7 must-have holiday gifts for any traveler

If you’re looking for that perfect something to get for anyone who travels – ever – after five months of round-the-world escapades, these are the seven items in our backpacks that Todd and I couldn’t do without:

Finding free WiFi on the Eee PC in Safranbolu, Turkey
The wonders of our Eee PC | Photo by Todd Berman

  • Kensington all in one plug adaptor – No snap on pieces to lose, it’s almost a magic trick. You might want two.
  • Silk sleep sacks – We thought we wouldn’t need these, but Todd’s mother insisted and was she ever right.
  • Eee PC – Without this handy ultra-light laptop, we would probably have had a password or two stolen by now.
  • Eagle Creek Pack It Cubes, full size, half size and the sac – How did we ever travel without these? Whether you use a backpack or rolling suitcase, these cubes are ridiculously helpful.
  • Petzl LED Headlamp – The power’s out? You’re good. Want to stay up reading when your friends are all exhausted? No problem. The bathroom’s a squat toilet outhouse? Well, maybe you’re better off not knowing what you’re getting into.
  • Canon G9 Digital Camera – When every other traveler is struggling with their bulky, heavy D-SLR, you’ll be clicking away on your 12 MP fancy G9.
  • Creative Zen 8GB Portable Music Player – We’re anti-iPod, so the Zen was the best alternative on the market. Great for backing up photos too since, if it isn’t in two places, it doesn’t exist.