So we’ve scoured stores, catalogs and websites for travel-related gifts in all price ranges, for between $10 and $70. The $10 HeartWarmer thaws cold hands as well as the $485 cashmere travel blanket; the $9 ski-mountain-themed playing cards are as entertaining as the $299 portable video player.
Whichever gifts you choose, we hope the thought behind them makes your recipients’ trips even merrier.
Here are some of our favorites, followed by more in a variety of price ranges:
Buck Head Suiter Duffel Bag, $90 at eBags, 800-820-6126, . The suiter duffel is the Transformer of the luggage world. Completely open, the garment bag holds and protects full- size suits. Then, when the sides are zipped up, the carrier converts into a spacious duffel, for all of your non-pinstripe outfits. (Your biz attire, however, might come out creased like a duffel.) The carrier is generous with pockets, too, providing pouches for smaller items such as tie pins and socks.
Ultimate Hoodie Microfleece, $70 at Scottevest, 866-909-8378, scottevest . This high-concept hoodie is the James Bond of sportswear. The micro- fleece jacket has 11 pockets, each one with a different function — to attach a key, to hold a stylus, to grip a bottle. The highlight, though, is the arm pouch, which is sized for an iPod or other small music player and has a secret tunnel through which headphones can be threaded. Yes, even super-agents hate cold ears and fingers.
Cashmere Travel Blanket, $310 to $485 at Horchow, 877-944-9888, . Even if you fly coach, you can still inject some first-class style and comfort with a cashmere travel blanket. The ultra-luxe swath of fabric comes in various sizes and designs: stripes with Ultrasuede trim, bold hues (shocking pink, for example), cable knit and colorful zigzags. The zippered carrying case doubles as a pillow cover, because VIP heads can rest only on the best.
“Transit Maps of the World,” by Mark Ovenden (Penguin), $25 at most bookstores. For the public transportation nut on your list, here’s “the world’s first collection of every urban train map on Earth.” Maps and histories of more than 100 subway systems are depicted in loving detail.
Lightweight Travel Pack, $70, Patagonia, 800-638-6464, . Give your favorite vagabond this lifetime- guaranteed backpack and the warm feeling that comes from knowing that the manufacturer donates 1 percent of every sale to conservation and environmental projects. The pack comes in green, red, blue and black, is quick-drying and light as a feather. When not in use, it can be rolled and stuffed into its top pocket — conservation of space indeed.
Under $25
Ski USA Playing Cards, $9 at the New England Ski Museum, 800-639-4181, . Play Go Snow with Ski USA playing cards. Each standard-size card displays stats and a mountain map of such top U.S. ski resorts as Jackson Hole, Vail and Killington. Use them to plan your next winter holiday: Pick a card, any card …
Aquis Adventure towels by Britanne, $9 to $32 at . Take a cue from Arthur Dent (“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”) and always know where your towel is. Aquis towels are lightweight, super-absorbent, quick-drying and easy to pack. The new Adventure towels come in their own mesh bags and have snap-up loops for easy hanging.
HeartWarmer, $10 at ., 877-411-9600. Give your hands some love with a HeartWarmer, a heart- shaped piece of gel-filled plastic that fits in your palm and heats up when you bend the embedded disk. After the mini-heater cools, plop it in boiling water and it pumps back to life.
Driinn Mobile Device Charging Holder, $10 at Spoon Sisters, 800-716-4199, . Ever forgotten your cellphone charger in a hotel room or rental house? The Driinn, an L-shaped piece of plastic that can be hung between charger and electrical outlet, gives you a small shelf on which to rest your phone, BlackBerry or music player. Bonus: The screaming bright colors — orange or lime, though black is also available — make the Driinn, and therefore your charger, hard to miss in a pre-checkout room survey.
Travel Paint Set, $10 at Restoration Hardware (stores only), restoration . A digital camera may be essential for quick snapshots, but the pleasure of painting in the park can’t be overstated. Pop off the ends of this set to use as water cups, hook the kit on your thumb and get your Monet on.
Belle Hop Travel Alarm, $12 at ., 877-422-4243. Belle Hop’s door alarm may not bite, but it does have quite a bark — 91 decibels, to be exact. When staying at lodgings with dodgy neighbors, hang the slim gadget on the knob, slip the prong between the door and door frame, and wait for an intruder. If the door is opened, the alarm emits a shrill sound that could stir the dead.
Camouflage Dynamo Flashlight, $12 at Lane’s Luggage, 202-452-1146, . AA batteries aren’t included with the Dynamo flashlight, but that’s the point. The cellphone-size torch is run by hand power (plus a little help from a rechargeable cell battery). The twin LED headlights shine for up to 10 minutes; when the illumination dies, simply squeeze a small pump for a minute or so and you will see the light again.
From $26 to $70
150 Country Travel Adapter, $30 at Hammacher Schlemmer, 800-321-1484, .. The joy and romance of world travel comes with a price: a big sack of power adapters. The 150- country travel adapter ingeniously morphs into many of the eccentric electrical plug configurations found around the globe. The all-in-one device doesn’t convert the current if the power is the wrong voltage, but it does include a surge protector and, best of all, a USB port for simultaneous charging of PC devices.
Cabin Comfort Inflatable Pillow, $39 at TravelSmith, 800-950-1600, . Aren’t traveling with a comfy companion you can lean on? Not to worry: Make long flights or cramped bus trips more comfortable with an inflatable pillow you can hug. Put the pillow on your lap or tray table, slide your arms through the fabric loop and lean forward for a well-deserved nap.
Muji Cardboard Speakers, $42 at MoMA Store, 800-447-6662, momastore .. The music never has to die, no matter your destination, if you’re equipped with collapsible cardboard speakers that hook up to an iPod or any of its ilk. They fold and unfold like a common box, are smaller than a Chinese takeout container and lay nearly flat, plus a small audio bulge. Though they’re ill-suited for wet environments, you can turn anyplace else — Mongolian yurt, Yosemite cabin, Irish castle — into Studio 54 with an insert here and a tuck there. (Carrying case included.)
Leather-Bound National Park Atlas, $49 at Orvis, 703-465-0004, . If Lewis and Clark were still kicking around, they’d probably beg Santa for a leather-bound atlas of America’s national parks. The compact book, which slips easily into a rucksack, contains detailed maps of parks big and small, in all 50 states. Also included: info on activities, plant and wildlife, overnight options, and a trip-planning section.
OTTO Isolating Ear Buds, $70, OTTO, 888-234-6886, . Headphones with noise-canceling circuitry are very effective at muting the roar of airplane engines, the cries of babies and the snores of seatmates. But they can be pricey. OTTO Isolating Ear Buds don’t electronically erase the noise, but they block your ear canals effectively and fairly comfortably, with a choice of three tip sizes (included in the package). They also come in a range of colors that match iPod hues. The sound reproduction is much better than with the standard iPod buds.
Eagle Creek Kids Travel Bankie, $26 at Lane’s Luggage, 202-452-1146, . give your little Linus and Lucy their own fleece travel bankie — we mean blanket — that comes in a pack appropriate for small backs. The soft coverlet is large enough to swaddle those still too short for many Disney rides. When empty, the bag can carry all of a child’s away-from-home essentials: coloring books, crayons and three stuffed animals.
