Holiday Tech and Travel Gift Guide 2018

The gift giving season is descending upon us and the awkward conversations of asking what people want is on the horizon. Whether it is friends, family, or coworkers gift ideas run short. This is where the BE IN gift giving guide comes in. This annual gift giving list will help you understand that special someone and provide you with gift ideas that you can bestow onto their person.

When it comes to traveling you want to either be prepared or fill in those long boring wait times. If you need a gift idea that will change how someone feels about traveling then we have you covered. There are so many types of travelers that one product that a globetrotter may find invaluable will be completely useless for that effective backpacker. We will break this list into categories to help you understand that special gift receiver.

All links are amazon affiliate links. Buying through these links will help support the site. So if you want to give us a gift just use these links.

The Frequent Public Traveler

We define a frequent public traveler as someone who is constantly commuting by either bus, metro, or plane. These people know the bordem that fills them on this crowded, yet lonely, commute and the fear that creeps in when their phone dies or when they pass through a tunnel. A commuter like this needs a device that doesnt need to rely on internet, can be easily charged or has enough battery life for their commute, and will provide countless hours of entertainment. The Nintendo Switch is a device that easily fits the criteria. This relatively new console is the most exciting gaming system in years, releasing with not only the best games of 2017, but the best Nintendo games in years and ever growing library of games. I can not praise the Switch enough. It is a system that you can play for 15 min on a short subway ride or on a few hour flight. Any public transit user will appreiate a gift like the Nintendo Switch. If you would like more information on the switch check out our review. 

The Digital Nomad

This persons home is where they make it. They live on the road, traveling the world. Maybe they have their own traveling van that they either bought or fixed up themselves.  For a person like this I would recommend an iPad and Apple Pencil. I would assume this person has a laptop where they get work done but an iPad can be a more comfortable option to watch netflix in bed, schetch out ideas, write a journal entry, or just interact with things they normally do but in a touch digital way. The new iPad pairs well with the Apple Pencil making it feel like digital paper. A modern nomad needs a modern device.

 The Adventure Traveler

This person is easy to identify, just check their instgram. Are they in a different place every month taking incredible pictures? If so, they are an adventure traveler. For this person a good option would be a camera if they dont have one already. There are many great cameras to choose from so I cannot recommend one specific camera, instead I will recommend two that I have used two that I have personally used; the Canon M50 and the Fujifilm x-t20. Both of these are the more affordable mid range cameras. (Another option would be the sony rx100  mark 5 or 6)

Another more affordable, and more unique option, is to buy them a instant film camera like the Fujifilm Instax camera. With an instant camera they can take a picture of where they are and send it as a post card. They can also use the camera to decorate their room or vehicle with tactile pictures of places they have been. This is a great option for those adventure travel junkies.

The First Time Traveler

Maybe that special someone is going on their first backpacking trip in Europe or simply their first trip outside of their home, if they are, they will need a very important piece of gear, a travel backpack. There are a lot of cheap backpacks out there that I would recommend you avoid (I talk about it here). When it comes to backpack stick with quallity brands.

For the person who is going for an extended backpacking trip we reccomend carryon friendly backpacks such as the Osprey Farpoint and Fairview 40, Peak Design Travel Backpack, or Minaal carry-on 2.0 (on the smaller size). These packs push the envelope when it comes to travel backpacks and any one of these will provide them with a satisfying travel pack.

For frequent travelers looking for a small stylish backpack for communiting or a companion pack with their checked luggage we recommend the Aer Travel Pack 2, GORUCK GR1, NOMATIC backpack, and the Peakdesign Everyday backpack just to name a few. All the backs listed have great unique travel features and lifetime warrenties.

Another great and less expensive gift would be a toiletry bag or compression cubes. These are great travel gifts on the cheap.

It might be cold where they are going so prepare them with cloths. Glider gloves are weaved with a metallic thread that is conductive making these gloves not only warm, but can be used to control a smartphone. Maybe they need a new shirt? Check out the Be In storefront to not only get them a great quality gift but also give us a small gift as well.

A Plane Ticket

Maybe your recipient hasnt yet traveled the world. The travel bug hasn't bit them yet. Well then, how about buy them a ticket to a different country. Tell them you are willing to buy a ticket to anywhere in the world within a budget. Maybe they can split another ticket with a friend and go together. The possibilities are endless here which is why it makes this gift so versatile.