Looking for some thoughtful small items to assemble a stocking or gift basket for a traveller you know? I’ve got you covered!

These small gifts will always be needed and appreciated by adventurous travellers. From taking flights to hiking to camping and visiting the jungle, these items are sure to be useful. If you really want to make your traveller friend smile, don’t miss my tips for personalizing your gift at the end!

Ready to assemble a stocking or gift basket? Pick and choose the items that make sense for the adventurer in your life:

• Hair ties

• Coral-safe SPF 

• Mosquito repellent

• Gift card for Audible

• Shampoo bar

• Lip balm

• Tea or instant coffee packets

• Rehydration salts

• Luggage tag

• Cash for buying a sim card

• Mini handwash laundry sheets

• After-bite for mosquito bites

• Travel size soap

• Blackout eye mask

• Rehydration salts

• Compact reusable bag

• Headband

• Instant coffee/tea packets

• Throat lozenges

• Notebook

• Gift card for Spotify/Apple Music

• Massage ball

• Passport cover

• Rugged phone case

• Immodium

• Universal power plug

• Deck of cards

• Long phone charging cable

• Backpack rain cover

• Bluetooth speaker

• Sunglasses

P.S. Looking for something more substantial?

Find the perfect gift for adventurous travellers in my Ultimate Gift-Giving Guide.

• Small guide book

• Pen

• Hand sanitizer

• Quick-dry face cloth

• Toothbrush

• Multi-tool/knife

• Candy

• Sticker or postcard from “home”

• Reusable travel utensil set

• Mini sewing kit

• Anti-nausea medicine

• Silicone snack bags

• Bananagrams

• Duct tape

• Case for toiletries

• Energy bars

• Mini first aid kit

• Antibacterial wipes

• Book or gift card for Kindle

• Ear plugs

• Shoe/boot laces

• Peanut butter

• Bluetooth earbuds

• Small tube of toothpaste

• Facial sunscreen

• Water treatment tablets

• Merino wool socks

• Reusable mug

• Bobby pins/hairpins

• Face wipes

• Nuts or dried fruit

• Small phone tripod

• Bandaids/blister pads

Personalize your gift

The key to great gift-giving is to make it personal! By being observant, we can show people that we listen to them, see them and understand them. You can do this by including items you noticed were worn out or missing, and by choosing colours and styles that you know match their gear and personality.

Also keep in mind that small reminders of places we love - including home, friends and family - can be super comforting when on the road. Here are some ideas for personal touches:

• Know a recent grad leaving for a gap year? Give them a deck of cards with pictures from their hometown - they’ll reminisce about home over drinking games at a hostel.

• Know someone headed on a big hiking adventure? Cook, dehydrate and vacuum-seal a homemade meal they’ll love.

• Know a couple travelling together? Get them personalized passport covers with their names

• Know someone going on a long-awaited vacation? Buy them the relevant guidebook and write a note in the flap with a word of advice (bonus points if it’s funny) wishing them a great adventure. My sister did this for me when I went to Tunisia and it was my favourite!

Overall, just be thoughtful based on how you know the person and on your experiences with them. Did you go hiking together once and get horrendous blisters? Definitely include some blister pads or fabric bandaids! Are they addicted to Taylor Swift? Buy them music streaming credits so they won’t get interrupted by ads during a long flight.

Finally, I’ve got great tips on personalized wrapping in my Ultimate Gift-Giving Guide. If you’re making a “stocking” and you have some budget, consider replacing the stocking with a handy 10-litre dry bag or small backpack for day trips.

Where to buy

Good news: many of the items listed here can easily be found at pharmacies. Local zero-waste stores often carry an interesting selection, too!

I buy things from all over, but some of my favourite stores for adventure gear include Decathalon (Europe/Asia), Lole (Canada/USA) and Mountain Equipment Company (Canada) or REI (USA).

Note: This article contains no affiliate links. In other words, it is not sponsored, and these are 100% genuine recommendations from Lynne.

To find the ultimate present for the traveller in your life, check out: