The most beguiling of this year's crop of potential gifts for travelers are anachronisms: handmade leather backpacks for children in animal shapes.
Grandparents are likeliest to be seduced by the packs, since they are not cheap: an owl is $54 and a frog $76. The Leather Zoo, designed by Sandy Vohr in upstate New York, includes two animals with zipper mouths (the frog and a mouse) and an owl and an elephant.The creatures are sold at crafts and luggage shows in the East and by phone and mail order. Shipping and handling, around $6. Sandy Vohr's Leather Zoo, 1400 Dean St., Schenectady, N.Y.; 518-377-2910.
For real animals on the road, L.L. Bean is offering stiff-fabric food bowls for dogs that fold up flat and open to hold two and a half quarts. In waterproof polyester duck, the Ruffwear Oasis has an 8-inch-square bottom and is 5 inches high. The opening rounds out when the bowl contains food or water. The regular model, in red or royal blue, is $16. With an interior drawstring closure to hold in dry dog food between meals, it is $20. Shipping is $3.95. L.L. Bean, Freeport, Maine 04033; 800-221-4221.
Two items with a legitimate bid for space in carry-on luggage are a svelte, unbreakable thermos vacuum bottle that holds a pint of hot or cold liquid, and a travel pillow that rolls up. The Thermos Nissan, made in Japan, is brushed stainless steel inside and out and has a plastic-lined cup as a top. The thermos is $50 at Barson Hardware, 35 W. 44th St., New York, N.Y. 10036; 212-944-8181.
The latex foam Pillow-to-Go, 14 by 13 inches with a washable cotton zipper cover, rolls up to form a tube 3.5 inches in diameter that closes with a Velcro strip. It's a handy solution for those who do not care for reused airline pillows, or who are allergic to those in hotels. The price is $19.95 plus $4.95 shipping and handling from Latex International, 20 W. Main St., Ansonia, Conn. 06401; 800-528-3987.
The luxuriant Raven maps of the states are much too large for use in a car or a plane; they are best on the wall. Texas is 46 by 50 inches, and Florida is almost the same because the panhandle remains attached. Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island fit together on a sheet 32 by 36 inches. The scales vary: most are 1:500,000, or eight miles to the inch. These fine-art relief maps look three-dimensional, with their land contours rendered in colors from low-lying green to top-of-the-continent white.
The company has been adding states yearly and is up to 38. Some are available individually and others with adjoining small states, depending on their size; two new ones this year are Tennessee and Missouri. In regular paper, the maps are $25 each; laminated, they are $45. A map of the lower 48 states, 37 by 58 inches, costs $40 in plain paper, $60 laminated. Charges for shipping rolled start at $5; for those in a panic, next-day delivery costs $25. For information or a catalogue, contact Raven Maps, Box 850, Medford, Ore. 97501; 800-237-0798.
As all eyeglass-wearers know, it is vital to carry a second pair lest the first be lost or broken while you are abroad. I pack my extra pair inside shoes in the suitcase as a protection, but still suffer anxieties about how they would emerge from a crushing blow.
The Tecvision company offers All Eye Need, a metal eyeglass case covered in leather, with the requisite kit for repairs: tiny screwdriver and screws, minute magnifying glass, replacement nosepieces, cleaning spray and microfiber cleaning cloth. Not a romantic gift, but a good stocking stuffer for a longtime traveling companion.
The kit is $15 at Barson. The Travelsmith catalog also sells it, with a shipping charge of $3.75. Travelsmith: Post Office Box 5729, Novato, Calif. 94948; 800 950-1600.
A new bedside gadget satisfies three needs: it is a flashlight, a night light and a digital alarm clock with decent-sized numbers in case the VCR is too far away. This black plastic device, 5 by 2 inches by 0.75 inch when closed, is called Nite Owl Travel Time by the maker, Lumatec of Austin, Texas. It has the usual set of operating demands: two AA batteries, an AG watch battery for the clock and a Krypton bulb for the light. Extra bulbs may be bought with it.
Magellan's Catalogue, Post Office Box 5485, Santa Barbara, Calif., 800-962-4943, sells it for $29.85, plus $4.95 shipping. Travelsmith has it for $32.50, plus $4.95 shipping; 800-950-1600. At Barson, it is $32.98.
For skiers concerned about wax and temperatures, and for kids who like bunches of gizmos dangling from their backpacks, sporting goods stores, including Eastern Mountain Sports, sell a zipper thermometer. This shiny 2-inch tab with a plastic coat and a ring registers temperatures from minus 20 degrees to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. For those with superior eyesight, the back shows a grid with wind speeds, temperatures and chill factors. It costs $4 at E.M.S. at 61st Street and Broadway in New York. While E.M.S. does not have a catalog, it will tell callers which store is the nearest; 888-463-6367.
Cozy feet are possible for adults and children with two easily packable products. For adults, Peapod slippers from a new company in Seattle make you look as if you were wearing slip-covered loaves of pumpernickel bread. The sole is thick and soft, and there is plenty of wiggle room for chilly toes. They come in several adult sizes; left and right feet are the same. The outlandishly colorful fabrics can be seen on the Internet at www.peapod-seattle.com. They are $35 a pair at Bloomingdale's in New York. Peapod, 2401 Utah Ave. South, Suite 525, Seattle, Wash. 98134; 888-732-7637.
For transportation mavens and frequent fliers, the 1998 Airport Transit Guide, published by Salk International, has just appeared. The 17th edition, it gives data on getting out of 434 of the world's airports, with phone numbers of shuttle services, normal taxi fares, brands of rental cars and information on rapid transit.
The current publisher of the small 144-page paperback, Ron Salk, says he has revised 4,000 pieces of information since last year's version.
The Transit Guide is available for $9.95, postage included, from Magellan's: 800-962-4943. For information on buying 25 copies or more, contact Salk International, Post Office Box 1388, Sunset Beach, Calif. 90742; fax 714-373-5224.