What to Give to the Traveler in Your Life

Anyone who has resigned themselves to toasting a wonderful holiday from a paper cup—or straight from the bottle itself—will appreciate the simplicity and convenience of the Izola travel cup. Made from stainless steel, the tiny drinking cup collapses into a completely portable disc, ready to help you celebrate any occasion at a moment’s notice. The delicate engraving, "Salut!," makes everything that much more festive.

Suggested by Natasha Geiling, online reporter

This all-weather, water-resistant notepad is the perfect stocking stuffer for the adventure traveler—or city dweller in one of our nation's soggier regions. Pocket-sized, it's a better (and safer) choice than a smartphone for jotting down notes and idea when it's pouring rain outside. Originally designed for workers in the Northwest logging business, who know a thing or two about moisture.

Suggested by Bess Lovejoy, travel editor

Dreaming about your destinations before and after you actually get there is an important part of the travel experience. Escape the regular morning routine and let your mind wander the narrow streets of Paris' Latin Quarter and surrounding arrondissements with this elegant (and machine-washable) black and white shower curtain showing the City of Lights from above. A perfect gift for the design-minded travel lover with limited vacation days.

Suggested by Perrin Doniger, Director, Product Development 

How many times have you planned the perfect trip, complete with the perfect day of sightseeing, only to have it thwarted by uncooperative weather? Never miss another day of sightseeing because of the elements—grab the Senz "Smart" umbrella, which has an aerodynamic design that prevents the all-too-familiar hassles associated with flimsy, cheap umbrellas. The Senz won’t invert due to a gust of wind, and the umbrella’s sleek design prevents the dreaded “umbrella drip” down your back.

Suggested by Natasha Geiling, online reporter

For international travelers both expert and novice, packing the right adapter is a gnawing little stress, somewhere between the possibility of missing your flight and forgetting to pack enough underwear. Sure, it wouldn’t completely ruin the trip if you got to your Munich hotel only to find that the Germans use a different plug than the Italians, but it’s certainly something you’d rather not deal with. Enter the 4-in-1 travel adapter, which stacks together like Legos (read: no taking up half your valuable luggage space) and comes color-coded, which makes it a convenient, practically foolproof way to make sure your phone charger works in 150 countries around the world.

Suggested by Natasha Geiling, online reporter

In travel, there's two kinds of lost: the first is when you're wonderfully lost, wandering through tiny alleys in Venice, happening upon charming cafés and beautifully crafted trinkets. The other is when you're just plain lost, or have lost important items, and there's nothing charming or exciting about it. While no amount of technology can help you get to the first kind of lost, a few new gadgets exist to help keep the second kind from happening. With Trakdot, you can slip the tiny device (with a built-in GSM chip) into your luggage and never worry about the dreaded "we don't know where your suitcase" line is again. Or check out the Parabellum wallet with GPS tracker, which stops would-be thieves dead in their tracks with alarms you can sound from your cell phone, and uses crowdsourcing abilities to help track down your wallet (or phone) if you lose either.

Suggested by Natasha Geiling, online reporter

This handy clothespin-turned-flashlight is perfect for reading in bed, at night on camping trips, or on the plane when you don't want to disturb the person next to you. Crafted out of sturdy beechwood, the bright LED light means it can double as a flashlight too; in a pinch, you can even use it to dry clothes (indoors is probably best). One of those muti-purpose items that savvy travellers depend on.

Suggested by Bess Lovejoy, travel editor

Anyone who spends considerable amounts of time traveling knows about the Ostrich pillow, a genius/crazy invention that cocoons your head and allows you to sleep—perhaps at the expense of style and functionality. Enter Ostrich Pillow Light, the new, sleek update to the Ostrich pillow from Studio Banana Things. In case you’re not interested in tucking your hands above your head and wearing a diving-tank-like apparatus, the Ostrich light combines the comfort of the original model with portability to create a flexible pillow that is half-sleeping mask, half-neck pillow. It's completely indispensable to anyone who has ever suffered the pains and aches of sleeping on a long flight (or bus ride, or train trip, or subway ride, or anywhere that isn’t your bed).  

Suggested by Natasha Geiling, online reporter

Who hasn't been there: You’re having a great day at the beach, laughing, bobbing up and down in the surf, then BAM. Out of nowhere a monster wave hits you. You emerge, but your sunglasses … ? Luckily, Panda Sunglasses has a solution: hand-crafted, sustainably harvested bamboo shades that float. The shades come in eight different historical icon-inspired styles, including the Hepburn, the Jackson and the Kennedy. And the best part: for every purchase, Panda—in partnership with Optometry Giving Sight—provides a free eye exam and pair of prescription glasses to someone in need.

Suggested by Perrin Doniger, Director, Product Development 

Show off your love for your home state, or commemorate a favorite trip, with these porcelain plates in the shape of each state (plus D.C.) Nonstick, microwave- and dishwasher-safe, they’re sized to scale—which means Texas will fit a steak, while Rhode Island might be best for a couple of oysters. For the truly patriotic, or truly hungry, there’s the United States tray, perfect creating a smorgasbord of regional food (or serving a giant turkey). Each plate is handmade in a cottage studio on gorgeous Orcas Island in Washington state—a travel-worthy destination in its own right.

Suggested by Bess Lovejoy, travel editor