6 Men's Gear Essentials for Travelling This Christmas

Let’s face it, most of us will be heading back to see the families at some point this Christmas - whether it’s for Christmas Day or some time in the run up to it - and, for a lot of men, this will entail travelling some considerable distances.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however, as it gives you an excuse to stock up on your men’s gear essentials and other pieces of EDC that will come in handy whilst travelling and whether it’s plane, train or automobile you’re taking to wind your way home this Christmas, our list of 6 men’s gear travelling essentials should make the process that bit easier.

Take a look at our picks below:

THE BAG

Chances are you’ll only be heading to the homestead for a day or two and will want to travel light. That doesn’t mean to say that you can’t opt for an awesome carry and this super cool, robust Balmorhea Bag from the guys at Texas Rover Company would be our pick here at Machine Era Co.

Available in a number of different styles - the Weekender for short trips and the Traveler for longer journeys - the Balmorhea Bag is an extremely well-crafted solution to your travel needs this Christmas and it encompasses both style and durability wonderfully well.

Texas Rover Company / $580

THE BOOK

If you’re going to spend hours sat on a plane, you might as well use that time to enrich your lifestyle a little and there a problem few better means of achieving this than taking a read through Nick Offerman’s Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living.

Best known, of course, as Parks & Recreation’s, Ron Swanson, Offerman is actually an accomplished woodworker with his own workshop and this great book brilliant intermingles his trademark comic voice along with Offerman’s very real skills and knowledge surrounding carpentry, Paddle Your Own Canoe delivers glorious stories from Offerman’s childhood (born, literally, in the middle of an Illinois cornfield) and a selection of the man’s hard-bitten battle strategies in the areas of manliness, love, styles, and religion.

Not to mention some cracking guidance on exactly how to get the utmost enjoyment out of creating wares with your own two hands, a variety of meats and all sorts of outdoor recreations. Including paddling.

Offerman Wood Workshop / $28.50 (autographed copy)

THE WALLET

If you’re aiming to travel light for your trip back to the folks or to see friends this Christmas, you’ll want to make sure your wallet is as minimalist and stripped back as possible. You’ll already have plenty of other things to carry so your wallet shouldn’t add to your burden.

Our great Ti5 Wallets at Machine Era are the perfect, understated yet robust wallet for travelling and will even make sure you can crack open a cold beer to toast your with the integrated bottle opener. Crafted from the high quality titanium available, these lightweight wallets are reassuringly robust and won’t let you down no matter which means of transportation you’re taking home this Christmas. They also make a great gift too if you know a man in need of a new wallet this festive period.

Machine Era Co / $33-38

THE HEADPHONES

We’ve all say behind that crying baby on a flight for hours and that’s something that we’d all like to avoid at Christmas when travelling home. Whilst you may not be able to prevent being sat next to a disgruntled child, you can get some awesome headphones that will make sure that you’re able to enjoy the journey in style without being interrupted.

These MH30 Foldable On Ear Headphones from the guys at Master & Dynamic win hands down in the style stakes and they definitely don’t disappoint from a technological standpoint either. Wonderfully well crafted from the finest materials including heavy grain, premium cowhide leather and an aluminium body designed for decades of use, these excellent headphones will keep the music or the movies flowing as you make your way home this Christmas.

Master & Dynamic / $329 

THE MULTI-TOOL

Travelling home for Christmas is an experience that can be filled with an abundance of potential pitfalls depending on the mode of transportation that you rely on to get you there. For any handy individual that isn’t adverse to a spot of DIY and quick fixes along the way will be well served to have a top quality multi-tool as part of their EDC and we think our one at Machine Era Co is right up there with the best of them. 

Overflowing with useful features, our Multi-Tool will make sure you can come to the rescue for any running repairs on your journey home this Christmas. It boasts a whole host of uses including a 1’ rule, Philips screwdriver, bottle opener (in case you don’t want to use the one on your wallet) and a pry wedge so for all those little chores (including those the parents will get you to do when you walk through the door), this is the ideal piece of EDC and should go with you on any journey, not just festive ones!

Machine Era Co / $36

THE CHARGER
 

Let’s face facts, few of us travel anywhere nowadays without a raft of gadgetry in tow - whether this is a smartphone, tablet or Kindle - but these pieces of tech invariably need juicing pretty regularly. If you’re on a long haul flight or cross-country rail trip to get home, it’s unlikely to last the journey without some charging and for all your recharging needs for your various devices, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better candidate for the job than the Mophie Powerstation Plus XL.

Expertly combining a compact design, high end look and feel with an integrated switch-tip charging cable that juices both Apple and micro USB devices so you’re tablets, laptops, cameras et al will be in good hands. This 12,000mAh battery delivers you in excess of four additional charges on your smartphone or one extra charge for your tablet without itself being needing to be charged. A second USB port also allows you the additional benefit of being able to charge two devices simultaneously.