Ho, ho, hold up. What do you mean this is my 6th Annual Holiday Travel Gift Guide and Giveaway?!
I don’t know about you, but sharing this guide and giving away heaps of shoes, electronics, vacations and gear every year puts me in a jolly mood. No wonder Santa is so fat and happy! (It’s probably a combo of gift giving and cookie-eating, if I’m honest.)
Who’s ready for some holiday cheer?
Click around, explore the travel gift guide and let me know what makes your little reindeer nose light up. Then enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Bonus! Everyone who signs up for the Angie Away newsletter will get an extra 10 entries for the travel gift guide giveaway – deck the halls with Angie’s favorite goodies, fa la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la.
Ok, that’s enough cheer. Time to shop!
TRAVEL GEAR
G-RO Smart Luggage*
I may be in the minority of pro travelers, but I always check my bags. With my janky back, I just can’t be carting heavy, cumbersome luggage all over creation and trying to lift it into an overhead bin. (#ShortGirlProblems) This year, I tried out the compact G-RO rolling bag and loved it – I even carried on for once!
Even though it looks like a pretty small bag (and certainly is within the carry-on range), it’s super roomy with lots of zippered pockets and a built-in combination lock. It has big wheels that are distinctive and sturdy, so you can hop over curbs easily. And since the wheels are on the outside of the bag, there’s more room for souvenirs.
And that’s not even the best part! There’s a portable power bank two built-in USB ports so you can plug in phones on the go. Super important when you get to an airport that doesn’t have enough plugs.
$399, G-RO
GOGroove Camera Backpack*
With all the gear I’m carrying around these days, I have to have a comfortable, spacious bag to tote it all around. Cue the GOGroove Camera Backpack – the latest addition to my luggage army. I have the smallest version and it holds a ton! My laptop, GoPro, tripods, chargers, digital camera and miscellaneous bits and pieces with room to spare
$69.99, GOGroove.com
ELECTRONICS
Spivo 360*
If you’ve ever tried to shoot an active video with your GoPro, but missed the shot because you didn’t have time to flip the camera around – the Spivo 360 is going to change your photography game. It’s a selfie stick with a twist… literally, with the click of a button on the handle, you can swivel your GoPro to either face you or face away from you.
I just started using this handy little tool a few weeks ago and have already demoted my one-way selfie stick to the closet. The Spivo 360 is 20” long so it’s easy to attach to a carry-on backpack. I use mine with a GoPro, but there’s also a smartphone adapter so you can use that, too.
$59.99, Spivo
DJI Mavic Pro
The newest addition to our camera arsenal. Yes, folks, we are the proud parents of a bouncing baby drone! Now that Rick is on Team Angie Away, he is the resident pilot extraordinaire. Did you see his first video from St. Lucia? A-mAH-zing. Easy enough to use – though I confess, I haven’t touched it. That’s all Rick.
Want something a little less complicated for your first drone? Check out the DJI Spark.
$905, DJI Mavic Pro
DJI Osmo
We are keeping DJI in business this year! Rachel and I just shot our first video using her new Osmo and yowza, does it ever look good! The Osmo is a gimbel setup that you can literally run and jump with and still have awesome steady footage. The only issue we have with it is all the stares people give us. It’s a camera, y’all, not an alien. Be sure to get extra batteries for this one – you’ll want to use it ALL the time once you get the hang of it.
$499, DJI Osmo
GoPro Hero 5 Black
At this point, you can’t really call yourself a traveler without a GoPro in your bag. It’s so light, takes amazing pictures, is waterproof and can be attached and adapted for just about every situation. (Except maybe low light.) My favorite camera to throw in my bag and take everywhere. Buy in a bundle with accessories so your gift recipient can hit the ground running!
$399, GoPro
Memory Card Case*
With multiple GoPros, a Mavic, an Osmo and a couple of random digital cameras on hand, I was starting to lose track of my memory cards. Then I got this. Holds 22 Micro SD cards. Bingo.
$6, Amazon.com
CLOTHES, SHOES & ACCESSORIES
The Walking Company*
All I Want for Christmas is…. shoooooooooes! I’ve been a flats girl the past few years, but my dogs start barking about 20 minutes into a wander these days. A couple months ago I discovered The Walking Company and instantly became the brand’s biggest fan. I now own SIX pairs of shoes, almost all from the store’s ABEO line. If you do a lot of walking, you’ve got to try these.
$100+, TheWalkingCompany.com
World Market Llama Scarf
Know what I love most about World Market? I can buy souvenirs from all over the world and pass them off like I bought them on the road – without taking up space in my suitcase and paying for extra checked bag fees. So sneaky, but so genius, bwahahaha.
$24.99, WorldMarket.com
MISCELLANEOUS FUN STUFF
Globe Bar
Mini-bottles of local booze are one of the easiest souvenirs to transport home. I find people are much more excited about my travel tales when I ply them with beverages. And where do I store them? In my fancy globe bar, of course.
$100, Amazon.com
Ancestry DNA: Genetic Testing
Rick and I are really getting into our ancestry, especially having just explored his Irish homeland last month. On both our wishlists this year: the Ancestry DNA kit. It’s a great way to pick your next travel destination, too!
$79, AncestryDNA
Travel Ornament
We have a long-standing Orth family tradition of buying a Christmas ornament anytime we go on a trip. The day after Thanksgiving when we’re decorating the tree, it’s fun to take each ornament and say, “Oh! Do you remember that time we went to _______?” It makes decorating even more fun. Rick and I are doing that now with our own tree, and we added Ireland and St. Lucia this year. Of course it’s best to pick these up while traveling, but I always forget!
$Varies, Amazon.com
Luminoodle*
The Luminoodle may look like just a string of lights, but it’s been such a handy thing to have around! It’s super light, producing up to 10 feet of brightness. This year we took it camping at Ginnie Springs, used it to light product photo shoots and hung it up on our deck during a party. You can plug it in or use batteries, so it’s great to take on road trips or anywhere.
$29.95, Luminoodle
iPhone Fan
Surprisingly powerful and a lifesaver on a sticky Florida day. I keep this little gadget in my camera bag so I always have it handy during hot outdoor media events or even in the studio when the lights get hot. It’s quiet and itty bitty, but really packs a nice punch.
$8, Amazon.com
Neither snow nor sleet nor White Walkers will stop me from delivering goodies from this holiday travel gift guide to a few lucky travelers. It’s super easy to enter to win selected items (those with a *) via the Rafflecopter widget below. You can enter often!
And don’t forget that everyone who signs up for the Angie Away newsletter between now and when the contest ends gets an additional 10 entries!
I carry so much gear these days that the top of my list is a rolling backpack. My back will thank me for it I’m sure.
Is it greedy of me to say I want all of this? Cool gift ideas! Love that camera backpack, in particular.
LOVE all of these picks! I’ve been staring at a variety of cameras lately and can’t decide. I’m obsessing over that DJI Osmo currently. HOW COOL! – Stephanie
I’d love a nice camera bag for my new to be DSLR!
I’m eyeing that Globe Bar and the GoPro Angie. :). Love ur blog!
I want a new camera bag and would love to have the backpack camera bag!
I hate to be greedy but I love them all. I really love the back pack and would go nicely with carrying my books for my bachelor program and I also love the camera and capturing those special mine t’s with my family and friends.
Go pro for catching all my crazy activities