Nephew going travelling

[CameronK27]

Hi all,

My nephew (18years old) is going travelling for the first time to SE Asia. Like most parents, his parents are petrified!
So I am thinking of buying a small travel kit I can purchase for him which will provide all his backpacking essentials keeping him safe and prepared for every eventuality. Does this exist? Do we think this would be a good present? I very much feel it would relieve some of the stress his parents currently feel!

Any and all help much appreciated!

Thanks

Cam :)

I think a better gift would be some emergency cash which he could access from abroad in emergencies.

yes thought of that, but I don't want to give emergency money because I think that will become beer money.

Have you bought a gift for someone travelling before?

What sort of things are you thinking of? I'm struggling to think of anything essential other than his passport and money.

Yes...I got my boyfriend a little medical kit and a foldable hammock thing when I was about 20! The problem with buying gifts like this is people end up with a lot of "stuff" and it's better to choose your own.

You could offer to get him a good backpack if he hasn't got one already?

Like a little bag which would contain a first aid kit, battery bank, waterproof poncho...those kind of things?

My niece is currently travelling in SE Asia, she's in Laos at the moment. I'm keeping her parents calm by being first point of contact with her on messenger for the inevitable travellers tummy, fallen out with travel buddies, lost my stuff scenarios (spent a lot of time over there and know the drill!)
As far as stuff goes, he doesn't really need anything specific. Where's he going?

Okay lightbulb moment everyone. Does this exist?

I am imagining a little pack (say a5 size) that contains really useful travel items. i.e. first aid kit, immodium (for tummy travels @thegonnagle!), battery bank etc, maybe hand sanitizer?

That way it is with them everywhere and reassuring for mums and dads back home as know he has a lot of important stuff with them? What do you reckon?

Honestly it's just more stuff to carry, he literally just needs shorts, vests, underwear, sunglasses, flip flops, malaria drugs, battery pack, sun tan lotion and documents

He can get far more powerful drugs out there if he needs them, send him off with a poncho by all means but I can't imagine that's what is worrying them ....

If you really want to do something make sure he has sensible insurance and tell him to avoid drugs of the illegal kind in any of the countries he visits as the consequences are really not worth it.

If he’s off travelling then he’s got enough about him to find a local pharmacy. Clean pants, toothbrush, emergency credit card and a copy of the lonely planet and you’re set, surely?

Okay lightbulb moment everyone. Does this exist?

What? those things exist in supermarkets all over the world.

It's sounding increasingly like a sales pitch or like you're trying to test the waters of your new business idea.

I am imagining a little pack (say a5 size) that contains really useful travel items. i.e. first aid kit, immodium (for tummy travels @thegonnagle!), battery bank etc, maybe hand sanitizer?

A pack? I mean...people just go out and buy those things OP. They don't need a pack.

It's all this sales pitchy talk of "reassuring for mums and Dads" and

"is it a good idea?" "Does this exist?" "Have you bought a gift for someone travelling before?"

Ignoring the potential pitch...

Ask him what he needs. Does he already have a good battery pack? Does he want one of those document bags you wear round your stomach? What is in his first aid pack etc.

And no, I wouldn't buy a pack that cane prepacked like that because I own most of those bits individually and ultimately it'll get emptied out and all separated anyway

Ignoring the sales pitch too, and thinking it's not super necessary.

Did you go travelling at this age? I did. I had a travel sized book that was called Bugs, Bites and Bowels. It was really good reading for all its case studies but also would have helped me self diagnose if I'd have got something? Lonely planets were good too.

The other thing that was super valuable was one of those travel washing lines. All twisted so you don't need pegs. In fact every holiday we go on I wish I had one of those!

Those were the days of those BT phone cards you could charge your calls to your parents phone bill. We got given someone's code. Everyone in the hostel was ringing England with it. God knows what the bill must have been. So phone credit would probably be good too.

I reckon it’s just more crap to cart about and cash either to buy something they want/need or to use in an emergency would be much, much better.

long holiday kit is sucker bait, same as gift sets - same stuff with loads of packaging.

for his long holiday he needs solid insurance, common sense and cash. the good old swiss army knife is very useful if he has enough gorm to keep it out of hand luggage.

travel washing line = long piece of string.

www.pacsafe.com/travelsafe-3l-econyl-portable-safe/10482641.html?cgid=bags#start=1

When I went backpacking I used something like this to keep valuables in when staying in hostels and so on. I’d stick things in it and lock it to eg the bed frame and tuck it out of sight

I’m sure you mean well, OP, but I really struggle to see how his parents will feel reassured about his travels as long as he goes off with a poncho and a pack of immodium....
Agree with others that cash and good insurance would be useful.

ah, the old pacsafe. the swiss army knife will be straight through that.

Just give him some money.

OP that stuff exists. It's existed for decades, albeit with updates eg battery pack. It's not needed. It doesn't need to be reinvented.

He'll be able to buy whatever he wants much cheaper over there.
He'll also be given a load of 'helpful' shite which he'll probably ditch along the way.