Grapefruit seed extract may keep your stomach strong – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

Nothing can ruin your vacation faster than going dally-belly by eating something not cooked properly — or from bad water. The medicines doctors prescribe are sometimes too harsh for your body to take, leaving you exhausted. However, some people believe grapefruit seed extract drops are a powerhouse of natural killers to bacteria and parasites.

Use 5-10 drops of GSE to clean you toothbrush, thirty drops in a sink full of water to wash your fruits, veggies and meats, and 15-30 drops in the sink to wash your dishes and utensils. Also consider putting 3-6 drops in every five-ounce-serving of juice or water three times a day to keep your stomach and intestines clean.

[Photo: Flickr | Dan Zen]

Travel with clothespins – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

When traveling anywhere, a few clothespins with springs are a “must have!”

Clothespins will secure your damp towels or clothing to the back of a balcony chair, without offending the hotel management who ban draping towels, bathing suits and articles of clothing from balcony rails. They can be used in the bathroom, as well, to secure articles while drying.

Clothespins can be used to clip a curtain off to the side of a window with an otherwise great view, as well as to keep tight partially eaten snacks.

Expert clothespinners can also sleep in longer.

[Photo: Flickr | melloveschallah]

Try the ‘traveler’s washing machine’ – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

Here’s how to make a “traveler’s washing machine” —

  1. Pack a large, thick plastic bag and a small bottle of laundry soap.
  2. When it’s time for laundry, fill the bag with about a gallon of water and add a scoop of detergent.
  3. A few sloshes of the bag renders the water soapy.
  4. Drop in the clothes, and shake the bag some more.
  5. Leave the clothes to soak for at least 5 minutes.
  6. Dump the water out and fill with fresh water to rinse.
  7. Shake.
  8. Dump out this water and squeeze any excess water from the clothes.
  9. Hang the clothes on anything convenient to dry.

This saves a trip to the laundromat — and money.

[Photo: Flickr | Alexik]

Map and highlighter are essential – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

Wherever, however, you go traveling, there are two easy essentials you must pack:

The first is a map of the destination(s) you will be visiting. It’s easy to feel disoriented on solo trips — or even a guided tour!

The second essential item is a highlighter. A map that you can mark with a highlighter allows you to see exactly where in the world you are. Just mark the major cities or towns you’ll be visiting beforehand, and then connect the dots as you travel the local roads.

This is especially helpful in Europe where countries are only the size of American states and distances traveled are much less than you might imagine.

[Photo: Flickr | Adam NFK Smith]

Label your chargers, stay in charge: Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

Do you panic about leaving a phone charger behind in a hotel room? Do your hands get clammy when you have a jumble of chargers cords in your carry-on bag, but can’t find the right one? I solved the tangled cord problem by using colored twist ties, electrical tape, or sticky labels.

I save twist ties from bags of bread/bagels in a small ZipLoc bag in my silverware drawer in the kitchen. As I buy cell phones, I label the phone charger cables with a twist tie. My phone has a red twist tie while my husband’s phone has a green one. My teen’s charger cord is yellow while the tween’s is blue. When we arrive at a hotel, I will unravel the charger cables we need, so the phone can be placed on the desk in the hotel room while charging. I use the twist tie to secure the remaining charger cable to prevent the phone from slipping to the floor. At the end of our trip, the charger cables are easy to spot because of the colored twist tie.

For larger charger cables, such as though for digital/video cameras and laptops, I use a piece of colored electrical tape or a sticky label. I buy electrical tape, which is about 0.5″ wide and is red or blue. I write the name of the device on the label on the charger cable. Many laptop charger cables come with an attached velcro or plastic tie, which helps to prevent tangled cords in a carry-on bag.

[Photo: Flickr | A. Germain]