The Best Gifts to Give to the Traveler in Your Life
A scratch-off map, a portable speaker and a guide to site-specific art make our list of gift ideas for your favorite vagabond
CRKT Eat'N Tool Minimal Multi-Tool
$7.99
For the outdoor adventurer that seems to have everything, consider a tool that has everything in one: a spoon, fork, bottle opener, three hex wrenches, a handle that provides an emergency screwdriver blade, which can double as a can opener, and a carabiner. This multi-tool is the perfect lightweight, resourceful gift.
CRKT Eat'N Tool Minimal Multi-Tool
Suggested by Claire Tinsley, digital producer
Art & Place: Site-Specific Art of the Americas
$79.95
Some people tour the best roadside food in the country. Others plot their course from baseball stadium to baseball stadium. But, what if you set out on a road trip to see some of the most famous examples of site-specific art? Let Art & Place, a new book featuring 170 awe-inspiring artworks in more than 60 cities in North, Central and South America, be your guide. It includes photographs and essays on everything from the moai on Easter Island to Robert Smithson’s 1,500-foot-long Spiral Jetty in Utah’s Great Salt Lake to Walter De Maria’s The Lightning Field, an arrangement of 400 steel lightning rods in the high desert of Catron County, New Mexico. From May through October, visitors can book reservations to stay at a cabin overlooking The Lightning Field. If weather cooperates, the book says, “the lightning bolts provide a sublime, fearsome and breathtaking experience.”
Art & Place: Site-Specific Art of the Americas
Suggested by Megan Gambino, staff writer
Scratch-Off World Map
$32
Trying to decide where to travel to next? First, take some time to reflect on where you have been. With this "scratch-off" map, you can keep track of all the exciting destinations you have visited and muse about trips to come. A beach in Maui? The Alps? Mount Kilimanjaro? The world is yours.
Suggested by Claire Tinsley
Mini Jambox
$179.99
The Mini Jambox is the latest in portable speakers—perfect for the nomad who can't go anywhere without his tunes. Compatible with most Bluetooth-enabled devices, this little speaker, about the size of a box of animal crackers, packs a definite punch. Whether you're hanging out by a pool, getting ready in your hotel room, or sitting in a park, the Jambox is light (9 ounces) and small enough to fit in your pocket, yet powerful enough to get a party started!
Suggested by Claire Tinsley
Grid-It Organizer
$9.99 to $49.99
All the wires your gadgets require these days are bound to get tangled up in your bags as you travel. With this Grid organizer, you can tuck all of your cords and gadgets into one place and have the security in knowing that everything will be right where you left it. It even features a pocket, for the smaller odds and ends that might get lost in the depths of your carry-on otherwise. Easy to pack, this handy-dandy product aims to make your life, and travel experience, as stress-free as possible.
Suggested by Claire Tinsley