TravelMuse: TravelMusings : Tags : shopping

If there’s one thing I don’t like to travel for (prior to going on my trips, that is), it’s shopping. I prefer to do as much of it as possible online. Sure, some stores add on shipping charges. But since I live in a small town, I’d have to get in the car to drive to a store, so I figure the shipping cost vs. gas cost is about a wash.

For travel gear, one of my absolute favorite Web sites is Flight 001. From my favorite Spacepak packing system to cool silicone travel bottles, I can always find something I’ll need for my next trip. There’s a huge summer sale going on right now, where you can get 30-75 percent off select merchandise.

Comfy outdoorsy travel clothing is always easy to find (with a 35-70 percent savings) at Sierra Trading Post. In fact, my husband, who travels almost exclusively to developing countries (and also works on a beach) checks this site weekly.

More great travel clothing and gear is available from TravelSmith. Their Sale of the Day feature offers savings on two items per day, but only for that day. In addition, their outlet is having an early fall clearance, with savings of up to 70 percent.

One of my tried and true online sources is REI. From backpacks to maps to clothes to tents—I can buy what I need and then spend a while browsing for fun. They even sell my all-time favorite insect repellent. The REI outlet offers amazing savings, and has special daily and weekly steals.

I can always use a new source for my online travel gear shopping, however. Care to comment and share yours?

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I’m a bit of a sucker for Etsy, the Web marketplace for handmade goods. I can spend hours looking for that right pair of earrings, something in a specific color or theme, or artists in a particular locale. I just have to learn to hide my wallet before I window shop.

The other day, I ran across an artist in Etsy’s Featured Seller showcase: Jet Set Paper, by Noelle Griskey. (And I suppose if I paid better attention when looking through my June/July copy of ReadyMade magazine, I would have noticed that her work is featured there, too.) She hand inks Moleskine notebooks with your local (or favorite) airport code, and includes a few notecards with your telephone area code. They’re priced very reasonably, at $8.50. She’ll even do special orders, if your airport isn’t well known.

My favorite airport (so far) is the landing-strip-with-bar located on the Caribbean island of Guanaja. The island is a second home to me, so I have a sentimental connection to the airport. But the possibility of getting a journal with the GJA airport code, for a place that looks like the above picture, made me bust out the wallet and make a special order.

Even if you don’t long for that next trip through your home airport, it’s a great idea for a jetsetter friend or a recent college grad going on an international adventure.