Lacking knickknacks for backpacking
April 5, 2011 5:00 AM Subscribe
I'm leaving tomorrow from Boston for a round-the-world trip - what easily packed knickknacks should I bring to exchange or give away to new friends?
I have only a small amount of space left in my pack, and little time to shop tomorrow. Ideally, the gifts would be something Boston/US relevant that fellow travelers and locals would find interesting while being small, cheap, durable, and readily available in the Boston area.
I have only a small amount of space left in my pack, and little time to shop tomorrow. Ideally, the gifts would be something Boston/US relevant that fellow travelers and locals would find interesting while being small, cheap, durable, and readily available in the Boston area.
Not Boston specific, but I love giving friends keychain lights and headlamps. It's usually cheaper to buy them in bulk, if you can.
P.S. I'm so jealous! Have a fantastic trip!
posted by LuckySeven~ at 5:41 AM on April 5, 2011
P.S. I'm so jealous! Have a fantastic trip!
posted by LuckySeven~ at 5:41 AM on April 5, 2011
Maybe a bunch of flag pins. I'm not sure what the demand is like for US flags, but I saw some kids wearing Canadian ones in Southeast asia. The plus is they're less than 1" square, so they're pretty easy to find room for.
posted by backwards guitar at 5:56 AM on April 5, 2011
posted by backwards guitar at 5:56 AM on April 5, 2011
If you are traveling where there are children, consider bringing soccerballs (uninflated). I suggest this because it is something you can give a group of kids instead of single items that creates a have/have not situation. It will also give you an opportunity to play with others.
posted by jadepearl at 6:02 AM on April 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by jadepearl at 6:02 AM on April 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've had great luck with postcards from my home state (make sure to choose ones with scenery that is unique to your area). I like that the postcard allows me to write a brief note to the person I'm giving it to (email/address/best wishes etc.). Other bonuses: they are cheap, easy to carry and extremely popular with the locals.
posted by WaspEnterprises at 6:49 AM on April 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by WaspEnterprises at 6:49 AM on April 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
T-shirts that say "Boston". Or if that takes up too much space, then seconding postcards.
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:39 AM on April 5, 2011
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:39 AM on April 5, 2011
Postcards sound like a great idea and their low volume definitely helps for long-term travelling.
In my experience, I'd guess that US flags will be very hit and miss while bringing footballs sounds like a terrible idea - they are nothing to do with Boston, even deflated you couldn't have more than a couple, nobody will have a pump and it'd be much cheaper and easier to just buy one wherever you are.
posted by turkeyphant at 8:06 AM on April 5, 2011
In my experience, I'd guess that US flags will be very hit and miss while bringing footballs sounds like a terrible idea - they are nothing to do with Boston, even deflated you couldn't have more than a couple, nobody will have a pump and it'd be much cheaper and easier to just buy one wherever you are.
posted by turkeyphant at 8:06 AM on April 5, 2011
I think giving stuff to the locals is not really the done thing anymore while traveling in the developing world. It teaches people to expect (and children to beg for) handouts and reinforces a pretty ugly quasi colonialist dynamic.
Not to mention that, on a round the world trip, there's just no way such a thing would be practical.
I think the OP was asking about trinkets to trade with other backpackers. In which case I really like the bottle opener idea. In India I stayed at a backpacker hotel that gave out free keychain-sized church keys with the hotel's name and address on them, and I'm still using mine three years later. Something like that with Boston or USA themed graphics, or even the name and address of a local institution, would be really great.
Forks and/or spoons wouldn't be a bad idea either (there are never enough to go around in hostel kitchens), though that's harder to swing in a Boston theme. Also corkscrews, though I think they're difficult to pack in carry-on luggage if you're doing the onebag thing.
posted by Sara C. at 8:45 AM on April 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Not to mention that, on a round the world trip, there's just no way such a thing would be practical.
I think the OP was asking about trinkets to trade with other backpackers. In which case I really like the bottle opener idea. In India I stayed at a backpacker hotel that gave out free keychain-sized church keys with the hotel's name and address on them, and I'm still using mine three years later. Something like that with Boston or USA themed graphics, or even the name and address of a local institution, would be really great.
Forks and/or spoons wouldn't be a bad idea either (there are never enough to go around in hostel kitchens), though that's harder to swing in a Boston theme. Also corkscrews, though I think they're difficult to pack in carry-on luggage if you're doing the onebag thing.
posted by Sara C. at 8:45 AM on April 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Pictures of your daily life go over great. I always find people are just as taken with how you live your life as you are with theirs.
posted by Mercaptan at 8:59 AM on April 5, 2011
posted by Mercaptan at 8:59 AM on April 5, 2011
I always carry as many toothbrush/toothpaste combos as I can to developing places, and either give them to kids directly or (better) to a trusted adult who'll get them to the kids. My old dentist used to set me up, friends saved them for me, and hotels always have them. Postcards are great as well.
As far as other travelers, most of us are interested in keeping things light, so not sure what would make a good gift. But toothbrushes are great for kids!
posted by cyndigo at 9:15 AM on April 5, 2011
As far as other travelers, most of us are interested in keeping things light, so not sure what would make a good gift. But toothbrushes are great for kids!
posted by cyndigo at 9:15 AM on April 5, 2011
Maps. Carry a small map so you can show people where in the world you are from, where you have been. Maps of Massachusetts or the US are a good idea, and postcards are, too.
posted by theora55 at 9:43 AM on April 5, 2011
posted by theora55 at 9:43 AM on April 5, 2011
My brother did the Mongol Rally in 2006, and many of the kids in Central Asia were over the moon for the trinkets they brought for exactly this purpose. They brought little American flags, pens, and disposable lighters. (the flip side is that the same kids were often really, REALLY aggressive about asking for what they wanted.) The people you're encountering might not be in the same circumstance, though.
posted by KathrynT at 10:01 AM on April 5, 2011
posted by KathrynT at 10:01 AM on April 5, 2011
I really dislike giving children things when traveling, even things that aren't candy. I've seen children in India chase after out boat while tourist threw pens toward the shore. One child got all of them and it turned into a competition. Same goes for candy and toothbrushes.
What I've done to connect with locals is carry 5-10 photos of my life back home with me in a little plastic (small) album. I've passed these around in buses in Madagascar, made friends with them over tea in Myanmar and gotten an amazing reception everywhere I go. I include a family portrait, my house growing up, something to do with the food I eat, my dog, a postcard of Chicago and a picture of my friends on Halloween when I was little.
It was fun to notice what people looked at in that Chicago postcard—my Mongolian driver was impressed with the highway (roads suck in Mongolia), in the desert people we impressed with the lake, some wanted me to point out my house. Every once in a while someone wanted to keep my postcard but I didn't give it away and they understood. Keeping it all in a little album helped. So if you're trying to connect with people through a language barrier I like this idea. Interact with people about your culture, rather than give them cheap Chinese-made trinkets.
However, if you are talking about giving things to backpackers the bottle opener is a cool idea. I've only had one person give me something—a Korean girl who I let borrow something or helped out left a cute little dangly character (the kinds people put on their cell phones in Asia) and I carried it on my daypack until a kid stole it in Ethiopia. I've done two RTW trips - let me know if you have any questions!
posted by Bunglegirl at 10:16 AM on April 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
What I've done to connect with locals is carry 5-10 photos of my life back home with me in a little plastic (small) album. I've passed these around in buses in Madagascar, made friends with them over tea in Myanmar and gotten an amazing reception everywhere I go. I include a family portrait, my house growing up, something to do with the food I eat, my dog, a postcard of Chicago and a picture of my friends on Halloween when I was little.
It was fun to notice what people looked at in that Chicago postcard—my Mongolian driver was impressed with the highway (roads suck in Mongolia), in the desert people we impressed with the lake, some wanted me to point out my house. Every once in a while someone wanted to keep my postcard but I didn't give it away and they understood. Keeping it all in a little album helped. So if you're trying to connect with people through a language barrier I like this idea. Interact with people about your culture, rather than give them cheap Chinese-made trinkets.
However, if you are talking about giving things to backpackers the bottle opener is a cool idea. I've only had one person give me something—a Korean girl who I let borrow something or helped out left a cute little dangly character (the kinds people put on their cell phones in Asia) and I carried it on my daypack until a kid stole it in Ethiopia. I've done two RTW trips - let me know if you have any questions!
posted by Bunglegirl at 10:16 AM on April 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
Sorry for the double post but what I was getting at toward the end was that I don't think it's common for backpackers to exchange gifts unless you're couchsurfing. I usually buy people I couchsurf with dinner because on a RTW there's no way to carry around enough stuff that people would actually want. Europeans who have couchsurfed with me have given me food from their country (foie gras, jam, cookies, wine) and one gave me a magnet with a scene from her home town. Some backpackers print up business cads with their email to stay in touch.
posted by Bunglegirl at 10:24 AM on April 5, 2011
posted by Bunglegirl at 10:24 AM on April 5, 2011
I know you mean knickknacks to exchange with other traveller-types and/or friendly adults. But I just wanted to chime in: Everyone, please do not go around handing out random stuff to children you don't know in developing countries, for the reasons mentioned above and more. It's bad.
But, gifts that other travelers might like:
-Bottle opener and postcards sound good
-The smallest size of Swiss Army Knife or other small handy knife, key-chain sized. Check out army surplus stores or investigate if there is a Government/State Surplus warehouse in/near Boston. Many states sell all the TSA-confiscated knives back to the public for like a dime a piece. I'm having google trouble, but in Washington this is called "Washington State Surplus."
-Maybe having a stash of good tea or candy you can share? If you find gift-giving turns out to be awkward, you can become "that guy" that always shares his goodies. This could be replenished throughout trip.
-Sacagawea dollar coins!! Or Massachusetts quarters. Or BEST IDEA YET: squashed pennies from a Boston landmark!
posted by dahliachewswell at 10:42 AM on April 5, 2011 [3 favorites]
But, gifts that other travelers might like:
-Bottle opener and postcards sound good
-The smallest size of Swiss Army Knife or other small handy knife, key-chain sized. Check out army surplus stores or investigate if there is a Government/State Surplus warehouse in/near Boston. Many states sell all the TSA-confiscated knives back to the public for like a dime a piece. I'm having google trouble, but in Washington this is called "Washington State Surplus."
-Maybe having a stash of good tea or candy you can share? If you find gift-giving turns out to be awkward, you can become "that guy" that always shares his goodies. This could be replenished throughout trip.
-Sacagawea dollar coins!! Or Massachusetts quarters. Or BEST IDEA YET: squashed pennies from a Boston landmark!
posted by dahliachewswell at 10:42 AM on April 5, 2011 [3 favorites]
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posted by hasna at 5:16 AM on April 5, 2011 [1 favorite]