15 low-tech, low-impact gift ideas for the traveler in your life

It can be tricky to find the perfect gift for someone who tends to prioritize experiences over ‘things’. For someone who’s constantly adventuring off somewhere new, it can also be hard to find something that’s worth its weight and space in a small carry-on. 

So, try something different this year. From screen-free cameras to gear ‘first aid,’ we’ve collected a range of our favorite carry-on-friendly gifts and experiences that also happen to have lower impacts on the environment. Some of these must-haves require an element of creativity or further research, but trust us—it will be appreciated.

The Camp Snap: A digital ‘disposable’ camera, for mindful travel

The Camp Snap looks and feels almost exactly like a plastic disposable camera. The difference is that it’s not disposable at all… Secretly, it’s a digital camera that can hold hundreds of photos—you just won’t be able to see them until you upload them to your computer. We’ve found the device to be an excellent way to take travel photos without the distractions of a cell phone, and on top of that, it’s lightweight—it’s even small enough to fit right into a Christmas stocking.

The most sustainable [insert gear item here] is the one you already have. Instead of gifting a brand-new jacket, consider gifting tools, supplies, or training for your adventurer to keep their well-loved kit in working order for years.

On the right tracks: An unlimited rail pass

A rail pass gives ultimate freedom to explore without worrying about breaking the bank. Interrail is easily the most well-known—along with its sister, Eurail, which is for passengers with passports from outside of the EU and UK. With one of these passes, the holder can hop on pretty much any train across Europe at a mere whim. Some trains do require reservations that cost extra, but it’s still a brilliantly affordable way to travel if flexibility is important to you and you have time to burn. Prices vary based on age and days of travel, but for example, a pass for 4 days of unlimited travel within one month starts at USD$231 for young adults—on sale for USD$173 at the time of this writing.

In the US, Amtrak now offers a similar option. A USA Rail Pass costs USD$500 and offers the bearer 10 uninterrupted segments to be used within 30 days. A segment counts as a journey between two destinations without changes, so you can get pretty far on a single pass—Chicago to Denver, for example, counts as just one segment.

Travel is everywhere: A hometown tour

There’s no place like home, but it can be hard to appreciate it when it feels like it’s just the same old, same old stuff. So why not gift your traveler a ‘touristy’ experience right in their town or city that helps them reconnect with all the amazing things right in front of them?

You could search Airbnb Experiences for walking tours or cooking classes; book a ghost tour for someone who likes history with a side of the paranormal; or buy tickets to a theater show, perhaps with a gift certificate to a restaurant they might otherwise overlook. Try searching for ideas from the local visitors’ bureau or tourism board if you’re not sure where to start. Nearly every city and state are covered by at least one such organization, and they can offer great resources to highlight exciting new places across the region.

Back to basics: Gear repair essentials

The most sustainable [insert gear item here] is the one you already have. Instead of gifting a brand-new jacket, consider gifting tools, supplies, or training for your adventurer to keep their well-loved kit in working order for years, if not decades, to come. Gear Aid, NoSo Patches, and Nikwax all offer easy fixes and products to clean and treat tents, shell jackets, puffies, and more.

For the more enterprising repairer, consider a sewing class at a local studio. I’ve loved taking classes at Make Town in London, whose expert staff have empowered me to repair many items I otherwise might have tossed.

Give them the gift of peace (of mind)

OK, we know this one doesn’t sound like the hottest gift, but hear us out: Travel insurance can get expensive for frequent fliers, and sometimes even the most experienced travelers get repeatedly unlucky. I know this because my own brother somehow gets delayed on nearly every flight, and even though he has travel insurance through a credit card, he’s fallen through the cracks of the T’s and C’s on more than one occasion. 

For someone who likes practical gifts, an annual policy—or some cash to put toward one—may be a welcome gesture. Mishaps are bound to happen eventually—and they’ll be very grateful if it was your gift that saved the day. 

I have an annual policy through the Post Office in the UK, which has given me peace of mind. My policy has a feature that automatically sends me £50 each via PayPal for me and my travel companions if a flight I’ve registered in advance gets delayed by at least an hour—a welcome surprise when I was recently delayed in Florida with my whole family.

Outside the UK, World Nomads is a conscious and trustworthy option. I once lost the case for my Apple AirPods while traveling in Mexico, and it could not have been easier to make a claim and get reimbursed for a replacement. A membership for a year’s worth of roadside assistance from AAA is also a good option for US residents who are frequent roadtrippers. Gift memberships for AAA start at USD$61 per year. 

Aside from AAA, you won’t find many (if any) traditional gift cards for travel insurance, so you may have to go old school with this one by giving the recipient the cash to buy their policy when the timing is right. 

Support wild spaces and historic preservation by gifting a membership that encourages your traveler to explore more in their own backyard

Konnichiwa to buongiorno: Language lessons for the curious traveler

If your traveler is language-curious, an annual ad-free Duolingo membership (USD$85) is an excellent way to get them hooked on learning. For better or worse, the app is incredibly addicting, and a dedicated user can bank a vocabulary of hundreds of new words in just a few weeks. It doesn’t replace in-person interactions, but it can help you ask where the bathroom is with a degree of confidence. If Duolingo feels a bit too gamified, Babbel and Rosetta Stone offer desktop-friendly language learning with live group classes. Their gift subscriptions start at USD$104 for six months, and USD$126 for 12 months, respectively.

For the intrepid language learner, or someone who’s ready to level up, consider private tutoring. LiveLingua offers gift cards of USD$50+ for one-on-one lessons in Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, and Japanese. Prices range from about USD$22 to $27 per hour. 

Gifts that inspire more self-confidence in the wilderness

You can’t ever be truly prepared for everything that could happen on an adventure, but learning the basics can go a long way. A basic first aid or wilderness first aid course can teach your traveler how to stay calm in the event of a medical emergency, and how to get creative to take care of themselves when they’re far from easy help. The Red Cross offers first aid courses worldwide, with online courses starting from USD$25 in the US and in-person courses in the UK starting from £37.

REI offers multi-day wilderness first aid certification classes around the US starting at USD$299. Options from NOLS start at USD$250. 

If they’ve been there, done that, get more specific.

If they’re super into hiking, look into mountain leader training—like the classes at Plas y Brenin in the Welsh mountains. If they’re into skiing and interested in exploring the backcountry, an avalanche safety class could be in order. AIAIRE offers training in mountainous regions throughout the US and internationally. And if they’ve always loved snorkeling and want to go a bit deeper, a PADI SCUBA certification class could make their dreams come true. You don’t even have to live near the ocean to do it—just contact the dive store nearest you.

Gift them the ultimate travel wardrobe

What better way to pack for a trip than to rent clothes and have your wardrobe mailed straight to your destination, which you can then return before you fly home? On recent trips to visit friends and family in the US, I flew with budget carrier Breeze and saved over USD$100 on carry-on luggage fees by having a Rent the Runway shipment sent straight to my destination. A gift card to a clothing rental service like this can also cut down on fast fashion waste for the traveler who always wants to buy new outfits before heading off on a trip.

I’ve tried a few such services, including the UK’s LK Borrowed, by LK Bennett, and The Devout. The US-based Rent the Runway seems to be the obvious leader for women’s fashion. RTR offers sizes 0 to 22 as well as maternity sizing. Current sale pricing for a plan with two shipments of five items each per month starts at USD$80, and gift cards are available from USD$25. It’s the easiest wardrobe around: The app is fun and easy to use, they take care of all the cleaning, and you can easily change your shipping address as many times as you’d like. If you fall in love, you can purchase your favorite styles at steep discounts.

For men’s clothing or more gender-neutral apparel, Taelor is the new kid on the block. Unlike most menswear rental options focused on formalwear, Taelor offers casual, everyday options, too, in a size run of small to XXL. A one-month gift membership for 10 items per month—curated for the wearer by a staff stylist—costs USD$99.

Gifts with purpose—and style: Upcycled, travel-friendly accessories

ABD Culture’s elegant jewelry looks like it should be a lot heavier than it is, but it’s not made of metal or heavy plastic, as you might think from the images. It’s made from upcycled bike tire inner tubes, and it’s so light you’ll quickly forget you’re wearing it. ABD makes an impressive variety of affordable earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, all of which could be excellent stocking stuffers for adventurers looking for travel-friendly style. Many styles cost less than USD$35.

There’s no shortage of companies claiming their goods are “sustainable” or “recycled,” but dig a little deeper if you’re searching for a gift with a feel-good story that’s more than just greenwashing. 

Ombraz, for example, makers of our favorite armless sunglasses, uses nylon cords made from recycled Japanese fishing nets, and plants 20 mangrove trees for each pair sold. SOLO Eyewear uses reclaimed wood and other upcycled materials in its frames, and a portion of sales goes toward international projects to provide eyecare to people in need. And 4Ocean makes bracelets—and other products—out of trash plastic scooped directly out of the oceans.

For someone who’s eager to take off for a change of scenery, a gift card to help pay for their adventure might be much-appreciated. It’s hard to go wrong with an Airbnb gift card if you know they’re comfortable with the platform, or one for a far-reaching booking site like Hotels.com.

Into the outdoors: A National Parks Pass, or similar local membership

Support wild spaces and historic preservation by gifting a membership that encourages your traveler to explore more in their own backyard. In the US, an annual National Parks Pass costs USD$80 and offers free admission system-wide for the member and their guests (to a limit). Australia offers similar options, such as those from the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Alternatively, you could look at a local option, like a state parks pass, or a local garden membership that offers national or international benefits, too. The Denver Botanic Garden, for example, is part of the American Horticultural Society, so members can visit other in-network gardens for free. Many in the US offer reciprocal benefits with other similar properties around the country. 

In the UK, you could consider the National Trust, which also offers gift cards that can be used toward membership or a stay in one of their historic holiday cottages. English Heritage, Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Historic Houses also offer annual memberships to visit historic homes, gardens, and cultural preservation sites, just to name a few. 

Give the joy of experience—and choice—with a travel gift card

For someone who’s eager to take off for a change of scenery, a gift card to help pay for their adventure might be much-appreciated. It’s hard to go wrong with an Airbnb gift card if you know they’re comfortable with the platform, or one for a far-reaching booking site like Hotels.com. Flightgift offers gift cards that can be used at hundreds of airlines worldwide, including major carriers such as Delta, British Airways, and United.

Or you could give the gift of an experience. Intrepid Travel, which owns Adventure.com, also offers gift vouchers in any amount for a trip of the recipient’s choosing. National Parks UK also offers a wide range of guided local experiences, many of which cost less than GBP£25.

For the storyteller, give the tools to create

Looking for something to do with all those photos from trips your family keeps asking about? Turn them into cards, prints, or photo books with a service like Artifact Uprising, which creates beautiful photo gifts. 

Or, give a gift card to someone who’s been hoping to create something with their own travel pics. Newspaper Club prints fun custom newspapers and mini-magazines, which you can design yourself using Canva or other design software. They’ll even send you a fun kit of sample issues for free to show off their papers, designs, and sizing, which gives you something to wrap.

Stocking stuffers and budget-friendly gifts

Socks have gotten a bad rap over the years for being a dull present. I disagree—you can never have too many wool socks for hiking, running, or everyday life. My favorites come from Darn Tough Vermont, which has an impressive policy to replace damaged socks for life: “As long as there’s enough of your sock remaining that you can send it back to us and we can tell it was once a Darn Tough sock, we’ll cover it,” they say. 

Merino wool underwear is another little luxury that’s way too underrated. If you’ve never tried it, be warned—it will change your life on the road. My favorites are from Icebreaker, which offers a variety of styles and thicknesses to suit every adventurer. Paradis Sport also offers ultralight, supersoft, and super-stretchy micromodal underwear—comfy enough on and off-trail to compete with merino.

For other stocking-friendly stuffers, consider Rite in the Rain’s waterproof notebooks and Vapur’s flat-pack water bottles—it’s been nearly a decade since I got my first one, and I’ve yet to find another reusable bottle better for travel.

Sometimes the most thoughtful gift doesn’t cost anything at all.

Gift inspiration, or well-done research

If your adventurer is still in a daydream or planning phase, why not give them some help with the research? Outdoor adventurers who like hiking around the United States will love Trails, a coffee table-style magazine for nature lovers with an often irreverent style (where else will you find reviews of the best views from backcountry outhouses?). Positive News, JRNY, Wildsam, Sidetracked, Lodestars Anthology, and Adventure Journal are also full of gorgeous photography and beautiful storytelling. Fare is perfect for the foodie traveler.

For a little surprise, Pics and Ink, a UK-based magazine seller, offers a ‘Free Range’ subscription to travel and adventure magazines. The package includes three surprise issues of a different magazine over six months. Prices start at GBP£37 in the UK, and go up for international orders.

A gift card to your local independent bookstore is an easy win, too.

Buy nothing: The gift of time

For a buy-nothing option, curate your own travel guide for someone heading off on a trip. Or, better yet, why not design a walking tour for them in their own city, introducing them to places they may have overlooked for years?

One of the best Google Maps lists I’ve ever seen was a friend’s list of ‘places to read in London’,  which he shared with me after he’d lived there for a year. I now have a dozen such lists of my own, and occasionally make custom ones for friends traveling to cities I’ve been to. Google Maps allows you to pin places easily simply by searching for them and saving them to your list, and there’s a space for each entry to add a note about why it’s great. Proof that sometimes the most thoughtful gift doesn’t cost anything at all.

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