Gap years can do wonders for your personal growth, university application and employment prospects, but they also mean being apart from friends and family for some time. This is hardest over the Christmas period, when the excitement of being in a foreign country palls in comparison to thoughts of what you’re missing out on back home.
If you’ve got a relative or friend on the road at the moment, or leaving soon, here’s some fantastic Christmas gift ideas for Gap Year travellers that will show them how much you care, and also come in very useful while they’re away!
Guide Book
Many travelers now rely mainly on kindles or online guides for finding their way around, and often prefer not to carry around a guide book, especially if they’re going to multiple countries. But there’s still a lot to be said for a physical book, because firstly you can write a personal inscription on the inside cover, and secondly a dog-eared book that’s been around the world with them, and is covered in handwritten notes and comments, makes for a nice souvenir when they eventually return. You can get slimline guidebooks for most destinations on a country or city level which condense all the useful information they’ll need from accommodation to eating out and main attractions.
Packing Cubes
It’s astonishing to us that it’s only now, in the 21st century, that many travellers are discovering the benefits of packing cubes. How have we managed to survive for so long without them?? A set of packing cubes is one of the most useful gifts you can get for gap year year travellers, massively reducing the amount of space taken up in their backpacks by clothes and helping them to keep everything organised.
Storage Bags
Another amazing invention that’s seemingly designed with the gap year traveller in mind is a storage bag that folds up so small it can fit on a keyring. These Matador Droplet bags can hold up to 3 litres of wet clothing, so they’re ideal for anyone planning to do some swimming, and they are also waterproof so they can be used to keep valuables safe when rainforest trekking or on the beach. Once the bag has dried out after use, it takes up virtually zero space until it’s needed again.
Portable Water Filters
Many gap years take place in countries where clean, safe drinking water isn’t always guaranteed. Consequently one of the biggest causes of sickness for travellers is stomach bugs. A portable water filter not only removes harmful contaminants but also reduces the consumption of plastic bottles which are the bane of many environments. Remember when it comes to this kind of device that it’s worth spending a little more and doing some research to find a really good one that’s easy to use and reliable.
Mini Solar Chargers
A portable solar charger can be a life-saver. Lightweight, and relatively inexpensive, with just a few minutes of exposure to sunlight they can provide enough power for a mobile phone, tablet or laptop to cope with an emergency. Naturally they’re not really suitable for everyday use, but as a backup, for when someone is camping or trekking, or needs to power up their portable speakers on the beach, a solar charger is indispensable.
Tinggly gift experience vouchers
A voucher from our incredible gift experience collection is a guaranteed winner when it comes to Christmas present ideas for gap year travellers. They can choose from hundreds of amazing activities all around the world, to suit their interests or travel plans. Best of all, even if they’re already on the road, our vouchers can be emailed to them, with a personal note from you of course.