Gifts for the Soon-to-Be-Adventurer on Your List

If you are still looking for a Christmas gift for that family member or friend who is planning a backpacking adventure in the next year, here are some ideas to help make the trip easier and safer.

A good bet is a guidebook suited to the independent traveler. For example, the “Let’s Go” series, with guides for Europe, North America, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, South Africa, India/Nepal and China, is researched and updated annually. New editions have just been released for the holiday season. Other popular publishers for independent adventurers are Lonely Planet and Moon Publications. Both offer plenty of detailed, practical information for accommodations, meals, transportation and safety.

If your gift is a backpack, it’s best to have the person who’s going to carry it try it on. But most outdoor equipment stores can judge a good fit if you know the person’s height and weight.

A good day pack is also a great gift. Look for a material that is water resistant and tough enough that it can’t be easily cut open in a crowd without the wearer’s knowledge. Also look for zippers with holes in the tabs for a small lock.

If the traveler is visiting the tropics where malaria poses a risk, he or she should use a bed net, available at outdoor equipment stores and at some travel medicine clinics. The mosquito that carries malaria bites at dusk and dawn.

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Lucy Izon is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Internet https://www.izon.com.