Any tips for what to buy a backpacker as a present?

[Mercedes]

I've been tasked with buying some presents for a departing colleague whose about to go round Europe inter railing. She's traveling for a month and then going back to Australia. I did think about those micro fibre towels.

Any ideas?

Depending on budget but bamboo clothing is great as it doesn't smell/uptake body smells so great if lack of laundry facilities.

Micro towels are good.

A backpack covering lockable net/mesh.

Swiss army knife although with the obvious rider that she shouldn't carry it in her handluggage going through airports.
Or one of those locks that you can chain your backpack to stop robdogs people from pinching it.

Presumably she has all the basics covered already like swiss army knife, towls and a backpackcover?

I know what the best present ever will be.......

hang on while I find it

Really, it will be good

wait

wait

The thing about backpacking (I spent years backpacking in my pre-children days) is that you don't want ANYTHING extra. not binoculars, not anything. Well meaning people gave us things like that which we had to leave behind. Unless you ask specifically for something she hasn't already got.

mooncup

Fennel this is one tihng that won't be considered extra!

a hammock

I have one. I take it when we go camping abroad and it has come in soooo useful

It is very small, and light, and can be hung from anything really.

or, OP, ask her what she still needs but hasn't baught yet.

Or, if the hammock is not right, how about some dry bags? You can never have too many dry bags and they are light and essential.

this is where I get my drybags

They are good, strong, and best of all that website dont charge postage

Mooncup is a good idea! but then you either love them or hate them.

I'm not sure you'd use a hammock much for a month in Europe.

what about a few smaller bits such as these a small dynamo torch, padlocks
small first aid kit

Fennel I used mine all the time in Europe

A lot of the campsites where in Pine Woods, perfect for sligning a hammock up to sit in or lie in while on the campsite.

But it's nearly winter, is she going soon?

A silk sleeping bag liner - easy to wash, lets you sleep in dubious sheets with something in between, ideal as only cover if hot, packs to nothing.

A really large pashmina - blanket, scarf, pillow, shawl etc.

hadn't thought of the winter aspect.

money.
that's the only thing she'll need: it will get her food and accommodation wherever she goes and it won't weigh her down.

internationally valid book tokens would be ideal if you could get them.

And any money left over, you could put on a cash passport so that she has some extra money for fripperies as she travels round. To make it a bit more personal, you could write in a card your suggestions for what to do with it - sachertorte in Vienna etc

Thanks for the suggestions - I got her the microfiber towel, some earplugs for any hostels, a washing line, a small torch and I took on board what people said about traveling light and we bought euros for her.