Last Updated on November 12, 2019 by travelingwithsunscreen
The thing with travelers is that they generally don’t need a lot of stuff. They’re constantly on the move, and more items might just slow them down. This can make coming up with travel gift ideas preeetty challenging (let’s think beyond the travel pillow or the passport cover, people). BUT! There are certain items that make travel SO much easier and SO much more pleasant, things that the traveler in your life might not have thought to buy for himself. Here’s our guide to the best travel gifts for men in 2019 – we promise that your favorite traveler will love these!
Travel Gifts for Him from $100-$200
Waterproof sneakers
You can’t bring rainboots on trips. I mean, technically you could, but then your luggage would be 100% full of boots. Vessi waterproof shoes are a LIFESAVER on trips. They’re light and comfy enough to wear all day, even when it’s not raining, they’re flexible enough to squish flat in luggage, and they’re fully, 100% waterproof! (They’re even vegan!) They come in colors and styles to suit anyone’s taste. Your favorite traveler may not even know that there is a solution for wet-feet-on-trips syndrome, so a pair of Vessis is truly the perfect gift!
I could go on about Vessi footwear all day, but there are other gifts to get to. If you want more info, check out our full review here.
A great travel backpack
Osprey is the best of the best when it comes to travel backpacks. If your favorite traveler likes to travel light, look no further than Osprey’s Farpoint 40 Men’s Travel Backpack. It’s designed to be comfortable and easy to carry, and it gives travelers more mobility than a rolling suitcase or a duffel bag would. Unlike other backpacks, this one unzips fully, allowing you to lay it flat, open it up, and see all of the contents, instead of fishing around hopelessly for something that’s stuck at the bottom of your pack. We’ve been traveling with these guys for years. They’re sturdy as all get out. This is definitely a gift that will stand the test of time!
Travel Gifts for Him from $50-$100
A comfy and versatile pair of travel pants or shorts
When you’re on the road, you want pants that look normal, so that you don’t stand out as a hopeless tourist when visiting cities, but that are also light, comfy, and water-resistant, for times when you head out into nature. The prAna Men’s Brion Pants do all of these things really well. These are a great gift that your traveler will end up bringing on every trip, to anywhere, forever. Trust us on this. (It’s also worth checking out the prAna Men’s Brion Shorts as an alternative, and slightly less pricey, gift idea!)
A super-portable water filter for his water bottle
In much of the world, you can’t drink the tap water, and on outdoor adventures, there may be no tap water to drink. Any traveler is all too familiar with the experience of stocking up liters and liters of bottled water. It’s inconvenient, unwieldy, and terrible for the environment. Why not help your favorite traveler make water safe to drink with a portable LifeStraw water filter, which instantly purifies water directly out of a regular water bottle? The first time we saw a fellow traveler with one of these babies, we were beyond jealous. It just could not be easier! Plus, with every purchase, LifeStraw is able to provide clean drinking water to a child in a developing community for a full school year. It’s a win-win!
A waterproof packable daypack
One of the handiest things to have with you on any trip is a smaller, packable backpack. This little travel bag should be easily able to fit inside your regular luggage. It doesn’t take up much space. It doesn’t weigh much. But, when you need a handy backpack to carry your supplies for the day, it’s got you covered. We love the Matador Freerain24 because it’s small, it’s light, it’s durable, and it’s 100% waterproof! But, if you’re looking for a budget option, you can’t go wrong with the Hikpro 20L – it’s just as light and durable as the Matador, and although it’s not waterproof, it’s a steal at under $20.
Travel Gifts for Him from $10-$50
A scratch-off map
Travelers love to reminiscence about where they’ve been (okay, and to show off a little). How about a scratch-off map to help him share and remember all of his favorite trips? Once his visitors see this, they’ll know who to go to for travel tips no matter where they may be off to next!
A personalized toiletries bag
To get the most out of limited luggage space, travelers need toiletry bottles and TSA-approved clear bags that fit perfectly together. That’s why we love the Lingito Travel Bottles Set. Unlike the ones you buy in a drug store, these toiletry bottles come empty and unmarked. You can make this into a great, personalized gift by pre-filling the bottles with his favorite toiletries and labeling them with markers. It’s a sweet and personal gift that’s also SO convenient on the road!
An ultralight packable travel towel
Often, when you travel, you rely on hotels or hostels or AirBnbs to provide your towels. You can’t always count on it, though. In South Korea, for example, it’s habitual to provide only very small face towels. Outdoor expeditions or tours likely won’t provide towels at all. Some hostels charge per day for their towel rentals. Best to bring your own, just in case. A traveler will need a towel that’s light and compact, and that dries quickly, so that it can be repacked soon after a morning shower. We’d recommend the Youphoria Microfiber Travel Towel. It takes up barely any space in the luggage, but it’s warm and dry when it’s most needed.
Ultralight wool socks
Socks sometimes get knocked as gift ideas, but they shouldn’t. Everyone loves the feeling of soft, squishy, warm, dry socks on their feet all day long. Travelers especially rely on socks that will keep them comfy through a long day on their feet, and that will dry off quickly if they get wet. We recommend Darn Tough Vermont’s Ultra-Light Athletic Socks. Ethan wears these on every trip. They’re comfy, they’re warm, and they hold up!
Travel Gifts Under $10- perfect travel stocking stuffers!
A luggage scale
How annoying is it when you get to the airport, weigh your bag (newly plump with souvenirs), and realize that it’s overweight and you have to pay a fee? VERY ANNOYING! We always travel with a light, portable luggage scale to prevent this sort of thing from happening. In our experience, most travelers don’t already have one, but they’re always more than happy to borrow ours. This would be a much-appreciated gift.
A universal power converter
So many countries on his bucket list = so many different power outlets. It’s a pain to get the right converter for every trip. This universal power converter is small, light, and packable. We use it everywhere! It’s a perfect little travel stocking stuffer.
Washeze laundry sheets
These are also a perfect stocking stuffer, because there’s basically a zero percent chance that your giftee has even heard of them, but they are a miracle product on long trips. Washeze are basically fabric sheets, kind of like dryer sheets, except that they contain detergent, fabric softener, and static control. Sometimes, depending on where you’re traveling, you end up having to do laundry in the sink. Not ideal, never ideal, but it happens. And when it does, these lightweight, TSA-friendly detergent sheets are magical. Just toss one in the sink and wash away! Always a great thing to have on hand!
Portable, hangable, mini-lights for camping
If your favorite traveler enjoys camping, chances are he already has a lantern and flashlight. But chances are that he does NOT have a portable, hangable, light-bulb-style camping light, and this is where he is missing out. These FengChi LED Camping Lanterns are super handy. You can hang them easily from a tree or from the top of your tent to have a reasonable amount of light both “indoors” and outdoors. They’re cool, they’re handy, and they’re definitely unique! Definitely great gifts for travel lovers!
Was this gift guide helpful? Have more ideas? Let us know in the comments!
You might also be interested in:
The Best Travel Clothes for Men
Ultimate Packing List (for anywhere in the world!)
Best Packable Backpack: Our Review