Travel has come roaring back, and today more men seem to be heading out by road, sky, or sea to explore the world than ever before. So, whether you've been jetting off on your own adventures or hope to soon, we've been scouring the planet for this year's best travel gear from bags to tech and even FTLO Gift Cards.
Now we get it; some of you manly men aren't exactly the shopping type. And this guide certainly isn't designed for that demographic. Instead, the travel-loving guys of FTLO have curated our list of the best travel gear for men to support a carefree, easy vacation, where the focus is on the fun, and you can forget about the rest.
Packing Cubes
Packing is something that traditionally, we men don’t always, how do we say, excel at. However, as the theme of this list is all about making life easy, we’ve found that packing cubes are the cheat sheet we always needed. With a few handy cubes to separate boxers from shorts and the clean from the certainly not clean, organization may be our strong suit after all.
Check out the Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate cubes. With a durable, lightweight design, they’re the perfect addition to your pack.
Apple AirTags
With the triumphant return of travel, we've also seen an unprecedented onslaught of lost bags and, in turn, headaches for travelers from London to Tokyo and Buenos Aires to Berlin. The root of the problem seems to lie with short-staffed airlines struggling to catch up with a sudden increase in demand for travel, and while there's no short-term solution, there is a pretty handy, new piece of technology out there that should provide you with some peace of mind.
Queue up the Apple AirTags, quarter-sized tracking devices designed to slip inside your bag and track it across the globe. If you've got an iPad or iPhone, you'll be good to go.
Travel Backpack
Of course, you can bypass the whole lost bag fiasco altogether and enjoy even greater peace of mind by carrying on your luggage. We've become huge fans of carrying-on only; it saves time on the back end, and it's practically impossible for your things to go missing. While some prefer wheelie bags, larger travel backpacks are usually our favorites and a true essential in our list of the best travel gear for men.
It's important to remember that most airlines have a carry-on size limit of 9" x 14" x 22"; however, you can squeeze softshell backpacks down to almost any size, so generally, a few inches here or there won't ruin your day. We're fans of Osprey's lineup of bags; they provide excellent hip support and are beyond durable.
Wheelie Bag
Now, of course, not everyone on this team seems to agree on the backpack, so we feel obligated to include our favorite wheelie bag as well. As a group that’s constantly working on the road, the consensus choice is the Monos Carry-On Pro.
This stylish travel companion has fit in any overhead bin we’ve come across and is practically unbreakable. Tack on the fact that it’s got a dedicated, easy-to-access laptop pocket, and well, sign us up!
Collapsible Day Pack
In the spirit of making things easier for all the men out there, we're trying to compact everything as much as possible. Now at some point on your journeys, you're going to need a day bag, and you're not going to want to use your larger backpack (especially if that means unpacking it first…)
Well, gentlemen, we’ve got you covered. Weighing only one ounce, the Ultra-Sil Nano Day pack collapses into a tiny bag that will fit in the palm of your hand. Just like that, you’ve got an 18-liter day-pack.
On-the-Go Beard Trimmer
You’re traveling, you’re unwinding, maybe you’re not shaving every day for the office, but you’ve still got to keep that facial hair on point. So you need something lightweight, versatile, and with good enough battery life to get you through those inevitable moments when the outlets just aren’t working.
Coming in at under a pound and with an impressive 5 hours of battery life, the Philips Norelco Multigroom is our pick for travel trimmer of the year.
Noise Canceling Headphones
Continuing with our theme of ease and relaxation, we're blocking out the sound of crying babies, loud snorers, and chatty neighbors and flying in style with noise-canceling headphones. If you're still traveling with regular old earbuds, you're sorely missing out on a world devoid of the worst parts of air travel.
Bose's QuietComfort 45 are pretty much the best of the best and some of our favorites on the market. With 24 hours of battery life and lightning-fast charging, they make the perfect gift for any traveler.
Leather Travel Wallet
So, it turns out that you've got to pay for all those rum cocktails on the beach. We also thoroughly disagree with this system, yet it seems there's just no getting around it. You'll need a wallet, and you'd be wise to bring one that can carry cards and cash and protect you from getting robbed at any cost. And hey, let's throw in some style while we're at it, just to kick it up a notch.
Queue up the Bellroy Travel Wallet. With a sleek leather design and RFID blocking technology, it's the smartest, most fashionable wallet for men.
Portable Power Bank
Now that you’ve got those baby-defying, noise-cancelling headphones, you’re going to need something to power them up. While you’ll have opportunities to plug into outlets, if you’re on the go often, you’ll need to bring some power with you.
Fortunately for you, there are scores of great power banks out there now. They’re ideal for any traveler as they usually have several different USB ports and are light enough to take with you wherever you go. Our favorite is the Anker Portable Charger.
Universal Charging Adapter
At some point, you are, in fact, going to need to charge that power bank, and you are going to realize that those prongs of yours just don't fit. Yeah, you forgot the adapter. It happens. It sucks. Don’t do that.
Get yourself a universal adapter, always bring it with you, and never worry about type-C, D, B, 1, 2, or 3 (we don’t know if those are actual socket types, we just don’t like trying to figure it out). Check out the Unidapt Universal adapter; it can charge up to five devices at once and is compatible with just about everything.
The Jordan Trip
If that special guy in your life has all the gear he needs, give him the greatest gift of all and send him on a new adventure. FTLO's trip to Jordan is the ultimate escape for any guy out there.
This 7-day excursion is a fantastic opportunity to explore otherworldly landscapes, unique cultures, and the wild natural world. Travelers will move through Jordan's deserts and dunes, camp under starry skies, explore ancient ruins, witness amazing sunsets, float in the Dead Sea, and hike through extraordinary canyons.
FTLo Gift Cards
For the men in your life, who don't quite know their next destination, give them the whole world. FTLO’s small group trips run throughout the year and head to the some of the greatest cities, seas, and parks on Earth.
Give $100, $199, $250, $500 or a custom amount of your choice in FTLO gift cards to the traveler in your life who just can’t kick that wanderlust (no judgment, we can’t either!).
So, there you have it, the answers to the most fun, easy, and relaxing vacations of the year for the traveling men out there. What are your thoughts? Let us know your favorite travel gear in the comments below, and make sure to check out our gal's guide for the best accessories for all the worldly women in 2024.