I’m going to go out on a limb here and make a guess that many of you who are reading this serve as the resident travel expert amongst your friends and family. And why wouldn’t they come to you for advice and assistance. You almost certainly travel more than they do, and you take the time to understand the ins and outs of the entire process.

Of course, the same holds true for most of the members of the various travel communities that are featured on ThreadTripping. And while it can sometimes be annoying to serve in this role, it can also be exceptionally gratifying when you are able to help a friend or a family member realize a trip that might have been a life long dream of theirs.

Another generalization on the way – more often than not you probably only help when asked. You might have even learned the hard way not to offer travel advice when it isn’t requested, as those who know how much information you possess and still choose not to ask for your help typically aren’t very receptive to it when offered.

As willing as you are to help when needed, and as gratifying as it can feel to be able to provide guidance when asked, wouldn’t it be nice if every once in awhile you could take the first step – rather than having to wait to be asked.

Canook has come up with a pretty good idea along these lines – a travel gift box for friends who are about to embark on a trip. In Canook’s case the friends are first-time travelers, but the idea would apply equally well for anyone who doesn’t travel all that frequently.

The discussion is centered around ideas as to what items should be included in the gift box. Among the recommendations:

…how about a plug adapter … in case they want to charge cell phones, cameras, etc. ~Roz

How about a hand-held luggage scale? After that much travelling, they’ll probably want to reality-check their luggage before arriving at the airport. ~ScottW

…small bottles of hand sanitizer, small pack of Clorox wipes, small notebook with attached pen, washcloth for each (Isn’t it France that doesn’t have washcloths?), small flashlight? ~Callie B.

This seems to me to be a fantastic idea. And I suspect anyone who travels

What items would you put in the box? And is this something you do for friends and family, or something you might start doing?

Read the thread in its entirety: Gifts for Newbie Travellers