Father's Day gifts inspired by my dad, the king of travel prep

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With Father’s Day just around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about my love for travel, and how much I owe that passion to my dad. My father has been a road warrior for decades and still flies at least 140,000 miles a year — he's over 104,000 miles for 2026 already. So it's understandable that as I was growing up, I slowly picked up on all his little travel tips and tricks.

More importantly, I began noticing the necessities that always seemed to end up in some corner of his suitcase, and I've made many of them my own. So if you're looking for something to give the special dad in your life this Father's Day, here are seven items my travel-obsessed father doesn’t skip when packing his luggage.

Ever since I can remember, my dad has never left for a trip without an eye mask. But I only recently discovered the wonders of sleeping with an eye mask, and how helpful having one is for getting some shut-eye when you’re on the go.

For almost 10 years, the Bucky 40 Blinks Travel Mask has been my dad’s go-to for its comfort and durability. Now, to be honest, my personal favorite is the MZOO Sleep Eye Mask, but I don’t have quite as many miles to back me up. So if you're shopping for your own father, you may want to go with the expert's opinion on this one.

Get the Bucky 40 Blinks Travel Mask at Amazon
Get the MZOO Sleep Eye Mask at Amazon

Although not terribly common, one of the unfortunate realities of travel is hotel carbon monoxide leaks. And while it may be a "dad" thing for my father to make sure he never checks into a hotel without a portable carbon monoxide detector, he's not wrong — if a hotel's safety measures fail, having your own detector could make all the difference.

The FIRST ALERT Carbon Monoxide Detector works with any standard outlet and even offers a backup battery — making it easy to bring with you on the go.

Get the FIRST ALERT Carbon Monoxide Detector at Amazon

Growing up, my dad was always the one reminding everyone to charge their phones before a trip and packing extra cords just in case. So it's fitting that one of my favorite travel gifts for dads is a reliable power bank.

The Anker 9,600 mAh Power Bank stands out from the rest — and is a great option when it comes to travel. With a built-in plug and supportive pass-through charging, it can re-energize two devices at the same time, and speedily recharges itself for continued use. It's also small enough that it can easily be slipped into your pocket for flexibility.

My dad even gifted me the exact same Anker 9,600 mAh Power Bank before I headed off to college, and it proved invaluable when my campus lost power for more than a day. It was a simple reminder that you can never be too prepared — especially when you travel.

Get the Anker 9,600 mAh Power Bank at Amazon

While a power bank is great for quickly charging your cell phone and tablet on the go, a charger with more diverse ports and standard AC outlets is essential for work trips or for sharing power with others.

With 2 USB-C and 2 USB-A slots, as well as 2 AC outlets, the Anker 6-in-1 Prime 140W Charging Station is perfect for charging many devices at the same time, as well as powering large electronics like laptops.

But even with its advanced charging abilities, the sleek and flat design of this charger, along with its detachable cable, makes it easy to travel with.

Get the Anker 6-in-1 Prime 140W Charging Station at Amazon

For a more compact travel charger — good for cramped flights or in the airport — the Anker Compact 140W 4-Port Charger drops the AC outlets in favor of three USB-C ports, one USB-A port, and an overall smaller size.

According to my dad, this charger also stays in an outlet far better than other chargers he's tried.

Get the Anker Compact 140W 4-Port Charger at Amazon

As you've probably picked up by now, my dad is the family's unofficial tech organizer, making sure everyone has the right charging cable before we head out on a trip. That's why a durable set of charging cables makes such a practical Father's Day gift — especially for dads who are always traveling or helping everyone else stay powered up.

Anker Charging Cables are available in both 3-foot and 6-foot lengths, giving travelers the flexibility to charge comfortably whether they're at an airport gate, in a hotel room, or squeezed into an airplane seat. They're designed to withstand everyday wear and tear, making them ideal for being tossed into a backpack, carry-on, or tech pouch. Plus, they come in a variety of bright colors, and in my family, everyone has their own color. This makes it easy to keep track of our own cables and avoid the inevitable mix-ups that happen.

Get Anker Charging Cables at Amazon

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Traveling abroad comes with the joys of foreign outlets, so adapters are necessary for international trips. While there are many travel adapters available, the Ceptics Universal Travel Adapter Kit is the one my dad personally recommends. It comes with a wide range of plugs and a multitude of ports. It also offers good protection and an attached USB-C cable for easy charging.

Get the Ceptics Universal Travel Adapter Kit at Amazon

Finally, once you've accumulated enough eye masks, charging devices, cables, and international adapters, you'll need something to organize it all.

The Cocoon Accessory Organizer is slim, but provides many slots to keep your travel gadgets in order. My dad likes that it fits nicely into a backpack, and he can configure it to fit all his cables just right.

Get the Cocoon Accessory Organizer at Amazon

If you have a travel-obsessed, ultra-prepared father figure in your life, hopefully one of these gifts will be the perfect fit this Father's Day. But as my dad says, when in doubt, plane tickets to a new country are always an acceptable gift.