DC going off on gap year - any present ideas?

[jocktamsonsbairn]

Starting in US then Australia, will be leaving next May. No definite plans as still putting all together. Main gift will be cash but any 'must have' things you can think of?
Other DC travelling too for 3 months uni holiday, so similar gifts for both.

Insurance.... decent rucksack.

Rucksack (that's fitted ....go to millets and they do that for free ).

Bum bag

Maybe...
A water filter bottle so any water is potable
Portable power bank to keep phone charged on day trips
Carabiner or similar, just always find those things so handy
Nice pair of sunglasses.

Money

Travel journal?

Gold standard back pack insurance that insured tech
some hotel night stays in each country

Condoms

Insurance on the phone

Emergency money

Monzo top ups when they least expect to go buy lunch
Fitbit/ tracker/ GPS
Muji travel accessories

Power bank for phone
Extra charger cables
Sunglasses
Fast drying towel
Playing cards

Not sure if your DC is a guy or girl but I got SIL a travel jewellery roll for her gap year travels.
Water bottle
Travel guides
Sarong/scarf
Dry bag
Universal plug adapter
Money belt
Padlock (sometimes have to bring your own to hostels)

ear plugs
eye mask
mini toiletry bottles for hand luggage
plug adaptors
inflatable pillow
microfibre towel (decathlon do good ones)
flip flops

Insect repellent, sunglasses, microfibre towel, flip flops/slides for beach/ grotty shower rooms

Thanks everyone! Some good ideas there! I will be helping out with the insurance, money etc, just needed inspiration for actual gifts to open on Xmas day!
Hadn't thought of some of them so will get on it!

A decent travel pillow - I bought a memory foam one from Amazon.

A convertible backpack with wheels and a zip on day pack. I have an Osprey one.

Unless he is trekking in the middle of nowhere and carrying camping gear, you really don't need a rucksack. My backpack has been wheeled along dirt roads in rural Africa and lived to tell the tale. The convertible ones give him the option of both (although they are heavier than conventional backpacks so not great if he is doing a long trek). TBH, I bought mine because I have had to go to some fairly remote places but I barely used it as a backpack because it was just fine being wheeled.

www.ospreyeurope.com/gb_en

Travel cubes/shoe bags/laundry bags are handy if you are living out of a backpack, especially the top opening type of backpack, so you ony have to take a few things out rather than rummaging through your entire belongings to find something, rumpling everything up and risking dropping/losing things. A friend has one that came with an integrated folding board to make it easy to fold clothes to fit in perfectly. I am a little bit jealous...

This sounds perfect! DS was talking earlier about whether he needed a rucksack or best to take a suitcase. The packing cubes sound fab too!

I went travelling in my twenties so this is a mix of what I took and what I wish I took lol:
microfibre towel
good flip flops (for hostel showers)
a large padlock (for hostel/dorm lockers)
a multi travel plug adaptor
a toiletry bag that has a hook to hang on the shower door.
a thin robe/wrap around towel that’s lightweight.
a refillable water bottle that folds/collapses when empty
Caribinas (those hook things on prams, great for attaching extra bits to backpack like shoes)
travel sizes of their fave toiletries
sleeping bag liner (great to sleep in, in hostel beds)
a day bag/smaller backpack for daily excursions
a 50litre backpack for their main luggage. To be honest you could get away with a suitcase in USA & AUS, but not all places will have lifts and carrying a backpack up four flights is easy than suitcase.

other gift ideas:
scratch Map (such a cool gift)
travel journal (never used it)
lonely planet guidebook for each place they’re going.
money wallet/bumbag
instax camera/printer/film

dock and bay do an XL travel towel that is the size of a bath sheet but folds down to next to nothing. There's some on amazon but even more choice if you go direct

Silk sleeping bag liner. Has to be silk.

Some experience vouchers for things they may enjoy but are expensive - so for top of empire state building if going to NYC, climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge if going to Sydney eyc

Loving these thanks!

A plan other then just getting shitfaced in bars.

Not glam but health insurance (with repatriation).

😂 that's probably on their agenda as it was on mine many years ago too!! 😆

•Dry sacks (not bags), they squash down and can be used similarly to packing cubes. Bonus, it doesn't matter if you end up hanging around in the rain and can be used for various water-based activities.
•A sleeping bag liner and a pillowcase - some accommodation can be very questionable and you cannot always move easily.
•Hackey sack or playing cards to kill time.
•Rehydration sachets (will be needed at some point). After-bite stuff too.
•Headtorch - sounds like DC is going to nice wealthy developed countries but they will stay either in some total holes or merely in places with less stable electricity supply.
•Extra flip flops - very likely one will get snapped/lost etc and they'll want them for the showers.
•Condoms condoms condoms.
•A door stop so they can wedge the door shut (have needed only a couple of times but have been glad of it when I did).