5 Last-Minute Gifts For Your Favorite Travel Buddy

Oops! You almost forgot a present for your favorite trip companion. If your top touring partner is a gearhead or gadget hound that seems to have all the latest trendy, techy tools of the travel trade, holiday shopping can be a rough go. Here are a few of the most recent releases available this giving season, a short list to help you surprise them with something special for their next adventure. Selfishly, you’ll probably benefit from these picks yourself. After all, they are for your primary trekking teammate.

Safeguard Their Stuff in Any Situation

The Pelican Go G40 Case ($39.95, REI) will keep your pal’s valuables safe and watertight on the go in any conditions. The case with a smart blue shell cradles keys, wallet, phone and other fragile essentials in the padded, gray foam lining. Waterproof, dustproof, crushproof, with a single-hinge latch that makes it easy to access on the fly, the case has an inset tray for a smartphone, credit card pockets and a strap to corral chords. A pressure valve keeps out water and dust and equalizes air pressure in the case, which has lifetime guarantee.

Keep Them Connected in Any Country

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Just because your travel buddy is vacationing in a foreign country, it doesn’t mean their electronics have to go on sabbatical. Keep them connected with the Skross Pro-World travel adapter, ($38 at Amazon). No matter where they roam, the compact, three-pole connector will power tablets, cameras and hair dryers in more than 205 countries, enabling connection to two- and three-pole devices from around the globe. For a compatible stocking stuffer, throw in the Belkin Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger, available for $12.50 from B & H Photo. The little power strip packs plenty of punch with three outlets, two USB charging ports and a 360-degree rotating plug.

Pick Them the Perfect Pair

If your companion camps, they’ll thank you for years for their cool KUHL pants from Christmas 2018. For him the Kuhl Konfidant Air Pants ($89) — also available at REI.com ($89) — feature fast-dry fabric, strategically placed vents for optimum air flow, UPF 50 sun protection and nine pockets to stow plenty of stuff. KUHL Spire Roll-Up Pants ($85) for her are made of the same, ultra-durable nylon fabric used in climbing harnesses. They are also available at REI.com ($41.83-$85).

Put Luxurious Napping on Their Travel Itinerary

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No more wondering if that blanket from the airline is still harboring germs from the last user. Your friend can easily pack their own with the CoolMax Travel Blanket, which is available from many purveyors, including the link here to Amazon, which lists it at $39. The 70-inch by 55-inch blanket will fully envelop them in comfort, yet it fits neatly into its drinking glass size stuff sack. The patented CoolMax fabric is soft on the skin, breathable and moisture-wicking. Provide your pal the perfect snooze by pairing it with a pillow whose name even sounds soothing. The Cocoon Ultralight AirCore Pillow, from $29 from Amazon. Available in multiple sizes and colors, the puffy pillow weighs in at only 3.7 ounces, and stuffed into its sack it compresses down to the size of a fist for easy packing.

Urge Them to Examine Their Adventures Deeply

Your travel bestie will appreciate your thoughtfulness when you present them with the I Was Here Travel Journal, $16.95 from Barnes & Noble. If they’re headed somewhere exotic this holiday season, you might even gift it early, so they can utilize the unique travel diary right away. Sort of a guided-travel instructional, the beautifully illustrated volume is filled with fun ideas adaptable to almost any itinerary. Pages prompt travelers to check out the often unexplored daily details of a place — the ones that make for enchanting encounters — and to record the resulting experiences in writing.