How fun!! I am totally jealous.
I don't travel much, so I'm sure you will get much better ideas, but I bought this skirt this summer and I love it. It's classified as a travel skirt. It dries fast. It's flattering and a good length. I took it with me to the beach and the mountains and loved it both places.

Here is a link that might be useful: Travel skirt

I have used my Outdoor Research sun hats on a few trips now. I have trouble finding hats that fit my head correctly and/or don't make me look like a total dork, and others in my family have their own hat issues, and I was able to find one to please each of us on a recent trip to the Southwest. They come in cute colors, too. Sometimes the practical hats only come in boring colors. I have a pink one and a green one.

You can order customized luggage tags somewhere online, can't remember where I got ours, but if she's just doing carry-on maybe that's not much of an issue.

A passport case? Could get either a leather folder type thing, or you can get a passport wallet sort of thing with a strap.

Travel-size containers of all kinds of toiletries, along with gallon and quart size ziplock bags? Lots of uses for those. And a cosmetic bag too?

One of those travel neck pillows?

Does she have a Kindle? If so, and if she's bringing it, could get her an Amazon gift certificate.

Check out the travel gear sections on LL Bean, Lands End, and Eddie Bauer web sites...

Here is a link that might be useful: Sun hats

For traveling light, I think the Scottevest products are genius.

Here is a link that might be useful: Woman's travel vest

For traveling light, I think the Scottevest products are genius.

Here is a link that might be useful: Woman's travel vest

Converters for charging electronics if she'll be carrying a phone or other device. A money belt/bra/socks or neck pouch for carrying passport and money/cards safely. A very lightweight folding bag that folds up to a tiny size...to use for shopping or carrying extra items as needed.

This post was edited by olychick on Tue, Nov 12, 13 at 19:15

I'm not a really savvy traveler, and I don't have any suggestions, I just want to say that I'll be dreaming of a trip around the world tonight. How wonderful!

Beth P.

I used the TravelRest travel pillow on my flight to Seoul in August, and it was the first time I got any kind of sleep on a plane. It rolls up very compactly, so doesn't take too much room in a carry on.

I haven't had a chance to read everyone's response, so I apologize if I'm repeating items.

The scrubba: http://www.thescrubba.com/
Allows me to wash clothes anywhere. Comes in handy on multi day walking tours.

I take my Patagonia nano puff everywhere. It's such a lightweight jacket ( under 10oz). It packs down so tiny, that it requires almost no room in a carry on but it's a great down filled wind breaker that keeps me nice and toasty. It's water repellant too!

Go gear travel tubes. Cheap refillable tsa approved.

Olympus tough tg 2 camera. It's virtually indestructible. It's gotten stuck at the bottom of my husbands pack under 45 pounds of gear, suffered through countless drops and falls, water resistant... Not expensive so I won't have a heart attack if it gets stolen.

Tiffany smart zip wallet. Love love love it.

Flight 001 luggage tags

Eaglecreek pack it cubes.

Solar charger or power converter.

A leather journal and a few pens

One of my girlfriends gave me a plane survival kit: with magazines, small travel sized aspirin, gum, mints, candy, psi bands, band aids, cold compress and hot compress (the kind you pop to activate) etc.

Rollerball of perfume is an absolute must for my travel too. Not sure it makes a great gift as many are very particular on what fragrance they wear... But the size is perfect for traveling.

And I no longer travel without keen shoes for all the walking I do in the day and a pair of north face down camp booties. The booties pack down so much more than traditional slippers and are so rejuvenating after a long day of sightseeing, exploring, skiing or hiking.

Oh and if your friend will be doing any skiing-- I highly recommend a pair of athletic compression socks! It helps the legs recover more quickly. Both my DH and I swear by them after days spent skiing or biking.

Hope that helps.

One gallon zip lock bags! You can see everything within and it stops personal hygiene products like shampoo's , lotions or whatever from leaking out. You can even double bag for extra security.

Wow! such great ideas.. Now I am lusting after the nano puff jacket too.. not that there is anything longer than a 10 day vacation in store for me. Keep it coming! I am sure others will appreciate this list as well.

My biggest time saver when traveling is an iPad (instead of a laptop). Going thru airport security, you don't have to remove an iPad for the xray machine...just leave it packed and send it thru.

Knapsack instead of shoulder bags for a purse. Balancing weight is so much easier and better for the traveler.

Fanny pack.

Plug phones into iPad and iPad into the wall - only need one adapter.

Photo disks for camera that have a huge storage capacity.

Collapsible umbrella and very compact (fold into a pouch) raincoat.

Zip loc bag filled with tea bags or coffee packets. Yes, your friend will run out, but a basic "stash" has been a plus when I've traveled.

Binoculars.

As your friend is traveling for 1 yr with 1 bag, I would keep it to the very basics.

So many great ideas here.

I'm thinking money belt which is what Rick Steeves recommends in his books and we found invaluable for our trip.

However, the last thing you need when traveling on a long trip with carry-on only is a lot of stuff. And, as I learned when packing for my Europe trip, a lot of it is very personal. And buying sizes or what looks good is very difficult.

I know for a surprise you can't do a "gift registry" and I know money is very useful but people don't like to give money, but is there something to give that doesn't require packing? Does she need someone to check her house? Take care of a pet? Her mail? Pay her bills while she's gone? Water plants? Can you all chip in on a gift card that can be used internationally or something to offset the phone charges internationally? Or how about helping prep the house before her return...buy her milk and other basics to stock her fridge? Maybe have a casserole waiting that just needs reheating? Turn up the thermostat? A ride to and from the airport?

When I was 30, I quit my job to travel. My coworkers bought me a backpack and a travel umbrella. Both were invaluable. I still use them, 24 years later. And think of my coworkers every time. Many, and I can still tell you who, also gave me cash, which was also very, very helpful. I could sit in a cafe for a drink and think "Merci, Judy. This glass of wine is thanks to your gift."

If she doesn't already own the perfect travel bag, give her money to buy one.
Even if she owns other luggage, she might want a new bag. She's the only one that can determine what the perfect bag might be so that why I suggest giving her money.

Is she doing this continuously as in leaving from home then traveling 365 days with no return or will she be taking multiple trips throughout the year or is an around the world cruise on a yacht?

I ask because we had a friend who was nothing but a powder junkie for a year : traveling from Alaska to Wyoming to the alps to Japan to Patagonia to New Zealand etc. We bought him a bunch of emergency gear, solar chargers, and active layers. another friend spent a year cooking her way across the globe. Everything she did was food related but we knew where she would be every step of the way. We were able to pitch in and buy her experiences in each city. So perhaps you and your friends could pitch in to purchase experiences (spa treatments at the hotel, special tour, art class, cooking class etc) for your friend?

Cash gifts are probably not necessary as she was pre-IPO in a rather successful silicon valley startup :) Just thoughtful useful gifts that her friends would like to give her. She is late-30s and unmarried and this is kind of a sabbatical year. She plans to travel continuously for a year. She will do both urban sighseeing as well as long hikes and climbs. Some her plans include S.Africa, Nepal, India including annapurna trek, Srilanka, Kili trek.

IâÂÂm not sure if this was already mentioned butâ¦who can travel without a smallish (with stand) makeup mirror with regular mirror on one side and magnification on the other? They have them at the drug store for $6, and are skinny and easy to wedge into small luggage.

Even if one does not wear makeup one might get one of those long chin hair things that could not be plucked without magnification lol.

This post was edited by jterrilynn on Wed, Nov 13, 13 at 12:29

I think that even tho she will be traveling light, with plenty of money to buy her own things, the purpose of the party seems to be the celebration. Finding a variety of inexpensive items that might be useful sounds like a great idea, whether she packs them all or not. I'll bet she could use some of them another time, if not for this trip.

After reading more about her plans, I thought of one of those super absorbent micro towels...she can tuck it into a back pack for alpine lake dips for drying hair, etc.

One of the most useful travel items I own is a very small booklet with pictures of "things" one might need to communicate without knowing the local language. I used it once again in Turkey recently to communicate with a non-English speaking taxi driver. I pointed to the pic of the ship, and he knew to take us to the ferry pier! My booklet was a gift many years ago, so I have no idea where to get one now.