The 5 Essential Items You Didn't Know You Needed In Your Carry-on Bag

I am one of those people who believe in being prepared for as many situations as possible and this slight obsession escalates when I travel. To that end, here are the top 5 items I always toss in my carry-on tote. 

Let's break it down, we have (clockwise from left) mini rolls of duct tape, gallon zip top freezer bags, wooden clothes pins, a spork, and 4 mini bungee cords. Each one of these is multi-purpose and takes up very little room in a carry-on or small suitcase. All the uses below have been tested personally, except where noted.

Duct tape can be used to:

- repair bags

- tack a hem

- brace a twisted ankle

- secure your bag (after security) by taping down zipper pulls

- mend a ripped tent

- bandage a wound (after its clean, but always have cloth or gauze between the wound and tape and seek medical help Immediately)

- secure valuables to your body (it helps to tape the bag of valuables to a hairless area to avoid the prior use of duct tape 😁)

- remove lint

- baby proof a hotel room (haven't personally tried this)

Gallon zip top bags are useful to:

- store wet bathing suits 

- keep passports, maps, and papers dry

- segment socks/underwear

- contain smaller items so they aren't rolling loose around a bag

- use as an air sickness/motion sickness bag (thankfully, I haven't had to test this but my traveling companion did when our catamaran decided to bounce across the water instead of float)

- cushion souvenirs (blow some air into one bag as you're sealing it and then, place that in another bag)

- separate jewelry (use smaller bags, suck the air out to avoid necklaces tangling, put in the larger size)

- act as a tiny washing machine for your underwear (fill it up a little less than halfway, add soap and garment, close it tightly and shake)

- protect your camera from mist or rain

Wooden hinge-style clothes pins are great to:

- close pesky hotel curtains that always seem to have a gap

- corral a mosquito net when not in use

- secure electronic cords

- raise a toothbrush off the sink

- weigh down the edge of a shower curtain

- seal up non-resealable bags (chips/crisps, loose tea leaves, etc)

- hang clothes up to dry (obviously 😉)

While not as multi-purpose as the other tools on this list, a Spork can be used to:

- eat anything for which you'd need a spoon or fork

- stir beverages or soups 

- comb/fluff your hair

- cut soft fruit

-retrieve small items from a pail of water of indeterminate quality (just be sure to sanitize the spork afterward)

Mini bungee cords are handy to:

- serve as an emergency belt

- stretch across a doorway as clothesline

- keep an auto-closing sliding door open

- add extra layer of security to a bag/backpack in crowded areas

- bundle things in a towel (sunblock, cover-up, book, etc go in a beach towel then, fold it up and secure it with a bungee cord)

- secure your door from the inside (sort of like a sliding chain lock)

There you have it, the 5 most useful travel items I take with me. I hope this list helps you prepare for your trip. I'd love to hear some other uses for these items or what items you find essential, so leave a comment below. 

Peace, love, and travel!