What are the best gifts for travellers when there’s a pandemic changing how, when, and where we travel?
Well, the “Global Rescue 2020 Holiday Gift Guide for Travelers During a Pandemic” includes a baker’s dozen of the best gadgets, gear, and services for leisure and business travellers, with Global Rescue CEO Dan Richards saying, “We queried our medical and evacuation special operations experts, our most experienced international adventure and business traveling members, and our Safe Travel tour operator partners for their recommendations, and came up with 12 must-have gifts for people who love to travel, and are looking to return to domestic and international travel as soon as possible.”
The Great Outdoors, Indoors – Pop Chart Lab takes boring data and turns it into fun, infographic posters. New this year is a USA National Parks Scratch-Off Chart. Use it to track your travels to all 62 national parks from Grand Canyons and Tetons to Great Basins, Sand Dunes and Smoky Mountains. All you have to do is gently scratch the top layer off any site you’ve visited to unveil a full-colour vista underneath. The 12-by-16 print is a great way to plan travel — and commemorate the trips. See more scratch-off poster options, like stadiums and ball parks, at https://popchart.co
Spread Kindness, Not Germs – iFLY started with luggage in 2012, face masks in 2017 and introduced a handy travel kit in 2020. The Healthy Kit, packaged in a reusable Ziploc container, includes a package of eight antiseptic wipes, a package of five hydrating facial wipes, a face mask, a headrest cover, a lip balm, a sleep mask and earplugs. For every 10 kits sold, the California-based company gives one to organizations or communities in need. So buy one for every member of your family, knowing front-line and essential workers will benefit as well.
Kill Germs with UV Light – There haven’t been conclusive tests showing UV light can kill the coronavirus, but what we do know is UV light kills most everything else: bacteria, fungi and the flu virus. A UV sanitizer wand is a great gift for the frequent traveller. Check out this CleanPod UVC Sterilizer, made by Monos, a Canadian luggage company. Not only will you zap those germs, Monos is donating a portion of the proceeds from sales to the United Way and Canada’s COVID-19 Recovery Fund.
Adopt an Elephant – It’s never too early to introduce kids to the concept of conservation. Animals are an easy way to start, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) offers a way to help kids of all ages save the world’s disappearing species from zebras and polar bears to quokkas and pangolins. Adoption kits are available at several different price points and kids receive a plush animal or photo, an adoption certificate, a species card and a gift bag. Funds raised support WWF’s global efforts to protect wild animals and their habitats, which are both at increased risk due to the coronavirus pandemic and traveller downturn.
Functional Fishing Fashion – Big, black, heavy gumboots are not particularly stylish. But Fishe, an Alaska-based clothing company, makes a Grayling Groovy Legacy Boot female anglers can wear high (15 inches) or low (rolling down the top to display a fun pattern). The boots are suitable for wear while casting flies on the river or during brunch with friends — all the while keeping your feet warm, dry and comfortable.
Custom Fly Reels – Anglers have some awesome bling these days. How about a customized reel by Abel, a customized fishing company in Colorado. We’re particularly enamoured with the Limited Edition Johnny Cash Fly Reel, a limited edition run with each reel individually serialized 1 through 250. Two Super Series models, sizes 5|6 and 7|8, are hand painted with a silhouette of Cash’s favourite guitar and black satin sunburst.
Load Bearing Backpack with Travel Membership – Mystery Ranch builds the best load-bearing equipment in the world and each pack is designed specifically for its user: hunter, fire fighter, mountaineer, emergency medical technician and law enforcement personnel. Now each hand-built pack, crafted in Montana, comes with an extra layer of comfort: a Global Rescue membership.
A Wilderness Companion – Just about everyone had one on their keychain: a travel-friendly, multi-tool called a Leatherman. Sept. 11 changed the rules for carry-on items but the new Leatherman Style PS is manufactured without blades, which is in accordance with Transportation Security Administration policies. With spring-action pliers, scissors, tweezers, bottle opener, a nail file and wire cutters, and Global Rescue Safe Travel partner Self Drive Safari Resource recommends it for any safari kit.
Additional Eyesight – Binoculars are made for different purposes and an Alaskan cruiser may not want the same technology as a backyard birder. REI offers a guide to help you choose the best binoculars for your travel needs. Nikon offers three Monarch options, all offering high resolution and a fog-proof, waterproof design to complement any outdoor adventure.
Just-In-Case Satellite Communicator – On an adventure in a remote location and need to contact with a loved one or a rescue team? The Bivy Stick Blue is a two-way global satellite communicator with some game-changing features: two-way text communication, maps and trail information, and an SOS button connecting to Global Rescue. According to Men’s Journal, the Bivy “is a solid device. It gave accurate information at check-ins, and weighed practically nothing in my pack.”
A Training and Racing Community – Boston-based Spartan helps athletes at every level of their training, from health and wellness to 250 obstacle course race and endurance events in more than 40 countries on six continents. With the Spartan Pass Season 21 members have access to unlimited events, exclusive merchandise and a one-year training app membership. Four pass levels are available, and you can make it a family activity with Spartan Kids opportunities.
Your Own Travel Protection Team – You’re not alone when you board that plane, train or ship. Global Rescue travel protection services members travel with a team of experts: a doctor, a paramedic, a translator, a logistics expert, an intelligence analyst, and a security advisor. It’s like having your own protective detail on standby, prepared to help when you need medical or security advice or a field rescue. Annual Global Rescue travel protection services membership start at $329.
In case you are wondering about Global Rescue, it is the world’s leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services.
Founded in 2004, Global Rescue has exclusive relationships with the Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Division of Special Operations and Elite Medical Group. Global Rescue provides best-in-class services that identify, monitor and respond to client medical and security crises.
A report by John Alwyn-Jones
