Holiday Gift Guide: For the Jetsetter : TreeHugger

Photo via Sativa

When you spend a lot of time thinking about how to protect the Earth and its resources, like so many 'Huggers do, it's only natural to want to see the world's beautiful places, too. So despite it's inherent eco-impact, travel itself is a gift: Connecting to a place with personal, first-hand experience can be illuminating and inspiring. Of course, not everyone travels just for fun. Some of us must fly cross-country or internationally for work (you are buying carbon offsets, right?) or to visit family. So whether your gift list holds a die-hard weekend warrior or a business-class devotee, we've rounded up the top earth- and budget-conscious presents that will make every trip a little more comfortable and fun, and a lot more eco-friendly.

Photo via TerraPass

TerraPass carbon offsetts

Whether your traveler flies for work or for fun, the energy use is the same; help him counteract it with TerraPass packages that let you estimate the giftee's annual use by number and length of trips, and then counteract it by contributing to projects that support alternative energy sources. You can also give enough to balance out a year of of driving an average sized car or a year of home energy usage; or supply enough for one person's daily total, which comes with a bar of Climate Change Chocolate. You'll save on wrapping paper while saving the planet; how sweet is that? (TerraPass, from $4.95)

Photo via Burt's Bees

Burt's Bees Nourishing Gift set

Any eco-minded on-the-go gal (or guy) avoids the hotel soap and shampoo for several reasons--the inherent non-greenness of sample sizes and the unknown chemical makeups among them. Send your greenie off on a bon voyage with Burt's Bees Nourishing gift set, which includes a travel sized body bar, body wash, body lotion, cuticle creme, lip balm, and milk bath--plus a bag to store it in. Then encourage him to refill the containers from his daily (all-natural, of course) products, and he may never buy samples again. (Burt's Bees, $20)

Photo via Flip & Tumble

Flip & Tumble 24-7 bag

Even the most prepared traveler can sometimes use an extra bag--whether it's because your water bottle leaked all over your beach bag or because those tomatoes from the Parisian market wound up underneath your bookstore finds. The Flip & Tumble 24-7 bag goes from a 12-inch-by-14-inch shoulder bag to a 3-inch diameter ball perfect for stuffing into a corner of your suitcase. The ripstop nylon bag holds up to 25 pounds (don't worry, there's a padded shoulder strap) and is machine washable--so even those smushed tomatoes won't require a new bag for the flight home. (Flip & Tumble, $12)