With the holidays right around the corner, useful gift ideas are on the minds of many. These solutions make perfect presents, and are all available for between $8 and $100.
Incidentals: Gifts suitable for stocking stuffers make perfect light-packing presents. One example is Badger’s $8 unscented, organic balm for sensitive and dry skin. It comes in a solid and is stored in a flat tin for easy storage. Fragrance fans will enjoy Travalo’s travel atomizers and roller ball receptacles. Designed to easily fill by pumping product from your larger, at-home bottles into travel-sized containers, they put portability back into the equation for scents you’re unable to purchase in smaller vessels. Prices range from roughly $13 to $25, depending on the size and model. Colors are available to suit both men and women.
Trying to keep things traditional? Dahlgren has a fun line of blister-reducing specialty socks for travelers, including plain, argyle and confetti patterns. Price points start at around $18 and can go as high as $30, depending upon the style and model. They also make compression socks for frequent flyers.
Supplies: Starter kits for skin-care products provide travel-sized necessities packaged for easy gift giving. For instance, Primavera’s $20 moisturizing starter kit includes trial containers of cleanser, toner, lotion and replenishing cream with an organic cotton bag. I’ve used a similar strategy with a line of powdered mineral makeup that lasted me for nearly of year’s worth of business travel. Since reducing carry-on liquids is such a pressing concern for air travelers, any gift that helps achieve that will likely be well received.
Lush produces some affordable, non-liquid moisturizing products including a facial serum for nighttime use. Additionally, their Tiny Hands solid lotion sells for $7.95. Purchased with one of the small square tins for $3.95, it makes an easy-to-wrap present with an affordable combined price point.
Solutions: Road trips result in a long list of logistical issues. For example, travel fitness can be challenging when limited luggage space leaves you without free weights or workout mats.
A packable gift of Yoga Paws can help put exercise goals on track. For less than $50, this set of non-slip hand and foot accessories lets yoga enthusiasts enjoy workouts on a wide variety of terrains and surfaces, taking up about as much room as a pair of heavy wool socks.
Communication solutions for frequent family adventures can seem heaven sent, particularly when the destination’s out of cell range. Motorola makes two-way radios suitable for use during snowshoeing, hiking and ski vacations when the family wants to break into different ability groups. Their $90, MT350R model includes a mini-USB charger with a Y cable, and two radios that come with built-in LED flashlights and NOAA weather channel access.
Rumpled wardrobe getting you down? Try adding wrinkle-resistant clothing to your holiday wish list. Ministry of Supply makes a number of men’s products suitable for grab-and-go wardrobe changes, including their button-up agent shirt for $85 and their $30 performance base layer.
Myscha TheriaultMcClatchy-Tribune News Service
