What To Buy The Minimalist Traveler In Your Life

• 10 years ago

Travelers and fathers seem almost impossible to shop for since they never seem to want anything and dismissively scrutinize what gifts they do get. While you can fall back on the old reliable combo of socks and wine for dad (a purchasing paradox that may never be solved) when it comes to frequent travelers they generally want better – not more, stuff.

The Best Travel Laptops Of 2014 (Top Pick: Macbook Air 13-Inch)

Size, battery life, durability and weight aren’t factors that mean much to a laptop that sits on a desk all day but for those of you who carry an electronic baby on your back regularly, they’re crucial factors to consider before purchasing your next one. Read more.

The Best Mobile Phones Of 2014 For Travelers (Top Pick: Moto X 2014)

All this means that any mobile you buy now has the potential to last you 3+ years without feeling like an abacus so if you want to save more for your travel budget with less on electronics purchases, here are the best phones for your pocket. Read more.

I’ll add that if you’re in the United States, although it’s Verizon-only, the Droid Turbo is basically a Moto X on steroids. Less aesthetically pleasing but much more powerful with exceptional battery life.

The Best Headphones For Travel (Top Pick: Bose QuietComfort 25)

Whether your jamming out to Taylor Swift or listening to Star Talk Radio, these headphones are best at canceling out ambient engine noise while providing crisp sound in reliable hardware. Read more.

3 Best Compact Cameras For Travelers (Top Pick: Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS 40 / TZ 60)

These are the best point and shoot cameras of 2014, though if you’re on the market for a DSLR I recommend you check out the gear some of my favorite travel bloggers are using. Read more.

Best Carry-On Backpack

So many of you have left comments and written me echoing my fondness for SwissGear computer backpacks; one I’ve been using for over 10 years now. They’re incredibly durable with enough pockets of varying sizes to find a home for anything you’re traveling with. Padding makes them a comfortable carry while at the same time protecting valuable gadgets.

SwissGear Travel Gear ScanSmart Backpack 1900 (Black)

Motorcycle Books And Running Genes

Weightless in digital form (well, not quite) these books in digital format are intriguing reads on a Kindle Fire HD or Samsung Galaxy Tab Nook.

My Interview With The Geneticist Who Overcomes Flight Phobia To Study The World’s Fastest People

• I first read about Dr. Yannis Pitsiladis MMEDSci., PhD, FACSM in The Sports Gene, a book by David Epstein about what makes super athletes different than the majority of us. Dr. Pitsiladis is a Professor of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Brighton who has done research on obesity and the detection of doping in athletes but his passion is running. He travels around the world studying the genes and environments of the world’s top runners (often on his own dime) and created the largest known DNA bio-bank from world-class athletes.
  
  

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance

8 Great Motorcycle Books That Will Ignite Your Wanderlust

• Ted Simon rode around the world on a Triumph motorcycle during the early 1970s and wrote one of the best travel books ever. Jupiter’s Travels is his account of the trip, 78,000 miles over 45 countries. Before the trip Simon was already writing as a journalist and Jupiter’s Travels flows on every page. In 2001, when he was 70 years old, Simon took the trip again – a similar route on motorcycle – and wrote Dreaming Of Jupiter. His observations from the first trip to the second one 30 years later are truly fascinating.

Jupiter’s Travels: Four Years Around the World on a Triumph

Conduct A Covert Minimalist Survey

It’s always best to begin with some gentile probing to find out what type of replacement gadget or updated backpack the traveler you’re shopping for is lusting for – yes, minimalists still want things – they’re just pickier about them. Don’t be afraid to ask as generally they tend to know exactly what they want; preferring to get just the right gift over the thrill of a disappointing surprise.