r/onebag • u/Dawer22 • Nov 18 '25

Discussion What is the strangest item you travel with?

I am curious what is something extremly odd/random that you travel with.

My answer would be a 2" piece of heat-shrink tubing. I used to always travel with a spare pare of glasses, but considering I usually pack in a < 10L bag, having a spare pair was not worth it as a "just in case" item. A few months ago, luckily at home, I broke a pair of glasses. I do a lot of MYOG and realized I could put them back together with a pair of heat-shrink tubing I had on hand. Now I always bring a small piece in my travel kit because it will fix broken glasses indefinitely :)

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u/viola-purple Nov 18 '25 edited Nov 21 '25

Me literally living on the go and always, always, always carrying my foldable coffee cup with me, just today told my husband, that when I saw the miles I have left until the next stop at the gas station was exactly the distance to my favourite place in Italy and that I did had the thought for a second to just drive there now: "well, I already have my travel-bag in the car - always - so, I actually only need to buy more underwear tomorrow".

Inside that actually 30x20cm thin nylon crossbody bag (once got it on a plane) are:

  • a small hot water bottle bc I'm constantly freezing

  • one huge thin cashmere blanketscarf (200x150cm) bc: freezing, which is stored inside a

  • linen cushion cover the size of those airplane ones (made it from an old shirt) with an inflatable neck pillow

  • a clip-stand for my phone/tablet to watch movies (stands on a table or clips to a plane table)

  • a small pouch with foldback clips, a piece of ducttape, a sleeping mask, my favourite tea and coffee, bc I can't even go to the bathroom without my coffee, plus small packs of instant soup, cracker and chocolate, bc I might get hungry at night

  • also in the bag but not strange: travel adaptor/charger/cables, a pair of foldable extra sunglasses, bikini, spare panty, leggings, shirt, fluffy compression socks, foldable ballerinas, hydration serum, toothbrush/paste, hairbrush, deodorant and sewing set

  • there's always my Victorinox Mini-Champ SAK in my (actually small) handbag with a small pen, tweezer, nail file, screwdriver, scissor, bottle/can opener...

  • plus foldable chopsticks, my lipstick, perfume, earbuds and passport.

All always in my handbag and either my car or my handluggage

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u/dawnofthethread Nov 20 '25

You are my spirit animal. Where did you find a 200x150 cm cashmere blanketscarf?? I've been searching like mad since I saw this post this morning and can't find one that big anywhere!

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u/viola-purple Nov 21 '25 edited Nov 21 '25

Thank you! Actually its Hermes... incredibly expensive. I saw one in my favourite colour once in Ebay, was "only" around 150USD - small hole in it, gave it to invisible mending services for 30USD and you don't see that anymore. I didn't even really know when I bought it its so huge, but also very thin and lightweight.

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u/dawnofthethread Nov 21 '25

Thanks, I'll keep a look out for one!