 Wall Charger with One Quick Charge – If you travel with family, no doubt someone will leave their charging knuckle at home. This 4-port wall charger will instantly make you a hero. $28.00 on Amazon.
● Anker Powerline II 3-in-1 Cable, Lightning/Type C/Micro USB Cable – Cables are a pain! My running joke is that if I ever fall off a cliff, I want some sort of a charging cable with me.... the reason is that it’ll get hung up on something long before I hit the ground. With this, you can reduce three cables into one. Less than $20.00
Connectivity is the lifeblood of traveling. If you’re in an office, everything you need is close by. However, something as trivial as not having an outlet close by can be a real show-stopper. That’s why so many gifts focus on connectivity.
Here are a few things you might want to consider:
Foldable Travel Duffel Bag—This is a stupid yet simple gift. How many times have you needed some sort of bag? This 20-inch bag features a compact folding design and is perfect for collecting shells at the beach or pinecones in the mountains. It stores easily in your backpack and costs less than $17.00.
Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket—I hate jackets. First, they’re bulky, and second, they’re cumbersome. In 2018, I picked up a Nano Puff, and I like that it’s thin yet keeps me warm. I can put it in a compression bag, which reduces it to nothing. Retail is $240.00, but you can find it much cheaper if you search.
Medicine Bag – This one isn’t exciting till you need it.
Benadryl is great for skin irritations or making children or grandchildren go to sleep.
AirBourne is excellent for colds. I’ve fended off more colds with this stuff than I can remember.
Zyrtec – for allergies.
Zantac – for heartburn.
Top it off with aspirin and bandages. To take a medicine bag to the next level, add a sewing kit, wet wipes, and a collar stays if they wear dress shirts.
I have no trouble sleeping in a hotel room, and if I wake up in the middle of the night, I don’t get confused about where I am or where the bathroom is. Some road warriors aren’t so fortunate, and they wake up in a panic in a dark hotel room, not knowing where they are. A motion-activated night is the perfect gift. They’re roughly $10.00 a piece, so buy two because we’ll leave one in a hotel room when we check out.
If your road warrior likes to eat in their hotel room, a handy and inexpensive gift is a collapsible silicone bowl with a lid. I’m a fan of the $1.99 Ramen noodle bowls, but by the time I throw in a couple of packages of Starkist Buffalo Chicken, the original container is overflowing. These bowls come in handy; with the lid, you can keep it fresh for the midnight snack. Change back on $11.00.
Recently, I stopped traveling with my iPad and keyboard. They were heavy, and the only place I used them was on an airplane. Besides, my iPhone does everything my iPad does, except for the keyboard. Enter the Samsers Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard with a Stand for your phone. Weighing 5.53 ounces with a charge, you will get 40 hours of continuous operation or 180 days of standby. Only $24.00
With the temperature dropping, you might need to turn the heat on in your hotel room. A hotel room heater does two things: first, it warms the room, and second, it quickly dries out the air, which can lead to a rough night of sleep. If that sounds like the road warrior in your life, purchase them a Cool Mist Humidifier. Small, lightweight, and USB-powered, you can choose from two mist modes, which will help to improve air quality, ease allergies, and relieve dry skin and throat. $24.00
This past year, I bought one of these for the kids: the AirFly Bluetooth Wireless Transmitter for Wireless Headphones. Say goodbye to tangled cords with these. Use your wireless buds or headphones to listen to audio from in-flight entertainment, gym equipment, gaming devices, or any 3.5mm audio jack. They are right around $35.00.
With just a bit of thought, you can get creative and gift someone something they will use without spending much money.
There are small portable white noise machines, drink holders for their suitcases, Phone holders for the airplane seat backs, and if all else fails, an inflatable neck pillow. I think that’s the right time. I have suggested that anyone buy a neck pillow.
Well, there you have it, Episode 205, The 2024 Gift Guide.
For long-time listeners, thank you for your comments and emails. For new listeners, I hope you return.
If you want detailed show notes, links, and pictures, head over to substack at travelstories.substack.com/
You can also leave me a message on Anchor or email me at TravelFrick@gmail.com.
As I always say, travel safe, stay safe, and thanks for listening.
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