Gifting season is upon us, and you might have a special traveler you’re shopping for — or need a few ideas that’ll improve your own travels. Here are a few travel-tested favorites from my life.
Pair of Thieves Underwear
The older I get, the less time I have to waste on bad underwear. A pair that bunches up, chafes, gets flappy leg holes, or stays damp is absolutely unforgivable on a long day of travel. Enter Pair of Thieves: available everywhere from Target to Amazon, their excellent “ready for anything” undies feature exceptionally soft waistbands, comfortable and long-lasting fits, and no tags.
As a frequent visitor to humid Asia and a cold-blooded winter layerer, I prefer their performance fabric Cool Breeze (previously SuperFit) line. They also make a Mega Soft (previously SuperSoft) line if you’re sticking to more temperate climes. Cool Breeze isn’t that crappy third-rate performance fabric still used by Big Underwear — it’s breathable, silky soft, moisture-wicking, doesn’t retain funk, and dries quickly on those days where “doing laundry” means a sink wash.
SanDisk Memory Cards
Got a shutterbug in your life? They can never have too many memory cards. SanDisk is the brand I — and many other — professional shooters rely on day in and day out, and their reliability and support is top-notch.
For basic photos, the entry level lines work well, but if your giftee is shooting video or working with a higher-end camera, spring for the Extreme Pro cards: they’re much faster, meaning you can shoot more stills in less time, or shoot HD and 4K video without a hitch.
Microfiber Towel
Douglas Adams had it right: Never leave home without your towel. My brother turned me on to microfiber towels, which have the benefit of being super lightweight, easily packable, crazy absorbent, and incredibly quick-to-dry. Many newer towels are impregnated with silver particles to make them nearly impervious to stank-towel, even if you have to go without washing your towel for a bit.
I’m very partial to the inexpensive Rainleaf Microfiber Towel, available from Amazon; the “small” (16″x32″) size serves as my gym towel, can completely and thoroughly dry this 6’7″ man, and is easily wrapped around nearly any mirrorless or SLR camera as a quick protection from the elements — all while packing down to a roughly 6″x6″ square and weighing less than 3 ounces.
If you need something you can pick up locally, most outdoor stores will have a tried-and-trusted brand of microfiber towel on their shelves. I recommend sticking with one that advertises silver ions; it adds almost nothing to the price but makes for a much nicer travel towel.