If you’re traveling with your laptop and bringing a wireless mouse with you, stick it inside one of your toddler’s outgrown socks.
A toddler’s sock is the perfect size to cushion this delicate hardware. Plus, it’s a great way to recycle clothing you’d normally toss in the garbage or use for a rag.
Also: it’s cute.
[Photo: Flickr | FHKE]
While you’re on vacation abroad, few things compare to an impromptu picnic in the open air. It is the perfect opportunity for sampling the local foodstuffs, wine, and scenery.
Depending on where you are in the world, tracking down a corkscrew can often turn an uncomplicated experience into a bit of an ordeal. On your next trip, save yourself some time and always pack a handy travel corkscrew.
[Photo: Flickr | YannGar Photography]
Take pictures of your luggage as well as its contents prior to leaving the house. Store this photo as a file on your computer, and e-mail it to yourself.
You may also want to include a list of the items packed.
In case of lost or stolen luggage, you can retrieve this information from any internet point, and it may be helpful when reporting the loss — especially if you’ve lost something valuable.
[Photo: Flickr | dichohecho]
Ever worry that you might have an unwelcome visitor during the night in your hotel room? While most hotels have a deadbolt or a chain lock which can be engaged only from the interior of a hotel room, many cheap accommodations — especially some found overseas — offer less protection for their guests.
To deal with this, I carry a small rubber wedge that is normally used to hold doors open with me. Before I go to bed, I wedge it between the door and the floor. It’s inexpensive, easy to pack, and gives me a little peace of mind when patronizing less-than-glamorous lodgings.
[Photo: Flickr | General Wesc]
Try the “poor man’s vacuum packing system” to make more room in your suitcase or carry-on:
Bonus: if a toiletry leaks, everything is safe in the plastic bags.
[Photo: Flickr | Artnow314]