Traveling has never been more accessible than it is now, and there will be even more people traveling next year. And since it's that time of the year again, as you scramble to find the perfect gifts for your loved ones, why not get them something travel-related to help them with their trips or inspire them to begin the journey as a traveler?
Within this guide, you will find 10 great gift ideas curated by me, a backpacker, for backpackers. Here are the best gifts you can buy that your travel friends and families will absolutely love to have.
1. Osprey Anti-Gravity Backpack
Osprey backpacks are some of the best high-end backpacks you can get out there. They have cutting-edge technologies like anti-gravity technology that distributes the weight evenly, making the bag feel lighter on your shoulders. This feature helped me tremendously when I was hiking in the Himalayas, carrying 13 kg for 12 days. I couldn't have asked for a better backpack to have.
Best of all, all Osprey backpacks come with lifetime guarantees, so they will repair any damage to your backpack free of charge. If they run out of spare parts for your particular model, they will exchange it for a newer version. If this isn't the best gift you can get for backpackers, I don't know what is!
2. Insta360 One X4 Camera
One of the things that separates us backpackers from the rest is that we value light travel. It is almost an obsession for me to have the lightest pack possible for a 3-month long trip, so having heavy camera gear is not ideal.
One of the best gifts you can get a backpacker, especially if he/she is a solo traveler, is the Insta360 One X4 Camera, a pocket-sized 360° video recording camera that allows you to quickly capture your surroundings in full without having to worry about angles and framing.
Insta360 One X4 camera also comes with an "invisible" stick, allowing you to record yourself without the stick being shown in the video. The camera, along with the invisible stick, is great for hikers who want to capture themselves while hiking as if there is a drone following, recording, and hovering over them. This enables you to capture some truly stunning footage of yourself, as well as the surrounding landscape, without having to fiddle with all the settings.
If you have a backpacker friend who likes to go hiking solo, this is the device for them.
3. DJI Osmo Pocket 3
If your loved ones are looking to get into vlogging, one of the greatest gifts you can get for them is the DJI Pocket 3, a pocket-size camera that packs a punch.
The DJI Pocket 3 uses a 1-inch sensor, which is bigger than most action cameras and phones, allowing you to shoot in smooth footage even in low light. It comes with many features to help you vlog more efficiently like a mechanical gimbal, which allows you to shoot smoothly as you walk, the Active Tracking 6 feature that will keep you in frame no matter where you move, and so much more.
If you buy the Creator Combo version, it will also come with a wireless mic, a small tripod, and a wide-angle filter, a complete package that will allow your friends to start vlogging right away with very little to no learning curve.
Nothing will make your friends happier than buying something that supports their hobbies or future careers, and currently, there is no better vlogging camera than the DJI Pocket 3. Click the link below to check out the price:
4. DJI Mini 4 Pro
Continuing from our theme of light travel, if you are looking for a big gift for your backpacker friends and family members, there is no better gift to get your loved ones than the DJI Mini 4 Pro: an extremely lightweight but very capable drone that will allow you to carry a drone everywhere without the weight slowing you down, while also having the ability to see a place from a perspective not many have seen.
Weighing only 249 grams, the DJI Mini 4 Pro is an engineering marvel of a device. With its new object avoidance system, remote transmission technology with a better range, 4K camera, and many new features packed in such a small body, I guarantee you, that you will send your friend to the moon when you unveil this gift to them.
5. DJI Action 4
If you have an adrenaline junkie friend and are looking for a gift that they will love, the DJI Action 4 is an incredible action camera designed for those who enjoy doing extreme activities such as hiking, white water rafting, kayaking, snorkeling, etc.
The device is waterproof, built like a tank, and it comes with features that will allow you to capture moments in action unlike any other cameras, such as capturing beautiful low-light photos and videos with its 1-inch sensor, the largest sensor size on an action camera. It can shoot 4K/120 in 10-bit mode, comes with 2 large touch screens, making it easier to operate, and is waterproof up to 18 meters without a case.
If your friend is an avid traveler and an adventurer at heart, he/she will be extremely excited to receive this gift from you, and who knows, they might take you along when the next great adventure comes around 😉.
6. Herschel Supply's Little America Backpack
As some of you may know, I am a big fan of Herschel Supply's Little America Backpack. With its stylish, vintage-looking design and a compartment that can fit almost everything you need in a day, the Little America Backpack makes for a great day pack and a great gift for your traveler and backpacker friends.
7. Inspiration Travel Books
Buying huge books may not seem practical for backpackers, but you will be surprised how many of us enjoy looking through travel books with stunning photos of the world for inspiration for our next trip.
Books like NatGeo's Destinations of a Lifetime, and Wanderlust Himalaya are great gifts for us travelers as the books are filled with inspiring places and photos that will likely inspire us to travel even further. I have a bookshelf full of these kinds of books at home, and I always enjoy looking through it, ticking one adventure off one by one. So, if you have a friend who likes traveling, they are going to love these travel books. 😁
Fun fact, my photos are also published in the Wanderlust Himalaya book, so if you decide to buy it, be sure to keep an eye out for me posing in front of the Himalayas 😁.
8. Leatherman Multi-Tools
I love my Leatherman multi-tools and I can't go hiking without them. They are great tools for when you want to cook, cut, or simply fix something fast. They are very light and don't take up much space, making them the perfect gift for backpackers who love hiking and going camping.
9. Portable Hammock
This is a gift that most backpackers will low-key want to have. It may seem like a luxury to be carrying a hammock as you are trying to travel light, but with this, it's light and portable, perfect for when you wish your hotel/hostel's balcony had a hammock.
10. Kindle Oasis
Backpackers have a lot of downtime, whether it be waiting for a bus or just chilling out in a city, and those are the perfect times to catch up on some reading. Some backpackers may already have an e-book, but with the new Kindle Oasis, they will not hesitate to throw out their old ones for this one.
The Kindle Oasis comes with a high-resolution screen, a waterproof body, a portable size, and best of all, it's perfect for one-hand reading with navigational buttons designed for one-hand use. Everything a backpacker wants in an e-book.
11. LifeStraw Go
As backpackers, we often find ourselves in situations where we might not have access to clean water, whether it be while hiking in a forest or traveling in cities that are not known for their clean tap water.
The LifeStraw Go is a water bottle that comes with a 2-stage filter straw that is perfect for hiking or just to have in your backpack while walking around a city. It's a 2-in-1 gift that acts as both a filter and a water bottle, which means it doesn't change the number of items a backpacker has to carry, making it one of the best gifts you can get for light travelers.
12. Backpacking Stove for Solo Travelers
A backpacking stove is the perfect gift for solo travelers who enjoy camping, cooking their own food, and brewing their own coffee in the morning. This Primal Ridge Mammoth 1100ml Portable Solo Backpacking Stove is the ultimate all-in-one multipurpose cooking stove you can use to brew coffee and cook food when you are out in nature.
Every inch of the stove is designed for efficiency and performance. It is easy to assemble, lightweight and compact, and built like a tank. It's one of the best outdoor camping stoves out there, and if you are looking for a functional gift for your backpacker friends and loved ones, they will love this backpacking stove.
13. Apple AirTag
If your friends are often forgetful of their own belongings, the best gift you can give them during the holiday season is the Apple AirTag, a tracker that allows you to find exactly where your belongings are using the Find my Phone app on an iPhone.
You can easily attach them to your belongings, whether it be your laptop, wallet, or car keys. And when you cannot find them, simply hop onto the app on your iPhone and see exactly where they are in your house. Long gone are the days when you would have to flip your house upside down to find your car keys. Trust me, your forgetful traveler friends will thank you for it!
14. Vintage World Maps
I know, I know, it is such a cliché to give a traveler a world map as a gift, and I'm sure every traveler out there has one at some point. However, what we may not have is a vintage version of the world map that will pique anyone's curiosity, just like the ancestors did back in the days of exploration. It is also interesting for us to see what certain places were named before modern borders divided the world.
15. Maps: their untold stories
It is obvious that we backpackers are fascinated with maps, so another great gift that goes well with the world map above is a book that collects stories of a place, a city, a nation, or even the world at a given point in time.
This "Maps: their untold stories" book consists of old maps from as far back as the 16th century until modern day, and each comes with a compelling story explaining in detail who made the map and why. This will be an awesome gift for all kinds of travelers out there.
16. Vintage Compass
I've recently received this idea from a friend of mine who asked if I have a compass of my own when I go out into the wild alone (which I often do), and I told her that I have it on my phone. She then asked me what if my phone ran out of battery, which made me think just how much I rely on this little device that runs on a very finite power source.
And then she recommended that I get this vintage compass from Thor Instruments which only costs 10 USD and could potentially save my life one day. If you have a backpacker friend who enjoys hiking alone in the wild, a vintage compass is a perfect gift for them.
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