10 Graduation Gift Ideas for the Traveling Grad
Looking for a gift for that high school or college graduate? If your graduate is planning a trip after graduation, finding a gift can actually be a blast.
Traveling grads needs some basic gear to make it around the world safely and with ease. Consider enclosing a small gift that will make their travels easier and more comfortable alongside some cash, which is probably what your graduate needs more than anything. Also think about chipping in with other family members or friends to get a gift they would really love like a new netbook or waterproof digital camera.
For that special college or high school graduate ready to set out for their life-changing trek, here are 10 gift ideas to make their travels easier, more comfortable, and more memorable.
1. Travel Journal
Every traveler needs a good travel journal. The Everywoman’s Travel Journal is a great gift for female travelers. Not only is a styling little journal but it also contains a lot of practical information as well like health and safety tips, packing lists, and checklists. There is also neat advice on how to journal when traveling and inspiring quotes by female travelers.
Moleskine also offers a gorgeous yet simple collection of notebooks, journals, and sketchbooks. Moleskine notebooks are incredibly durable with thick acid-free paper and a high quality binding. Giving the gift of Moleskine ensures that your traveler will have a beautiful place to write their thoughts, experiences, and dreams and be able to fondly flip through those pages many years later.
>>Buy Everywoman’s Travel Journal
>>Buy Moleskine Journals
2. Waterproof Camera
A waterproof digital camera is an amazing graduation gift. The Olympus Stylus Tough is seriously tough and can handle whatever adventure your graduate is headed for. These waterproof, freezeproof, and shockproof cameras are built for the action-packed lifestyle and take excellent photos to boot.
The Olympus Stylus Tough 6020 is specially designed to keep water out so it is great for beach and river trips. The Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 is the toughest of the bunch, engineered to withstand below freezing temps, 220 pounds of pressure, and falls from 6.6-feet high. The Stylus Tough 8010 is also waterproof and can take pictures as deep as 33-feet underwater.
So what better gift to send your graduate off into the world with than a camera designed specifically for the outdoor adventure traveler.
>>Buy Olympus Stylus Tough 6020
>>Buy Olympus Stylus Tough 8010
3. Language Phrasebooks
Lonely Planet has a stellar line of phrasebooks for your soon-to-travel-the-world graduate. Lonely Planet phrasebooks offer a mix of practical “where’s the bathroom?” and social “where’s the bar?” words and phrases. Lonely Planet phrasebooks are available for more than 120 languages so you are sure to find a book for any destination.
>>Buy Lonely Planet Phrasebooks
4. Security Wallet
A security wallet is a must for the train traveling, hostel staying, and giant backpack carrying type. With its pockets for your passport, cash, credit cards, plane tickets, and other important travel documents, the Eagle Creek Travel Gear Neck Pouch makes a great gift. It is lightweight and sleek so it can be discretely stashed underneath your clothes, plus the Coolmax keeps your comfortable so you might not even remember you are wearing it.
>>Buy Eagle Creek Travel Gear Neck Pouch
5. Nalgene Travel Bottle Kit
I am a big fan of Nalgene Travel Bottles. They come in nearly every size and shape and are great for storing shampoo, liquid soaps, and lotions. Plus the bottles are totally leakproof and almost unbustable. Most bottles have interchangeable caps so you can turn a bottle into a squeeze bottle if you prefer. Not just for toiletries, I’ve found these Nalgene Travel Bottles great for storing other travel necessities like peanut butter, nutella, ibuprofen, and even jewelry.
>>Buy Nalgene Travel Bottles
6. Shower Kit
The Nalgene Bottles fit fabulously into REI’s Shower Kit. This shower kit is lightweight and simple and holds all the essentials without taking up a lot of space in the backpack. If your graduate needs a lot of space for their toiletry products consider REI’s Deluxe Shower Kit that has room for full-sized products and a handy hook feature lets you hang up the kit when counter space is scarce.
>>Buy REI Shower Kit
>>Buy REI Deluxe Shower Kit
7. Dr. Bronners Magic 18-in-1 Soap
Dr. Bronner was an eccentric fellow who once claimed his soaps could be used as a birth control or cure cancer. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps may have unique powers, but their 18 different practical uses are great for travelers. Dr. Bronners is made with organic oils, no detergents, is vegan, and 100% biodegradable. A gift of Dr. Bronners will introduce your graduate to a whole new way of life – the “essence moral ABC uniting all free in the shepherd.” Say huh? Exactly.
>>Buy Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap
8. Travel Underwear
I wish I had received some ExOfficio travel underwear as a graduation gift rather this advice from my father, “Just turn them inside out after a few days and you can get a week out of the same pair of underwear.”
ExOfficio is the name in travel underwear – I absolutely love their slogan, “17 countries. 6 weeks. One pair of underwear. Okay, maybe two.” Exofficio underwear wicks moistures and dries quickly after sink laundering. So receiving underwear is a bit of a strange graduation gift but I guarantee they will thank you for it later.
>>Buy ExOfficio Women’s
>>Bu ExOfficio Men’s
9. Converter Set
A quality converter set will keep your graduate fully charged and connected during their international travels. Eagle Creek specializes in products that make travel easier and more comfortable and the Eagle Creek Dual Wattage Converter Set does just that. The set has everything you need for adapting your phone or iPod charger to international outlets in a cute, compact carrying case.
>>Buy Eagle Creek Dual Wattage Converter Set
10. NetBook
If I could recommend just one item for a recent grad ready to hit the road it would be the Netbook. Netbooks are totally revolutionizing they way we travel and stay connected. Netbooks are super portable, lightweight, energy-efficient, super portable, cute, teeny tiny laptops perfect for browsing the Internet, e-mailing, word processing, and uploading photos on the road.
>>Read More About The Best Netbooks for Travelers
Chances are you’ve taken off for a post-graduation backpacking adventure yourself – what gift had you wished you received?