Gift ideas for a 6-month tour, a 6-month tour...

December 13, 2012 9:53 AM

You just retired from being a high school English teacher and are now about to embark on a long mutiple country voyage on a boat with your husband. What would be an awesome gift for you from a former student, assuming space on the boat is limited?

I've kept in touch with my high school English teacher for years and she just retired. Looking for a thoughtful gift that would prove to be useful during her 6-month sailing excursion. No nautical-themed gift ideas, please.

(posting for a friend)

posted by steve.wdc to Shopping (14 answers total)

If she doesn't have an e-reader, that would be neat. Nearly endless supply of books, everywhere in the world. Although it depends how old school she is with the attitude towards books, and whether she has one already or not, and what the asker's spending limit is.
posted by Paper rabies at 9:55 AM on December 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

A nicely bound journal.
posted by HuronBob at 10:01 AM on December 13, 2012

I was going to say an e-reader as well.
posted by DoubleLune at 10:04 AM on December 13, 2012

A head-lamp. Besides the obvious leisure time uses - reading in bed, etc. there will be plenty of times when they'll have to get up at 2am to check the anchor, fix things in the dark, stuff themselves into a tiny space to repair a leaking hose, and so on. A head-lamp makes all the difference. If you can find one with a red filter for night-time use, all the better.
posted by gyusan at 10:11 AM on December 13, 2012 [3 favorites]

Don't buy any boat equipment sort of stuff (compasses, lights, dishes, fishing poles, etc) unless you're *really sure* they want what you're getting. The people who do this sort of thing 1) have already equipped their boats, and 2) probably prefer specific items that you are unlikely to be aware of.

The e-reader is a good idea, or maybe something else that can be used for fun during downtime, like a board or video game.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 10:16 AM on December 13, 2012

A Go Pro video camera.
posted by HeyAllie at 10:18 AM on December 13, 2012 [2 favorites]

A bottle of champagne for toasting before they leave port.
posted by mochapickle at 10:19 AM on December 13, 2012 [4 favorites]

I think a cool travel journal (maybe with a waterproof covering) would be awesome for an English teacher to write about their adventures.
posted by maxg94 at 10:21 AM on December 13, 2012

e-reader, or gift card for the e-reader she has.

I taught English and I LOVE to download and read books.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:22 AM on December 13, 2012

A letter telling her how much you appreciated her lessons and wishing her well in her adventure. The last thing you need when you're going travelling is more stuff, but heartfelt good wishes from home make great travelling companions.
posted by penguin pie at 10:42 AM on December 13, 2012

Give a Leatherman or a Gerber multi-tool. Read more multi-tool suggestions from sailors. Plus you can engrave the handles on some multi-tools, if that's what you are looking for.....
posted by lstanley at 10:45 AM on December 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

An e-book version of a travel guide to the area she's headed, or perhaps better for an avid reader, a travel-themed novel or memoir based in that region rather than explicitly a travel guide?
posted by aimedwander at 11:51 AM on December 13, 2012

Depending on how much you want to spend a 3G iPad or an unlocked cell phone would be useful as it would give them communication ability wherever they happen to go.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:43 PM on December 13, 2012

Maybe a pair of binoculars, or if you're really spendy, a telephoto lens for her camera.
posted by wwartorff at 4:10 PM on December 13, 2012