Budget Travel Christmas Gift Ideas

Have a budget traveler on your Christmas list but at a loss for gift ideas? Check out these hot yet inexpensive gift ideas for your road warrior.

Budget travelers know that cheap doesn’t necessarily equate poor quality – unless you’re talking about hostel rooms.

Whether you’re looking for unique gifts for him or her, your teen, or inexpensive stocking-stuffers, these small yet practical gift ideas keep your budget traveler happy throughout the 12 days of Christmas and the rest of the year.

Hot Christmas Gifts for the Hosteller

• Portable Sound – Music, as much as travel, makes the world go round. No need to stop the beat while on the road with Sony’s SRS-M30 portable speakers. These pocket-sized speakers quickly attach to occupy less room in your pack. Because they also operate on batteries, you can take them anywhere you travel. The sound muffles at loud volumes but great for MP3 players or laptops on the go. Available in black or white. (SRP $29.99)

• Travel Safe– Beach bums know the dilemma well – what do you do with your MP3 Player, sunglasses and cash when you want to go for a dip? Pac Safe’s Travel Safe 100 looks like an ordinary bag but the strong “eXomesh” clinches at the tip keeping your gear safe from prying eyes. Attach it to your hostel bedpost, door handle or bike rack at the beach and keep your gear safe while enjoying yourself. A key lock comes with the safe but then you have to worry about losing the key – use your own combination lock for even better security. (SRP $39.95)

Gifts for Women or Men

• Packing Cubes– If your budget traveler’s backpack resembles a hectic outdoor market – crammed with no apparent order, you may want to give him some Magellan's packing cubes. The collapsible cubes keep order in your backpack. Available in various sizes, each cube has a mesh top to see the contents and a convenient handle for easy carrying. (SRP $16.85 for a pack of 3)

• Mesh Pouches – Tired of hearing about shampoo explosions? Time to get your budget traveler some Magellan's mesh pouches. Available in two sizes, these plastic-lined mesh pouches secure your toiletries and keep the spills in, away from the rest of your gear. The see-through mesh makes it easy to find just what you’re looking for before you dig, but the small size of these bags means you’ll have to pack a few if you tend to bring many products. (SRP $11.85 for 2)

• Waterproof Socks - One of the 12 essentials items to bring on any trip is extra socks – so why not make those socks count. SealSkinz make waterproof socks and chill blocking gloves with gripper dots that keep your hands and feet warm, dry and comfortable. Great for day hikes through the bog or the soggy streets of Manhattan. SealSkinz need extra care in order to ensure they remain waterproof for life but having dry feet at the end of the day makes it worth the effort.(SRP $32.95, each)

Gifts of Juice and Jewelry

• Multi Tool - Every traveler needs a good knife. Leatherman has a great line of affordable multi tools such as the Leatherman Juice. Small enough to fit in your pocket, this lightweight multi tool comes equipped with several blades, scissors and even a bottle opener and corkscrew – perfect for those evenings on the road when you want to curl up in your hostel room with a bottle… of juice. (SRP $68.99)

• Jewelry Pouch - Love to budget travel but just can’t leave home the bling? The strong outer casing on Magellan's jewelry travel pouch protects your valuables from damage yet it’s small enough to fit in the corners of your pack, hotel safes or a Pac Safe Travel Safe. The zipper keeps your jewelry in, but it would be even better with a solid lock. (SRP $14.85)

Budget Travel Gift Ideas

Leatherman Juice

Mesh Cases

SealSkinz waterproof socks and gloves

Magellan's jewelry travel pouch

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