BootsnAll Travel Community

Beer labels are great too. I peel them off and stick them in my journal.

Another thing is stamps, they're easy to get and take very little room.

I used to like to buy liquors and bring them home. Now with the airline rules on liquids in carry on, I don't do that anymore. I'm afraid to pack them in my check in bags since I had a friend who packed red wine and ended up with lovely red clothes.

So many great ideas here!

I've done the beer/bar coasters on trips before--they make for just as great of a conversation piece as any trinkety/touristy souvenier thingy, just with a few more complements for how practical they are.

I've collected the flags before--hang 'em all on a line/rope from one post or tree to another, & they make great outdoor decorations for BBQ's/picnics, etc.

I really, really like the wall-o-postcards idea!!! Do you own your place? If so, I guess the downside of that would be having to sell it someday & not take "the wall" with you..unless you did a giant hanging wall that you put them all on.

What's awesome about the ideas so far is that they're things that can be easily and cheaply mailed home from overseas, so one doesn't have to keep carrying the growing collection in their packs.

As for the wall o' postcards, we don't own our own place so we got some doublestick art tape (which works surprisingly well) and attached clothespins to the wall. Then we put the postcards in the clothespins- that way we could rearrange the designs easily and also preserve the postcards as best as possible.

It's been great hearing everyone's ideas!

My first trip I bought little flags and sewed them on my backpack. I brought home other little things like city maps and sent home a few souvenirs. The next trip I take, I'm planning on sending home bottles of wine and saving up beer/drink coasters. They're light and you can get a pretty hefty collection since there are so many in so many bars and beerhalls.

I've been collecting fridge magnets which are fun to remind you of your visit to those places every time you use the fridge. They're all sorts of textures and shapes: some are photos of nature, others are cartoons with the name of the place painted, one has a mini thermometer (not sure it works), sand and water in a bubble, mini sculptures. Makes for a colorful fridge door and to arrange and rearrange. Small and light weight to lug around.

Fabric is also fun to collect and useful (scarves, place mats, napkins, sarongs, shawls, wall scrolls, and if you have space, bedspreads and tablecloths), cloth lanterns with wooden/thin metal frames that fold up nicely when packed, all make for great conversations about your travels. They're also good for wrapping fragile items in your bag, bonus!!

(looking around the room some more...)

Small framed art pieces purchased directly from the street artist, wooden and metal sculptures (but they need to be dusted and take up room on a shelf), beer coasters.

Food is always enjoyable, but can be perishable and heavy and you're always questioned for details at customs: wines, jams, chocolates, spices/seasonings, coffee, teas, flavored oils, alcohol, marinades, sauces... Take lots of ziploc bags with you for packing these items. Last thing you want is fish sauce exploding in your bag. That... ahem ... "aroma" will never ever leave. hehehe

Oh and my latest is acquiring recipes and the accompanying seasonings if difficult to acquire at home -- my travel journal has a few recipes from people I stayed with who cooked for me. On my last trip the B&B owner gave me her recipe to the yummy breakfast muesli she makes for her guests.