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Bucketlist Bri

Bucketlist Bri

Adventurous Slomad Travel

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The Ultimate Gift Guide for Digital Nomads

Last Updated: May 24, 2023 ¡ Digital Nomad

Do you have someone special in your life that lives the digital nomad lifestyle? Maybe your sibling, partner, or best friend dropped their 9–5 job to go globetrotting while working online.

As a digital nomad and full-time slow traveler myself, I know exactly the type of gifts I would love to receive.

Most nomads I know, including myself, appreciate minimalism and practicality; so don’t just go buying any travel product like a scratch-off map and think that’ll be right up their alley!

Digital nomad couple hiking together in Oregon.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you decide to click through and make a valid purchase (at no extra cost to you). Thanks so much for your support!

Since nomads travel nomadically and move from country to country, what they choose to pack and take with them is very limited and intentional.

Keeping that in mind, I’ve included the best gift ideas for digital nomads down below—for all budgets!

If you are looking to buy a gift for a digital nomad in your life then this conscious gift guide will help you find the perfect present! 🎁

Table of Contents show
The Best Gift Ideas for Digital Nomads
1. Gift an Experience or Activity
2. Blue Light Glasses for Nomads
3. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
4. Cable Organizer Pouch
5. WANDRD Camera Travel Backpack
6. Kindle Paperwhite
7. Pela Eco-Friendly Phone Case
8. Moft Invisible Laptop Stand
9. Scrubba Portable Wash Bag
10. Nintendo Switch Lite / eShop Gift Card
11. Allbirds Sustainable Shoes
12. GoPro Hero 11
13. Traveler’s Journal / Notebook
14. Reusable Water Bottle or Travel Mug
15. A Monthly (Digital) Subscription

The Best Gift Ideas for Digital Nomads

1. Gift an Experience or Activity

bucketlist bri travel blogger overlooking lava flow from Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala

As the quote goes, “Collect memories, not things.” Many digital nomads out there live by this philosophy.

Instead of buying a product, why not give a gift that lasts?

A unique travel experience or activity would be the perfect digital nomad gift—no shipping required, no waste, and no expiration date.

Two of my favorite sites for booking experiences around the world are GetYourGuide and Viator.

A few example experiences that you could book are:

  • 🌄 Mount Batur Sunrise Hike with Hot Springs (Bali, Indonesia)
  • 🌋 Guided Acatenango Basecamp Volcano Trek (Antigua, Guatemala)
  • 🤿 Discovery Scuba Diving in Cenotes (Tulum, Mexico)
  • 🪨 GuatapĂŠ and El PeĂąol Boat Trip (MedellĂ­n, Colombia)
  • 🏔 Kazbegi and Gudauri Mountains Day Trip (Tbilisi, Georgia)

What’s awesome about this gift idea is that you don’t need to ship any product across the world. Instead, you can gift them with a local experience in the destination they are currently based in!

Gifting an experience is a meaningful, not to mention more sustainable, way to show someone that you care.

✨ Search more ideas on GetYourGuide or Viator

2. Blue Light Glasses for Nomads

Blue light glasses for digital nomads
Stylish computer glasses for digital nomads | Credit: Horus X

Digital nomads are called “digital” for a reason—because they are plugged into their gadgets for work.

For example, I spend 10+ hours working on my laptop most days for my job as a blogger. All that screen time can contribute to headaches, fatigue, eye soreness, drowsiness, and lack of sleep.

The solution? Blue light glasses!

These chic anti-blue light glasses from Horus X are perfect for digital nomads.

The company has a range of styles, but the Ushuaia is my favorite because they are designed with nomads in mind—they actually look identical to my prescription ones!

Plus, you can feel good about your purchase because Horus X is a member of 1% of the Planet and your purchase is 100% backed by their Lifetime Guarantee.

Trust me, I’d be so happy to receive blue-light-blocking glasses as a gift!

3. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

AirPods Pro II with magsafe case

So… The nomad in your life may already have a pair of AirPods. But I have recently picked up my first pair ever—the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation—and I am mildly obsessed!

AirPods are not exactly a budget-friendly gift, but if you’re looking for something luxe to treat a special nomad in your life who doesn’t already have a pair, then this present will be revolutionary!

I haven’t stopped wearing them since I got them. I can listen to music and podcasts, and focus on my writing with their active noise-canceling feature.

As I said, a total game-changer (especially for working in busy cafes or whenever Paul is talking super loud in French on biz calls, lol).

🍏 Click here to purchase and get them delivered in time for the holidays!

4. Cable Organizer Pouch

Cable pouch organizer for digital nomads

This next gift idea for digital nomads might not be as sexy, per se, as AirPods or an experience, but let me tell you it’s a digital nomad essential.

A cable organizer pouch was something I neglected for the first few years of my digital nomad life—oh man do I wish I had found it sooner!

The satisfaction that comes with having all those pesky cables and chargers and adapters and SD cards in one place is not to be overestimated… 🤤

Plus, this is a super budget-friendly gift for nomads. And I bet the nomad you know doesn’t have one. I found mine on Amazon for around $20 last Christmas! I loved it so much that I bought two more—one for my partner and his brother (who’s also a nomad).

I honestly can’t believe how much I can fit into this seemingly simple tool. Practical presents for the win!

5. WANDRD Camera Travel Backpack

WANDRD PRVKE backpack bundle

One backpack that has changed the way I travel as a digital nomad is the WANDRD PRVKE Backpack.

It is so small (11 oz) and yet can fit SO much—my SonyA7II, DJI Mini drone, Blue Yeti microphone, Nintendo Switch, cable pouch, plus my water bottle, Kindle, and a few other odds and ends.

These backpacks are extremely well-made (and responsibly, too) which is why I invested in one as a Christmas gift to myself.

They’ve just launched 3 epic colors for the adventurous souls out there (I’d totally get the new Sedona Orange). Now is the perfect time to gift this to a digital nomad!

One premium bag to replace them all. That’s what this backpack can do.

Note: The WANDRD is first and foremost a camera backpack, so it’s especially relevant for digital nomads who are into travel photography. Check prices here 📸

6. Kindle Paperwhite

Kindle Paperwhite front and back display.

What nomad has the storage space to carry around loads of books? Not me, even though I wish I could! That’s why, a couple of years back, I bought a Kindle Paperwhite.

Now I can keep up my reading without worrying about buying books and having to leave them behind (or ship my favorites home).

I know Kindles/Amazon are not very loved by indie bookstores around the world, but as a nomad, I can’t deny their practicality! They also end up paying for themselves since books are heavily discounted for Kindle users.

7. Pela Eco-Friendly Phone Case

Green iPhone Pela plant-made phone case with quick fact info.

Have you ever heard of biodegradable phone cases made from plants? If not, get ready to fall in love with Pela. 🌿

I’ve had a Pela phone case for both my Android and (now) my iPhone 13 Pro. They are eco-friendly, plastic-free cases that aren’t only protective and durable, but also irresistibly cute!

If you are looking for a gift with a green thumb, don’t overlook Pela cases!

I love mine and would buy several if that very thought didn’t go against the whole purpose of minimalism and sustainability, lol.

8. Moft Invisible Laptop Stand

Laptop using a Moft stand.

An invisible laptop stand…? Yes! I, too, was a non-believer, until I saw my friends’ Moft laptop stands and saw how cool they were!

These “invisible” stands actually are adhesive, flexible kickstands that stick to the bottom of your laptop. Raise it up, fold it, and you can have a pro-looking setup now! But for only $20 bucks. Win-win! (They also have MagSafe snap cases, battery packs, and other tech accessories.)

Did you know that Moft stands are better for your wrists and eye level with the computer resulting in better posture?

Ergonomically, it’s much more comfortable for working on your laptop. I feel extremely weird if I use my laptop flat now—really, it feels like it’s falling backward!

The angle/lift this stand gives your laptop is amazing. Plus, the adhesive isn’t damaging and it is super slim, so it still fits in those snug laptop bags or cases.

9. Scrubba Portable Wash Bag

Graphic displaying Original Scrubba wash bag vs Mini bag.
Credit: Scrubba

Looking for a fun and unique gift that your digital nomad could use? This portable washing machine by Scrubba is quickly becoming a staple item in many nomads’ backpacks.

With this bag, nomads/RVers/van lifers/hikers can wash their dirty socks, undies, and shirts on the go. No more need to go to a laundromat or wash clothes in hostel sinks!

There are currently two sizes, both of which can easily roll up and fit snuggly in a backpack or suitcase — the Scrubba Original for small loads and the Mini Ultra-Compact for socks and undies (and maybe one t-shirt).

In short, the Scrubba makes for a quirky but practical present for nomads for Christmas or birthdays. You can’t go wrong with this gift idea! (And it’s under $50 too.)

10. Nintendo Switch Lite / eShop Gift Card

Box with yellow Nintendo Switch Lite.

Does the nomad you know happen to also love video games?

If like me, they travel with their Nintendo Switch Lite, then a great gift idea is a Nintendo eShop gift card so they can indulge in a game on their wishlist!

The Switch Lite packs up pretty small. It fits in my WANDRD backpack which I can take on planes as my personal item with all my gear inside (including my Switch—perfect for long flights!).

11. Allbirds Sustainable Shoes

Light blue Allbirds shoes.

I’ve had my Allbirds for years, and go everywhere with them! Heck, I’ve even trekked on an active volcano in them! So I mean it when these shoes are awesome for travel.

If you want to learn more about the shoe, and why they’re awesome for nomads/travelers, check out my full and honest Allbirds Review.

12. GoPro Hero 11

GoPro Hero 11 product image.

Adventure typically accompanies nomads on their travels, which is why the GoPro Hero 11 is such an awesome gift idea (especially if you’re looking to pool funds together with a friend or family member). The price point is steep, at just under $400, but it’s a gift that lasts.

13. Traveler’s Journal / Notebook

Beige journal for travelers with shimmery tree design.

As a blogger, I write a lot. But that’s not the same as journal or reflection writing, which for me is the most transformational. While any traveler’s journal should do, I’ve linked this one in particular by Intelligent Change.

I have one of their Five-Minute Journals already and love it, but the one shown above is designed in partnership with a traveler/artist and offers more space for free writing and creative prompts.

14. Reusable Water Bottle or Travel Mug

Teal blue Hydro Flask mug.

Another thing that’s synonymous with digital nomad life? Coffee.

If the nomad you’re shopping for doesn’t already have a reusable coffee mug or water bottle, then that’s a winning gift.

I use and take my 20oz. yellow Hydro Flask everywhere I go and I also have a reusable coffee mug (purchased from a local coffee shop).

Shop all Hydro Flask colors and sizes here 💦

15. A Monthly (Digital) Subscription

Finally, if you’re not able to deliver a gift to a nomad who’s constantly changing addresses, then you can offer them a monthly subscription for a digital tool or service.

Think $10/month for six months or one year for Spotify or Apple Music so they can listen to unlimited music and podcasts ad-free, or even a service such as Headspace for meditation and sleep guidance!

I know I would have loved to receive such a gift because I’d make use of it and it doesn’t encumber me with extra stuff to carry around.

I hope this digital nomad gift guide helps you find just what you’re looking for! Let me know in the comments if you have any questions (or more cool ideas to add to the list!)

PIN IT FOR LATER

By: Bri ¡ In: Digital Nomad

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I’m Bri, an adventurous digital nomad living abroad full-time since 2015. It is my hope to inspire you to live a life of adventure, seek out meaningful experiences, and travel slowly and mindfully!

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Traveling solo in Nepal has awakened in me a confi Traveling solo in Nepal has awakened in me a confidence & sense of self (at the risk of sounding cliché), of “my essence” and inner Knowing, and where my compassion and passions mingle and thrive. I was reading some of your comments on my recent Reel about solo travel and how I put myself at great risk/in danger. But as I was telling my Tibetan friend, Sonam, tonight (yes, the new one I made last week!), I inform my decisions mostly by 1. Asking myself, “Would this make a good story?” and 2. Listening to my body and emotions. Yes, it’s risky to travel solo, to be a female in a male-dominated culture, to go out after hours with people you just met, etc. But doing that — and all the magic that followed by “allowing” — reminded me exactly of who I am at my core: Curious and open to the world, willing to get uncomfortable for the sake of finding magic and serendipity. Some of you said, “I’m too scared to do this, how do you overcome that fear of personal safety?” And to this I say, I don’t! Fear accompanies me along the journey. Living life is one big risk. It’s uncomfortable to be open, vulnerable, and unsure. But once you accept that and once you begin to let compassion and curiosity guide you rather than your fear, the real magic starts to happen in all areas of life, not just travel. I find these moments most in travel though, when I’m confronted with contrast and am left vulnerable to the world and the kindness of my fellow humans. My Reels are not meant to romanticize or gloss over very real risks/threats in life, but rather to share a real account of what’s possible (adventure, connections, love, etc) when you worry less about societal norms and what’s “safe not safe” “right not right” and allow your over-active fears to take a backseat. 
This is your reminder to trust your inner compass to guide you in writing your epic life story. ✨✨

To sum it up: 

1. Choose a life of adventure 
2. Stay curious
3. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable (otherwise said, seek discomfort)
4. Let love and light flow in and out 
5. Change is the only constant 

#solotravel #nepaltravel #solofemaletraveler #soloadventure #localtravel #trekkingnepal #adventurethatislife
The strength of women 💛 These ladies were lau The strength of women 💛 

These ladies were laughing so sweetly while filling up their water jugs at the Manga Hiti fountain in Patan. I watched them for a while and then plucked up the courage to ask if I could take their photos, which only made them giggle more. 

I've always felt that not being able to communicate in the same language makes for even more interesting encounters. Without words, we have to touch each other's humanity with eyes and gestures, and most of the time it leads to unspoken mutual understanding, acceptance, and love. We three walked away with the biggest smiles on our faces. I yelled out "Dhayabad!" (Thank you!) as they hoisted their jugs up the stairs, laughing all the way. I won't forget this shared moment between us 🙏 

Check stories for the landscape orientation for some of these photos ✨ 

#nepal #nepalnow #nepalphotography #nepaliculture #nepalisbeautiful #natgeoyourshot #patan #kathmanduvalley #lifetimeexperiences #photonepal #nepaltravel
Did you feel it? Nepal’s ancient wisdom, its swi Did you feel it? Nepal’s ancient wisdom, its swirling spirituality, its raw humanity? ✨🇳🇵❤️

#nepal #visitnepal #nepalnow #travelstories #localtravel #mindfultravel #slowtravel #natgeotravel
When you say “yes” as a solo traveler and stay When you say “yes” as a solo traveler and stay open to the randomness of life and the kindness of strangers, really wonderful memories can be made. Thank you Lama family and my new Tibetan friends for such a fun and insightful sequence of experiences 🙏 💛

#solotravel #localtravel #nepaltravel #nepaldiaries #nepali #solofemaletravel #kathmandunepal #thamel #tibetanfood #solotraveldiaries
My first week back in the chaos of Kathmandu, 💛 My first week back in the chaos of Kathmandu, 💛 

Being back after 7 long years away has jolted my body, brain, and spirit. At first, I felt overwhelmed with the recurring thought of, "I don't know what to do with myself." It was only when acceptance knocked on my door, and I finally decided to let it in, that things began to shift and flow.
 
In Nepal, particularly Kathmandu, everything around me swarms like a hive. I have nowhere else to go but inside myself. I've discovered through years of slow traveling (and solo travel) that peace awaits me there -- a sense of independence, power, and knowing that is still, comforting, and safe. And I can tap into it whenever I need to.

Chaos and peace reside in all of us, and Nepal has a cosmic, ancient way of reminding you of just that. 

📍 Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur

#nepaltravel #patan #durbarsquare #nepalphotography #slowtravel #nepal #solotravel #lalitpur
They ask, “Why?” I was 29 when I embarked on They ask, “Why?” 

I was 29 when I embarked on the plane on the 21st, and 30 when I disembarked on the 23rd. How fitting. I spent all of my 20s abroad (except for my two final semesters in undergrad), and moved to Nepal when I was 21. 

What better way to say goodbye to my twenties than by returning to the start? I felt the desperate urge to start my 30s this way—alone on a one-way ticket with no concrete plans. I have both feared and longed to come back all these years. You see, I had made a promise to one of my closest Nepali friends that I’d see her again, but the reality is that I no longer can. 

She, along with another dear friend, passed away from cancer a couple of years back. The thought of returning to my old life here without my friends made me, well, incredibly sad. I had thought that, upon landing in Kathmandu—or taking a bite of my first momo—after so long, I’d find myself bursting into tears of both grief and gratitude. But I didn’t. Instead, I found familiarity in the chaos and chaos in the strangeness. 

Just being here—and the decisions and actions it took to get here—has reminded me of the preciousness of this one very short life. And that, by choosing to celebrate mine—at the exciting turn of a decade no less—by coming back to Nepal on a solo trip that would force me into daring discomfort when I could instead retreat to the comforts of family or my partner, is how I want to live it.

Truth is, a couple of months ago the thought of Nepal felt out of reach. It felt risky, unattainable. But the idea itself pushed open, just a crack at first, a door that had been otherwise closed. I could have more easily ignored my “what if?” daydreams—calling them off as too hard, too uncomfortable, or too far-fetched to actually pursue—and kept it shut.
But sometime in mid-July, I decided to look at flights. And I found one (truly, just one) option that could work. And it just so happened that it would fall on my birthday, or rather bridge my birthday. The idea of getting on a plane at 29 and getting off it at 30—back in Nepal—sold me. I fell in love with the story, the adventure, the unknowingness of it all. 

So, yeah. That’s why. Or as I prefer, “Why not?”
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