If you have a cyclist, runner or athlete in your life who travels a ton for work, racing or pleasure, or an athlete who’s trying out the whole #vanlife thing on a full or part-time basis, we have some excellent gift ideas. We’re a travel-heavy runner/cyclist duo who do a very light version of #vanlife part of the year, so we’ve had to dial in our travel gear. This year, we’re focusing on runners, cyclists, travelers, and then some stocking stuffers and last minute gifts for any athlete in your life. And if you’re not loving anything on this list, do us a favor and quickly head over to our “do not gift” list to see the recommendations we make for what gifts to avoid.
Stainless Steel Wineglasses
We were chatting with our wine-loving friend in Italy recently and the discussion turned to wine glasses, specifically what he uses for outdoor entertaining. And we were surprised when he told us that he actually prefers stainless steel stemless glasses to the fancier faux glass plastic, from a taste and feeling perspective. We’re always on the hunt for something that elevates our al fresco dining experience (and minimizes the amount of plastic we use) so these are definitely on our list!
Clip-On Fan
If your person travels often to races, this little USB-chargeable clip on fan is our favorite. We have two of them that we use for sleeping in the van, sleeping in hotel rooms or at either of our parent’s houses, which tend to be overly warm, and of course, for trainer riding. The rechargeable aspect is key: This thing runs for 12+ hours at high speed without dying, so it is super convenient to set up anywhere.
Bluetooth speaker by Anker
This sub-$30 speaker is great for the training room or for on the road. It balances quality with price, size and features. We got two so we could link them for more coverage around the house and a ‘surround’ sound effect, but we bring one with us whenever we’re doing extended van trips as well. It is light, has simple controls, recharges easily, is waterproof and lasts 24 hours!
Glerup Booties or Clogs (Rubber Sole Versions)
I love having a cozy bootie or clog I can slip on on chilly days—these booties saved me last year when it was below freezing every day we were in Florida. Glerup’s quality, style and comfort are *chef’s kiss* and I’ve loved both the clogs and the boots for winter/cold days. The rubber soles are key here: The leather soles are great for indoor shoes, but if you’re doing the van thing, it’s nice to be able to walk the dog, run into a store, or just get out to make food or walk to a washroom without needing to trade shoes.
(PS: I know many of you have taken my advice and gotten the North Face booties over the years—they are still in my rotation as well! These are a slightly different vibe but similar use case.)
Gregory Collapsible Bin
This is one of the most weirdly useful things I’ve gotten in a long time: This bin is about the size of a laundry basket, made of canvas, and collapses down on itself when not in use. It is AWESOME for organizing gear, especially if you need to be organized for a weekend, but then won’t need it again for a while. Great for a messy person who always ends up with their shit spread out all over the van, for an easy “get it together” moment.
Quoc Lala Slides
I was a little ‘whatever’ about these very plastic sandals from Quoc when I got them two years ago, but I needed a pair of shoes that I could wear bringing my paddleboard in and out of our water since it’s a very shallow entry, and I was interested in a pair of shoes that could be kept in the van as my shower/hangout shoes, but shoes I could walk in. These are great because you don’t feel silly wearing them around running errands, they serve as solid watershoes (and shower shoes!), they’re way more comfortable than flipflops, and they don’t destroy your feet after a few minutes. I have the pink but really would love the black on black. May get them for Peter since he needs a new pair (don’t tell him).
Katadyn BeFree 1.0L Water Filter
We bring this everywhere with us whether it’s a long trail run or hike or just a long van trip where we’re not 110% sure what kind of water situations we’ll run into. It’s a soft flask so it takes up almost no space and the filter works super well to make water EPA-level okay to drink.
Quip Toothbrush + Portable Water Flosser
One of the best things I did for myself was switch to an electric toothbrush and water flosser at home, and the other best thing I did was getting a travel-friendly version. I love the Quip toothbrush for being a really compact but solid battery-powered toothbrush (the battery is great for travel since you don’t need to deal with charging it), and this small travel water flosser is SO good. It fits in even a small toiletry bag, so you take up minimal space compared to bringing your full size versions of that and a toothbrush, and I’ll be honest, it’s way simpler to use than floss when you’re trying to quickly get ready for bed in the dark.
Get the Quip here and portable flosser here
Coaching Phone Consult
Life on the road, whether it’s full time van life or just a ton of work travel, can make training difficult. That’s why we have gift certificates for your friend to book a phone consult with Peter to talk through how to best handle training on a weird schedule or with limited options for workouts depending on time and where you are in the world. It’s a great way to kickstart training motivation or to simply tweak your current training to be even more effective.
Kuma Camp Couch
Peter was super annoyed when I bought this collapsible camp couch for the van, but after one weekend trip with it, he grudgingly agreed that it was a great buy. This this is SO comfortable—I’ve napped for hours with DW in it—and it makes the whole ‘life lived outdoors’ thing just that much more cozy. We love it for outside the van on nice days, and for us, it even fits in the van so on cold nights, we can sit in it together and watch a movie with our tiny heater running. It’s the car camping upgrade you didn’t know you needed.
Burts Bees Salve or Jet Lag Mask
I put these in my runner gift guide but I think they’re great for travel because they are un-spillable! (The Burts Bees is also great for travel since it doesn’t count as a liquid if you’re doing a carry-on only.) I love both the Burt’s Bees Hand Salve and Jet Lag Mask from Summer Fridays as travel-friendly skin savers. The Burts Bees salve comes in a tin (great since it’s solid so no spills) and while it’s for hands, I use it for hands, elbows, and cheeks/lips when I’m out on a cold day and need that protective barrier. The Jet Lag Mask is also my go-to travel moisturizer: It’s thick, you only need a little, it’s great for sensitive/combination skin, and it really helps calm down grumpy skin whether it’s dry from flying or wrecked from the weather. (The Burts Bees is super cheap and lasts forever, Jet Lag mask is a little spendy but also lasts forever!)
Burts Bees Salve here, Jet Lag Mask here
Snack pack
This is what my sister does for Peter every year since he can be incredibly hard to shop for, but as people who spend a lot of the winter in our van, it’s actually awesome. She tends to get things like fancier jerkies or Epic Bars, mixed nuts, fancy instant cappuccino packets, and even a hot sauce advent calendar. This may sound a little silly, but these snacks were actually super helpful to have on hand as we then drove across the country, so if you have traveling friends swinging by for the holidays, a gift bag of this kind of stuff is very appreciated! Just think non-perishable, because for anyone doing the van thing, cold storage is limited!
