I posted this in the European section, but more people seem
to peruse this thread. So ---
-----
This probably sounds like a silly question to ask, but I'll
go ahead and ask it anyway to all you seasoned travelers!
My sister is backpacking around Europe this summer after
college graduation... So yep, I'm looking for a cool
graduation gift that would be useful for her first budget
trip. Any suggestions? She has already purchased the
backpack. Thank you.
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-swiss knife
-camping tent
-Hitch Hiker's guide to Europe
-Boots ?
Get her a groovy Maglite torch/flashlight. Sooooooo useful.
leatherman multitool...
Get her a sure fire flashlight. More expensive and a lot
better than a crappy maglite.
JD
Absolute must haves... flashlight, penknife, padlock.
My vote goes for a camera. If she has a good one, maybe a
smaller one for the days she doesn't want to carry a lot or
even a digital camera so that she could take some shots to
put on the web. If she's going through Spain, you could get
in touch with Paradores (great historic spots now used as
hotels) and buy her a voucher for a few nights in any
Parador in Spain so that she could have a few nights in
luxury! The leatherman is a great idea too.
This is a hard one because most backpackers have to out of
their way to make the pack as light as possible. If you
buy her a lot of travel gear she may feel obligated to take
it all thus making her pack too heavy to carry. Even a
well packed bag becomes heavy when you have to walk a mile
to the train station. I say give her money instead.
makes a great travel alarm/clock/ calculator/currency converter etc. I found mine indispensable. The suggestion of funding a splurge in an upmarket hotel is excellent too.
A Walkman or mini-disc player, that can record! I had one,
when I was travelling south-east asia - and it is 10 times
better than diaries or cameras! She can record the
different languages - use it as a diary (I chose the "diane-
twin peaks style...), record musicians on the streets, life
in London, markets in Italy - you name it! It is absolutely
the best thing to bring - and it doesn┤t make you look like
a silly tourist putting a cammera in everyones face..
Good luck!
Seriously, buy her some condoms and give her the lowdown on other jerk travelers like some of the above-posting assholes she may run up against.
Maybe a Eurail pass, the offer to crash with you when she returns, the promise that you'll wire her money if she's been robbed, etc.
Unconditional acceptance of collect calls, a calling card, a medical kit (band-aids/plasters, fever medicine, blister tape), a self-defense class before she leaves. What gives her happiness and peace of mind? Her cool brother!
An invaluable item in anyone's pack is a headtorch. I use
a Petzl zoom headtorch and it has proved itself useful on
many occasions...much better than a torch that one has to
hold...hands free comes in very useful when one has to
scurry to the nearest loo or whatever other toilet option
one has...trying to hold a torch and do one's business can
be rather difficult.