What travel gear did you get for Christmas? Inquiring enablers want to know!

I gave my daughter the larger size Tim Bihn tray. The fabric is bulkier than my older one, but she still wanted to keep it because she saw how handy mine was on our recent Christmas Markets trip (we switched hotels often). And inside the tray, I gave her husband & her a nice amount to take a weekend domestic relaxing trip together. A bit of “thank you” to her husband for keeping everything running smoothly, including taking care of my dog, during the European trip.

I received a nice 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle with a colorful drawing of a Christmas Market. Not only will it be fun to put it together & look at the details, but I am planning to do another Christmas Markets trip in 2026, hopefully! : )

I got a discussion about 2027 travel plans! Usually my husband refuses to consider things so far in advance, but my impassioned argument "2027 is now practically next year!" did the trick.

Mardee!
I was just about to ask this question. You beat me to it!
I bought myself an underseat bag - Columbia Convey III.
Received a First Aid Kit. Bulky for many things. May use it for hiking. Also, given a small pair of cheap binoculars. (Problem is they are practically useless, bad quality.) I will test run them and see if these particular binoculars have any redeeming value. Expectations are very low.

I’m reaching a point in life where pruning out my stuff is becoming a higher priority.

I got a small (11.25" H x 6.75" W x 2.5" D) hands free sling bag, to replace the one I've been using the last couple of years, but which is literally falling apart. This one doesn't have as many pockets, but it's sturdy, big enough for everything I normally carry when out walking when we travel, but small enough to be comfortable.

I'll audition this new on one our late spring trip to Italy and France.

Oh, and I plan to gift myself a small sketchbook (at the urging of a Forum Friend.) The kind I have in mind will fit neatly inside this new bag.

I didn't get or give anything, but I just put a set of those silicone bottle covers in my cart. I could really have used them on my most recent trip.

I bought myself a present based on a recommendation I saw here:

https://www.bagsmart.com/products/blast-travel-backpack?variant=41122671820882

Waiting for it to be delivered (and I'm going to have to pay a nice little tariff, so I hope it's worth it).

Lane, I hope you like the bag. I like mine a lot. I’ve used it now on three or four trips, two of them overseas, and it’s really practical. I love all the pockets and the clamshell opening. I also like that it doesn’t protrude like some backpacks I’ve had.

A mid size snap together orange valet tray ( black exterior, orange interior) for coin purse, keys, pack of gum and mini mag lite.

Faraday pouch.

Original cotton chord Chums for my dark glasses, grey in color.

No gear, but I received a travel trivia card game!

Mardee,
I looked at your drawstring shoe bags. I want to throw a tidbit in here. Last Summer, I bought a small, cheap roll-top dry bag. I think dry bags could be a good benefit travelers. (Portable “wash machine,” dirty laundry, grocery sack, wet clothes, shoes, extra underseat bag, large “packing cube,” store food away from bears, etc.). Mine was a 10 liter, about 10$, Wal-Mart Ozark trail bag - fishing section.

Add beach bag, pillow, bucket to functions.

I bought myself the new Riga Rolling Case to replace my Ravenna bag which is quite tattered and whose handle is iffy at best. Wish the color choices for the Riga were different (I got the grey), but I really love the layout of the bag.

Fun thread. thanks Mardee!

I received a Tobios travel watercolor palette and sketch kit which includes a very tiny palette (like 1 inch by 2 inches) that has magnets to snap it together. I actually ordered it myself for my SIL to gift to me, hahaha. I might have gotten seduced by the incessant ads on FB and might should have gone with one of the other very small palettes that are out there.

And Jane!

Sunbaked - That is a good tip on the Walmart dry bag, let us know how it functions and if it really keeps things dry!

Jean...I'm sure your SIL was happy to babysit Jackie but so sweet of you to send them away for a short break!

Sun-baked, that's a good idea! I didn't think about that! Yes please let us know how it works.

Pam, I still think that's so funny that you get a gift for someone to give to you, lol! I've been known to send links to people but I don't think I've actually bought a gift for myself 😂

Well, this way you get exactly what you want! I have suggested for several years that my SIL, my brother and I dispense with gift giving but she likes "surprises". Neither my brother nor I do. I suggested we buy stuff for ourselves and wrap it up to open Christmas morning but that did not go over well. She was slightly put out that I did this and was especially put out that I opened it to see if everything was there and one of the small books I thought I'd ordered was not included. I went back to check my order and no, I had NOT ordered it so I go that too, lol.

Oh...I forgot! I DID get a surprise travel gift. My brother got me luggage tags that have a VanGogh picture on them. That was a complete surprise and they are cute!

I KNEW this was by Mardee, before I even opened the post! Such is the beauty of this Forum! Happy New Year's to all!

I have used the dry bag as a .... dry bag! I bought it for a “kayak” day trip on a Florida Spring that ended up being more of a very shallow, narrow creek. The 10 liter size was just right for a day trip. It held two lunch boxes, snack bars, a few bottles of water and tea, a plastic box with cell phone/keys/driver’s license. Still had a little more room left. It worked! I didn’t try submerging it. I would trust it.

If I was whitewater rafting or something more “hard-core,” I would go with a more heavy-duty brand like Osprey or EarthPack.

Later I thought it would be a good travel sack. I think it would work great for “sink” washing.

Just throw in clothing, wool-lite or similar, add water. Then, seal it up. Agitate it. Then, empty out soap water and add rinse water.

My daughter gave my husband a Pan Am game

My son and daughter in law got me a "Nanobag" packable crossbody bag. It was on my Christmas list and I am excited to use it. The bag stores into a 3" x 2" attached pouch but once open, claims to hold 19 liters and up to 66 pounds. This will be great to store in my purse for unexpected purchases, etc.

Nanobag also makes a couple of other styles of bags and has good reviews.

We gave out digital luggage scales to several people for Christmas.

Fun topic, Mardee!

While not technically travel gear, per se, Santa did leave a new pair of shoes (for our 2026 trip) under the tree. Ample time to break them in, make sure they're comfortable, and put them away prior to September's departure for RS' Berlin, Prague & Vienna tour. They're a hiking shoe, but have 'just enough' casual style to get away with pairing them w/ slacks for Staatsoper or a nice restaurant.

https://commonwealthrunning.com/cdn/shop/files/1133958-BBLC_1.jpg?v=1738119013&width=580

Did not get anything from Santa, although I am waiting for a pair of Vessi Alta High Tops to arrive so I can break them in this winter. I think they'll be a good waterproof addition to my shoe problem...uh, I mean, collection. (I have the Vessi Chelsea boots and love love love them). And I have had that travel cup holder for a few years now and it is SO useful in all these airports with no cupholders in the waiting areas...

Santa brought a new crossbody travel purse! Something I badly needed after my previous much travelled bag became too shabby. Its the Pacsafe V tour model, that's big enough to hold my tablet on travel days and has all the separate compartments and zipped or velcro closed pockets that I like, to keep all my stuff organized. And I really like the light coloured interior- so much easier to find things hiding down in the bottom of the bag. Now I just need to practice how to lock and unlock those zippers. Fingers aren't as nimble as they used to be.

My daughter-in-law gave me a pretty Cashmere Bandana that works as a neck scarf as well as a head bandana. https://lebonshoppe.com/collections/cashmere-bandana Very cute and weighs practically nothing!

Bar Soap holder:
My husband takes a bar of soap for himself whenever we travel, which I also like to use.
Our daughter gave him a soap holder from Decathlon. Story behind it.
She bought one for herself when we made a quick lunch stop while on a RS tour in France this summer. But she only bought one!
She loved hers so much that when her daughter went to Spain in the fall, she was instructed to buy 7…for gifts to us as well as her other friends. She had to go to 3 different stores to find 7!
Here is a link to the soap container.

https://www.decathlon.ch/en/p/soap-box/_/R-p-349100?mc=8826774&c=blue

Very fun thread!
Carol, I love that soap holder. I hope to be in Italy this year. I'll be looking for them.

My friend at work knows her brother is so lazy about gifts, but wants to give something.

So a couple of weeks ago, she called him and said, this is the thing I would like, this is how much it costs, would you like to give it to me (I am sure she knew it was within the budget they usually spend on each other). He said yes, and she then used her lunch break to go acquire the object in question !

He was happy not to mess with shopping, and she was happy he didn’t waste his money on something she didn’t want. Win/win for them !

I am home visiting my parents, and my birthday is in a couple of weeks. My mom told me to buy myself a birthday card, so I went and got one this morning and will take it to her this afternoon !! Hahaha

We got fleece boot liners for our cold weather trips. Our family in Alaska sent them to us and swears by them, so we can test them out in Iceland soon.

I also got a tiny lantern to hang from our backpacking tent, but would be good for travel as well.

We put Avantree SoundJet R1 - 25Hr Airplane Bluetooth Adapters in some stockings this year. They allow one or two people to send the sound from the plane’s sound jack to your earbuds or such without dangling wires.

I am a sucker for almost anything luggage related. I am always in search of the “perfect combination” which I long ago discovered really changes depending on the trip. I ordered the Luhxe carryon bag. It is a bit unique in that you build the structure by filling the bag and then zipping sides together. The whole concept intrigued me. I am going to try it on my trip to Australia/New Zealand next month.

https://youtube.com/shorts/TJAK126GbqY?si=c2IlWl-ohO4M9flW

Carol,
Wow. That bag requires some thought to pack. It is intriguing. I am too lazy to attempt a bag like that. I am the polar opposite. Give me a large compartment that I can dump my packing cubes in. (PAcking cubes are not negotiable with me.). A couple of exterior pockets for papers, snack, small first aid kit, flight comforts. Done! I would even use a bucket with backpack straps if it would fit in the sizer box.

Carol now retired, I hope it works for you, but it looks like a nightmare to me.
Wouldn't it take up most of your bed when open?
I'd also get tired of figuring out which pocket contains what I need.
I might be missing the pluses.

Wow, the cavalier attitude of the influencer! She just tossed her toothbrush in on top of her shoes at the last minute. Good luck ; )

Carol NR, wow that is an interesting concept. So different and it does look like you could end up taking too much if you’re not careful. I’d love to hear how it works on your trip. Please report back!

Wow, Carol NR, that bag has me absolutely floored. I will really look forward to hearing what you think about it when you take it on your trip.

Carol, I was checking out that soap bar case. I was showing it to my son-in-law who goes camping a lot thinking that he might like it. He actually has one but the one he has looks really nice as well. It's called the Matador Flatpack Soap Bar case. He got it at REI but you can also find it on Amazon and their own website. He said what he likes about it is that it actually dries the soap out while it's inside the pouch and the pouch folds up and locks in place so it keeps the soap dry. Plus it's leak-proof. You fold down the pouch so it can be as small as the soap is. It sounds really nice and it got rave reviews on Reddit.

Mardee....Rick Steves sells the Matador Soap Case on this site:

https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/bar-soap-travel-container

Mardee, I almost bought the Soap Matador at our local Sportsmen’s store a couple of years ago because I do like to bring a half bar of soap, or I just bring a previous hotel soap. Currently I just use a Snack-Size Ziploc for it. Part of the reason is because the soap has a slight fragrance I like, and it keeps my bag contents smelling nice. I wondered if the Matador closed up would stop the advantage of the slight fragrance.

I could picture Carol NR’s bag working well for a small place where you’re staying for a week, and you’re planning to unpack everything to place it in drawers vs. actually trying to access the bag daily. Then she could stash the bag folded flat under the bed or hanging in a closet.

Frank, thanks! Never thought to look there! I'm going to go ahead and get myself one.

Jean, I have no idea but I'll let you know. 😊

Jean & Mardee - I have the Matador flat pack soap holder and it does indeed dry the soap out, by magic I think. It is airtight so I think it would probably keep out scent but I use unscented products so can't say for sure. I don't take a full bar of soap but instead use small slices of Dr. Bronner's bar soap and JR Liggett bar shampoo. I put the slices on a piece of PVC soap holder from the Dollar Store (like this one) which is handy to move them to the shower and they have something to sit on.

Santa didn't bring me any new travel gear, but that's just as well as I'm overstocked! Today's project was a big year end purge of things I don't use or need, which turns out is a pretty big box-o-stuff. Off to be used by someone else and I now have room to buy new things when the enabler threads inspire :)

SunBaked in Florida--You are like my husband;) He uses a shopping bag unless he is flying.

CL, I have something similar to that. It's a crocheted pad that my daughter made out of a metallic wool. It's great for keeping the soap dry on the sink and I have another one that I take with me when I travel.

mikliz97 and Sun-Baked, you both make me laugh. It reminds me of when I was a kid. My parents had 7 of us and didn't have a whole lot of money when we were young, so there was definitely never going to be a suitcase for each of us. Instead, whenever we went on vacation, she packed all of our clothes in brown paper bags. It worked out fine for years until one summer when my parents took the 5 younger ones to Washington DC and accidentally left the bag with my two youngest brothers' underwear behind. The worst part was that they were too cheap to buy anything new, so my brothers had to share my youngest sister's underwear, which she has not let them forget to this day. 😂

Mardee that is hilarious !!!

Regarding that bag - yes, when she tossed her toothbrush in on top of (the bottoms of) her shoes, that was just a bit much for me !!

CL & Mardee, I went ahead & ordered the Matador. I’ll try it out in Spain in a few months.

MikLiz97,
If your husband likes backpacks for $29 - 32, he can get the Marchway roll-top on Amazon.
If he likes zip-top totes for hand carry, you can splurge and get him an LLBean zip-top canvas tote. Either over-shoulder strap length or grab handles. The LLBean bag will last for nearly forever. USA made.

Mardee, I forgot to mention I have and use the Matador Soap pouch. It's terrific. Works just as it states.

You can also find them on Amazon or directly from Matador. If you order directly from Matador you can get the pouch in black, white or red.

Thanks, Frank. I’ll check it out over there. I like the idea of something besides black. I’m always worried about losing it if it’s in black.

I like the idea of something besides black. I’m always worried about
losing it if it’s in black.

At the time I got mine there weren't any color options so I have the black one. I share the concern about losing it so I fastened some neon colored zip ties on the top buckle straps and cut off the long ends. The little bands are just enough eye catching to help fish it out of a dark bag.

like the idea of something besides black. I’m always worried about losing it if it’s in black

I undeerstand comeptetely. I lost a fairly new power bank a few weeks ago. I must have missed it on a train or plane. It was black. Its replacement is orange.

SunBaked in Florida--I always laugh, but his preferred bag is a big yellow Bonus shopping bag from Iceland. The good thing is, he will never leave it behind as it is so bright;) He just can't be bothered with actually packing, lol. You would never know that though from how he packs for flying, as that is totally normal;)

MikLiz,
A big cinch sack - is that what he uses for non-flight travel? No one will steal it! Thieves like black luxury bags like Tumi.

Several of my travel items have a strip of the tiny Duct tape found at craft stores on them to make them visible. Mine is a neon chevron colorful stripe. I still have the roll that I started with about ten years ago & keep it in my winter boot box that became my “Travel Stuff” storage in my home office aka “Travel Inspiration Room”. ; )

I guess if companies weren't happy to sell replacements for the black or white adapters etc. people leave behind they could make them in bright colors.
I have made that suggestion to the RS staff, in hope that they could have their items made in bright colors.

Sunbaked in Florida--No, it is just a general grocery store shopping bag, lol. I guess that is a step up from my dad. I remember one road trip from Yakima, WA to San Diego and he packed his stuff in brown paper grocery bags.

Your dad is being eco friendly, ahead of his time. Practical.

I didn't get gadgets, but I did get the following Japan theme items (we fly March 12): Japan wall calendar, Japan scene ceramic travel mug, Japan scene jigsaw puzzle (Ravensburger 1000 piece "Kyoto Tearoom") - already completed, and a food tour in Yokohama.

Very happy!

Oh, also found a very affordable bog standard 7-night Western Caribbean Cruise sailing in 2028. So we booked it and convinced my uni roommates and their spouses to do same!

Last year I gave my camping girlfriends the Matador soap pack, along with a suction hook, mesh bag and small bar of soap. These make a great combination for showers that don't have a place to set your toiletries besides the floor (like at campgrounds, in hostels or in some AirBnBs). I have a second mesh bag for a shampoo bar, but a piece of Dr. Bronner's would work for both, I guess.