Practical gift ideas to positively improve a friend’s life and hobbies

October 13, 2016 9:11 PM

I am trying to brainstorm some ideas of small gifts for a friend’s birthday. I like to give gifts that are practical and can in some small way be useful for people’s lives; not just sit in a box or closet. As an example I have given other friends who really like live music Etymotic Ear Plugs or other friends who like to bake the Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book. Ideas for services are also cool.

I am trying to brainstorm some ideas of small gifts for a friend’s birthday. I like to give gifts that are practical and can in some small way be useful for people’s lives; not just sit in a box or closet. As an example I have given other friends who really like live music Etymotic Ear Plugs or other friends who like to bake the Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book. Ideas for services are also cool.

Their current hobbies and interests include:

Photography – Just got a DSLR and trying to improve their photography skills
Art (Drawing) – I was thinking about the book “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”
Travel – They are heading to India, Kerala specifically, in a couple of months
Biking (Road biking)
Science Policy
Graphic Novels – Already has read many of the well known graphic novels; anything recent that is really good.
Blues/Swing Dancing
Swimming – They already tried my Swedes goggles and didn’t particularly like them.
Vegetarian Cooking – I am not sure what cookbooks they already have

Any recommendations for books or small items that would have a practical impact on their lives?

posted by cycleback to Shopping (13 answers total)

A friend and I used a steripen on our water when travelling in India. It was convenient, meant we could drink tap water, and neither of us got sick the whole three week trip.
posted by kjs4 at 9:36 PM on October 13, 2016 [3 favorites]

Favorite veg*n cookbooks: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Veganomicon.

Best cooking gift I was given: enormous stainless steel deep saute pan. I think mine is Cuisinart brand. I love it truly, and with it you can make the best Brussels sprouts recipe in the world from the Bittman book.
posted by fairlynearlyready at 9:42 PM on October 13, 2016 [2 favorites]

I love travel guide books, especially with nice photos - they can be useful for research ahead of time, and then on the trip, and are a great reminder years later of where I've been.
posted by soakimbo at 10:09 PM on October 13, 2016

I have a pair of folding lightweight travel slippers that I love and still use over 10 years later. They come with a little cloth pouch.

Mine are fabric and I got them for $2 at Daiso (you can still get them there) but you can also get nicer, cushier cloth ones here or even fancy and expensive leather ones.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:16 PM on October 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm a big fan of the Dorling Kindersley travel books, which are chock full of photos, maps, diagrams and illustrations. Thanks to the internet there's really not much point carting around a reference-style guidebook like Lonely Planet - TripAdvisor etc will always be more comprehensive and up-to-date. This makes guidebooks more important for general inspiration and browsing.
posted by simonw at 10:34 PM on October 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

Do you know if they already have a shoe brush? Dance shoes tend to have suede bottoms for the combination of slip and grip, and occasionally you have to brush the suede to restore the texture, especially if you've the misfortune to step into a spot of water or clump of dust.
posted by batter_my_heart at 12:58 AM on October 14, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm not sure what you mean by small, and whether that means by budget or by size. So I'm not sure if my suggestions will be helpful or not, but here they are:

• Joby gorillapod - a bendy thing that allows you to attach your camera to all manner of things in place of a tripod. Nice for travelling.
• If you know what make and model of camera your friend has, you can get a usb charger that will charge their camera battery. These are typically smaller and lighter than the mains version, and the usb version can be more convenient than carrying a mains charger + adapter when travelling. Here's an example that suits some Canon cameras - of course you can only do this if you can find out the exact model.

posted by Cheese Monster at 12:58 AM on October 14, 2016

Cooking - One of the best small implements I own is a sturdy metal lemon squeezer.

Travel - a high quality Japanese or Korean sunblock is a different league from others and is lightweight enough to be comfortable in hot, humid climates. However, the steripen suggested above would be great and I want one too. Something that I find myself using more and more these days as technological accoutrements multiply is a compact wall charger which takes several USB cables. The plug shape in India may differ from that used in your country.

Drawing - I'm very keen on my brush pens these days, but this might depend on their specific interests and ability level. The Jetpens blog can help you navigate this complicated world (I have never bought anything from this site but the blog is quite good).
posted by tavegyl at 1:35 AM on October 14, 2016 [1 favorite]

Kerala. What a delightful place. The only thing I regret about my three weeks there was that I did not do a houseboat tour. The state is rife with amazing rivers, canals and beautiful bamboo sheltered houseboats that tour through the stunning countryside. If you would like to give an experience gift, perhaps a houseboat tour? Here a couple of links. There are many more options available, they were just two I clicked on. Current exchange rates: 1000Rp = US$15.
posted by Thella at 2:54 AM on October 14, 2016 [2 favorites]

If you only mean literally small and not inexpensive as well, the BlackRapid Rapid Strap is a fantastic and unique camera strap that allows for comfortable carrying and easy access.
posted by teremala at 6:01 AM on October 14, 2016

My answer to everything this week after surviving a hurricane is headlamps! They make great reading lights and could come in handy while traveling.
posted by mareli at 7:22 AM on October 14, 2016 [2 favorites]

On the photography side, as a new DSLR user, they will have a lot to learn about both the mechanical and digital side of photography. If they enjoy visual lerning, they might enjoy a gift card to Kelbyone? It's a website with tons of training classes, from basic to advanced. I learned a lot on there.
posted by bluesky78987 at 8:12 AM on October 14, 2016 [1 favorite]

For cooking, if they don't have one, how about a Thermapen instant read thermometer, as recommended by Serious Eats? It's small, very useful, and can be a transformative tool in the kitchen.
posted by metaseeker at 8:57 AM on October 14, 2016 [1 favorite]