Travelling gift?

[Miss-taken]

My little brother is leaving to travel the world in January (you name the place, he's apparently going there!) As Christmas is just around the corner, I thought an obvious Christmas present would be something to take on his travels. No doubt lots of other family members will come up with this idea but has anyone got any suggestions for something different? - preferably something no one else will have thought of!
Obviously he will be travelling light so weight/size is an issue!

Any suggestions would be much appreciated

[thedelbwa]

Well, having been there, done it and got the odd t-shirt along the way, I can say Well Done for choosing this sort of thing to get him, as the cost doesn't half mount up. Good ideas may include...: Lonely Planet guides (although not too many - they ARE heavy!), mosquito net (believe me, he will thank you for this), travel towels (light, easy-dry - they DO begin to smell after a while though - or was that just me?), Swiss Army Knife (always comes in handy), travel washbag (dead handy, they fold out and hang up), even some good novels to read while he's away, although bear in mind that space in one's rucksack is always a priority / concern. I would avoid buying clothes, such as shorts / t-shirts as he can easily pick them up on the cheap in Thailand / Bali / wherever. A rucksack, although a great present given its cost is really something that he needs to choose as they HAVE to be comfortable - this is something which he will be living out of and carrying everywhere for the next 12 months and take it from me, if it's not comfy, it will become a pain the proverbial. Good luck!

[matt_london]

The things I found most handy (apart from cash!!) when I went travelling was Swiss Army Knife, Maglite, travel towel, silk (or cotton) sleeping bag lining (you use this on its own and don't have to worry about dirty sheets in hostels!, and last but not least a mosquito bite relief clicker - WHAT? Well its a little button that you apply to mozzie bites and press it to give a very small electric shock to the area. Somehow it manages to stop all itching. Amazing thing. Get them at boots http://www.boots.com/shop/product_details.jsp? productid=1033153&classificationid=1020131

[dannydingbat]

You can get kits which contain sterile items which, if he gets ill in a place where the hospitals are not very good (it happens and the two seem to go together), he gets to use things that haven't been used before. Boring I know but it could save his life.

[salsadancer]

Money and more money. Load up his credit card. And Wet Wipes. So handy for so many things. As valuable as a passport.

[sunflower71]

A St.Christopher

[wilsarnie]

Seriously, I went travelling 8 years ago and lots of the things I remember now are because of the photos I took. My travel companion took a journal and wrote in it all the time of the expereinces we had saving things like tickets etc. As a result she remembers far more than I do.

I really regret not doing that. I would recommend you buy him a travel journal type thing. Would have to be boyish obviously and he doesn't have to write in it every day but still..

Also ear plugs. You just never realise how much people SNORE in hostel dorms...

[thedelbwa]

Damn right, earplugs. Eye mask to block out light too. Some people just haven't got a clue as to how to keep quiet and respect other people in dorms. I agree with the journal thingy as well. I wrote one sporadically throughout my time away and it's good to look back and remember (well, try anyway)....

[annavc]

If he has an iPod a portable charger would probably be appreciated. You can get a small, lightweight solar powered one which would be good for those places with no electricity!

[bongerman]

All good ideas so far. Top of my list for presents would be a smart journal/diary.

Another option, I went round the world with my wife after we got married (a 10-month honeymoon) and we got friends and family to buy experiences for us on our travels (instead of the usual wedding gifts. All they did was give us money but that meant we thought of them when we did their chosen activity. We had them ranging from �5 (Ice-creams on Copacabana Beach) to �200 (Weeklong trek in the Amazon) If you look into one of the places he's going to you could give him something towards a specific activity/trip.

[mancmo]

*A journal book is a great idea.*

I went travelling 11 years ago and never wrote a journal, but my best friend wrote in hers without fail, not everyday but just funny things that happend to us along the way or just a mention of people, places we saw.

She found it a couple of months ago and it was so funny reading back at the things that we got up to, I really regret not writing one.

Places like WH Smith or Boots seem to have nice diarys, journals.... see, I still pick them up in the shops and wish I had done one !!!