Gifts for graduates who plan to travel
If there's one time in someone's life that's perfect for travel, it's right after graduation. Finals are over, and a new stage of life is on the horizon, so why not give in to a bit of wanderlust? It can be anything from an epic road trip to a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, but the one thing that remains the same for anyone heading out to see a bit of the world is whether or not they have the right travel gear.
Many products are aimed toward making travel easier, so consider giving your graduate a thoughtful gift that'll help them get from point A to point B easily. Most of our favorite items are practical, but they will help your graduate have the trip of a lifetime.
Ceptics World Travel Adapter Kit
Designed by a traveler, this power adapter is compact and works with a variety of devices and has six adapters for countries like France, the UK, Australia, Japan and more. It also has two quick-charging USB ports and built-in surge protection.
Veken 6-Set Packing Cubes
While these might seem unimportant, take it from someone who travels regularly — packing cubes are a game-changer. You can keep your clothing organized, you can pack more options with them than without, and with this set, you'll get a laundry bag and a toiletry bag as well as the four packing cubes.
Samsonite Winfield 2 Hardside Carry-On Luggage
It doesn't matter if they're traveling by car, train or plane, they'll need a sturdy suitcase that'll stand up to the wear and tear of traveling. This particular carry-on meets size restriction standards for Southwest, Delta, United, American and Allegiant. It has side-mounted TSA locks and comes with a 10-year warranty.
Apple Airtag
Keeping track of your luggage has never been easier. It syncs to your iPhone or iPad with ease, and you can set up the 'lost mode' so you'll be notified when it's detected. Plus, it's a great way to keep track of keys, wallets and other essential items.
All-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Traveling often includes a lot of sitting and waiting. Give your graduate the gift of millions of books at their fingertips. Opt for a Kindle Unlimited membership or download books for free from the local library.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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If You're Going On A Long Trip, You'll Wanna Invest In These 31 Products
A flat RFID-blocking fanny pack that keeps your essentials safe and your shoulders blissfully unburdened for the duration of your three-week trip. This slim, comfy belt also protects you from digital pickpockets, so you can focus on navigating your way through crowded tourist spots instead of worrying about your credit card info being stolen. A pack of vacuum-free space-saving compression bags so you can bring all your bulky sweaters and jackets on that multi-country trip across the world. These are great for cramming as much as you can (and then some) into your suitcase, AND they make it much easier to sort through your carry-on to pull out toiletries or other items for security. A hands-free (rotating!) phone mount designed to work on ~any~ airplane (and compatible with most phones) — just attach it to the tray table, and you'll be able to watch your downloaded episodes of The White Lotus with ease. You can also mount it on your rented car's dashboard (helpful for navigation in a new country), a luggage handle, gym equipment, or pretty much any flat surface! A pack of ~tingly~ warming foot masks that can help soothe, revive, and nourish tired feet, leaving them feeling refreshed and pampered. They're made with Epsom salt and menthol to penetrate deep into your foot muscles for instant relief, while the shea butter and essential oils moisturize and soften your soles. Just slip your feet into these "booties" after a week of exceeding your step count and let them work their magic to ease the aches, so you're ready to do it all over again next week. Some Tide sink packets so you can wash your smelly clothes in the sink and rewear all your favorite items. These can easily fit in your toiletries bag — even when it's packed to the brim — and you'll be so glad you brought them when you run out of clean underwear. A capacious travel backpack that lets you carry a shocking amount of stuff, which is exactly what you need when you'll be living out of it for a few weeks (just make sure you can still stuff it under the seat). It has two laptop sleeves, a secret anti-theft pocket, a USB charging port, a shoe compartment, and a bag to isolate your dirty clothes or keep liquids away from your electronics. This thing is like the LeBron of backpacks. 🏀 A digital luggage scale because after a few months of traveling, you definitely have a collection of souvenirs adding at least a couple pounds to your luggage. Just strap it around the handle, pull up a little, and it'll tell you the weight of your suitcase! We all know that haunting feeling of approaching the check-in desk, not knowing if we'll have to A) pay way too much for a bag or B) open our suitcase on the floor in front of everyone and frantically rearrange everything. A July carry-on suitcase to finally replace that beat-up old roller you've been using since 2012. The sleek hardshell, reinforced bumpers, and TSA-approved lock will keep your belongings protected, while the ejectable USB-C battery, silent wheels, and a hidden laundry bag will make your long trips go even smoother. A compact I Dew Care "Tap Secret" mattifying powder shampoo with a sponge applicator — it's not a liquid, so you don't have to take it out of your bag when going through security! It'll really come in clutch when you're spending weeks in places with hard water and want to minimize the number of times you wash your hair. A slim-profile phone power bank that'll keep your phone juiced up when outlets become elusive, and you've got another full day of navigating, photo-taking, and translation app-ing ahead. This one is small but mighty (it can fully charge an iPhone up to three times!) and perfect to have with you on long days. A compact first aid kit stocked with essentials for scrapes, blisters, stings, and any random splinters you get while backpacking through Europe. It's small enough to toss in your bag but packed enough to keep any minor injuries from turning into trip-ruining emergencies. A universal travel adapter that works in 160 countries, so you can rest assured your devices will stay charged on all your international adventures. It has four USB ports and one outlet socket, so you can charge up to five devices at once! I'd bet money that if there were a modern-day Indiana Jones, he'd have this in his travel bag. A compact but mighty 2-in-1 wall charger and portable power bank meaning you can juice up your devices at the hotel and then keep them going strong while on the go. It's got two USB-C ports and a USB-A port, so you can charge your phone, tablet, and earbuds all at once. No more outlet scavenger hunts at the airport or panicking when all the cafe outlets are taken. 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A waterproof Kindle so you can delve into the fantasy land of ACOTAR while relaxing by (or in!) the pool. It's compact, glare-free, and has a ton of storage for thousands of books, plus a battery life that lasts much longer than your seven-hour flight — up to 10 weeks! A waterproof travel cable organizer to keep all your chargers, earbuds, and other cords from becoming a tumbleweed that takes up a quarter of your bag. It has different compartments so you can easily find what you need while hotel-hopping in Asia! A magnetic folding pill organizer so you don't have to deal with multiple pill bottles taking up precious space and jostling around in your luggage. This compact organizer keeps your vitamins and meds neatly sorted in seven compartments, all secured with a satisfying magnetic closure that ensures no accidental spills. A splurgeworthy detachable leather Bandolier crossbody iPhone case with a subtle spot for cash and credit cards. 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A bar of natural, plastic-free solid shampoo that can last up to 80 washes, which is the equivalent of three (!!!) bottles of liquid shampoo. This compact bar not only frees up precious luggage space but also eliminates plastic waste, thanks to its fully compostable packaging. A pack of LeakLocks Toiletry Skins to keep your products from exploding as the air pressure changes. These fit both full- and travel-sized bottles, so whether you need to bring a giant bottle of sunblock for your long trip in Thailand in your checked bag or a small bottle of shampoo in your carry-on, you'll have everything covered (literally). A fast-drying microfiber towel you can fold into a compact square and fit into the smallest of carry-ons. It's perfect for travelers who aren't staying in hotels, and reviewers love to bring it camping because of how lightweight it is! 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Chicago Tribune
17 hours ago
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Best travel router
Whether you want to backpack across the European Union or make sure you stay in touch with your business partners from half a world away, having a travel router can assist you in circumventing some of the common network issues that occur during international travel. With a travel router at your disposal, you can convert any wired internet connection into a Wi-Fi connection with minimal effort, offering excellent security and a host of great technical options. Keep your connection safe and secure No matter where your travels take you, wired connections or accessing a public Wi-Fi connection could result in potential risk issues. Cybercriminals in particular target these public Wi-Fi hotspots where information quite often flows unprotected. Whether you are staying in a luxury hotel or just renting a bed for eight hours at a hostel, it never hurts to take that little bit of extra caution when accessing the internet. Instead of seeking public unprotected Wi-Fi hotspots or physically plugging your computer into the internet, travel routers provide you with your own secure Wi-Fi network by connecting to an ethernet, act as a Wi-Fi hotspot to connect other devices and even perform the duties of a Wi-Fi range extender. Whatever your particular destination, a travel router will help keep you in touch with your friends, family and contacts and help ensure your digital safety. Travel routers powering options As with many advanced electronic devices, it is important to consider exactly how your brand new travel router will be able to power itself up. This will depend on the continent and the country you're traveling to. While having the ability to simply plug your travel router directly into a wall socket is the most convenient way to keep your device in working order, having the ability to receive power via USB port or even batteries might be the only thing between you and your ability to access the internet. Physical specifications Depending on just how far from the beaten path you intend to travel, you will absolutely need to purchase a travel router that doesn't take up an excessive amount of room or weigh a ton. When it comes to challenging issues such as packing your luggage to be under the airline's baggage allowance or needing your tech to easily slip into your backpack or pocket, you should always consider the size and weight of your travel router before you end up stuck with it for thousands of miles and countless hours. Power banks, file storage and more While having the ability to ensure secure internet access in a variety of forms is certainly an incredible convenience, some travel routers are capable of offering much more than that. For example, select travel routers contain power banks that can be used to charge and power up other devices, while others can serve as file hubs capable of performing TITAN transfers between multiple USB devices simultaneously. In fact, some models of travel routers can even support traditional hard drives or HDDs as well as USB card readers, meaning you might not even need to bring your laptop along. Additional protection and custom options like VPN and Open Source In addition to providing the protection offered by conventional Wi-Fi security measures like WPA2, some travel routers are equipped with the ability to connect to VPNs, or virtual private network clients and servers, providing an extra layer of security and significantly improving the speed of your internet connection. For those who prefer to take their technological security into their own hands, some models offer extensive options for customization, including the ability to use Open Source operating systems and software, DIY hardware upgrades, extendable USB discs and much more. Depending on your desired features, a quality travel router can cost anywhere from $29-$59 and sometimes more. Why do I need to buy a travel router in the first place? A. While you technically don't need to purchase a travel router, it certainly makes managing your Wi-Fi-enabled devices and safely connecting to the internet much easier than it otherwise would be. Will I need to pay a subscription fee to use my travel router? A. Unless you purchase a device through an internet service provider or ISP to constantly provide services, owning and using a travel router will not incur any additional expenses. Top travel router GL-MT3000 (Beryl AX) Portable Travel Router What you need to know: This powerful travel router has all the features you need to surf the web securely without losing any speed. What you'll love: It boasts surfing speeds of up to 574Mbps on the 2.4G band and 2402Mbps on the 5G band. Unlike some other portable routers, this one supports WPA3 protocol for extra security. It comes preinstalled with OpenVPN and WireGuard, and it has the ability to run both a VPN server and client at the same time within the same device. What you should consider: Some people reported problems with connectivity. Top travel router for the money VONETS Mini 2.4GHz Portable Wireless Travel Router What you need to know: This affordable travel router offers a wide range of ports and functions. What you'll love: This unit offers two Ethernet ports that can exchange and support Wi-Fi or WAN access in Wi-Fi router mode as well as Wi-Fi smart bridge mode, AP Client, hotspot, range extender and a one-year warranty. What you should consider: Users have reported being unable to create solid connections. Worth checking out GL-AR300M16-Ext Portable Mini Travel Wireless Pocket Router What you need to know: This travel router is ideal for those who want to make sure their browsing is secure wherever they go. What you'll love: This unit comes preinstalled with OpenVPN and WireGuard VPN clients and servers, and offers compatibility with over 30 VPNs. It has 128 megabytes of RAM, two Ethernet ports, 16MB NOR Flash, a USB port and a mini-USB port. What you should consider: Users have reported issues with losing the network connection. BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
