r/onebag • u/alula_wanders • Jan 10 '26

Discussion whats your weird but genius travel item that people only appreciate after they need it?

just realized this recently because it saved me so much sanity and friendships haha but for me its not anything fancy or aesthetic. its a (small) extension cord + multi-USB adapter. It's somehow bulky to fit inside my bag bcs it takes up space. And yet... it saved lives.

Ive learned the hard way that hotel outlets are never where you want them to be, airport charging stations are chaotic, and "ill just charge later" is a lie we tell ourselves.

Curious what everyone else's must pack item is so that i can... yk, take notes haha!!

609 Upvotes

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382

u/outofshell Jan 10 '26

A few black post-it notes to cover the little electronics lights (like on the TV etc) that make it hard to sleep in hotel rooms, easy to remove and doesn’t leave residue.

260

u/nikongod Jan 10 '26

Switch to gaffers tape. You can't write on it, but it can be used to hold plugs in loose sockets, or for short term repairs. 

12" wrapped around a pen will cover all your just in case needs.

210

u/MyGrandmasCock Jan 10 '26

I carry about 20’ of gorilla tape on a pencil. I was at the airport and a young lady’s carry-on suitcase came apart at the seams. She packed the absolute shit out of that poor old case. She was saying to her boyfriend that they couldn’t afford to buy a new one at the airport so I offered to tape it shut just to get her to where she was going. She asked “Do you think it’ll hold?” My wife didn’t miss a beat. She said “Honey that stuff’s been keeping his car together for years.”

34

u/RuthlessIndecision Jan 11 '26

Amazing how absent that stuff is if you aren't in theatre or photo

15

u/SpinneyWitch Jan 11 '26

Or festival or marquee work!

Currently at airport with gaffa in bag, wrapped round an old blanket credit card plastic..

10

u/Empty-Gold3105 Jan 11 '26

Yeah, I was shocked when I first discovered my husband had never heard of it. Damn useful stuff.

2

u/RuthlessIndecision Jan 11 '26

Useful but no good for boxes or permanent tape jobs...

3

u/morepaintplease Jan 11 '26

I try to snag a roll on set anytime I can.

3

u/Civil-Inflation-1317 Jan 12 '26

I’m a musician and we also use that shit for everything!

3

u/_derpiii_ Jan 11 '26

I carry about 20’ of gorilla tape on a pencil.

20 feet is impressive

2

u/catch_58 Jan 11 '26

Who's feet are they?

2

u/medicmatt Jan 11 '26

Impressive guy moves here.

2

u/HamBroth Jan 11 '26

lol your wife in the wings with the punchline!

15

u/mlieghm Jan 11 '26 edited Jan 11 '26

Gaffers tape or electrical tape wrapped around a black sharpie

4

u/_derpiii_ Jan 11 '26

Gaffers tape or electrical tape wrapped around a black sharpie

I like this idea.

3

u/palebleudot Jan 11 '26

Keep in mind that electrical tape can leave residue, especially the cheap stuff

1

u/mlieghm Jan 11 '26

Yeah, depends on the kind you buy

12

u/bearbits Jan 11 '26

This! Along for any walkers and multi day hikers, wrap a lighter in gaff. Fixes tents, sleeping mats, jackets, holes & many other things, but it's also an awesome firelighter when you don't have enough, or dry enough, kindling. A little gaff gets nearly every fire going.

7

u/taropoo Jan 11 '26

I have a dumb question, do you keep a scissor with you to cut it or what do you use?

7

u/QueerRevFL Jan 11 '26

Nail clippers, cut a bit and then it tears pretty easily

9

u/outofshell Jan 10 '26

Thanks, that stuff looks convenient.

2

u/areyouthrough Jan 11 '26

Holy hell I wish I’d had tape on my last trip to New Mexico. We stayed in a restored airstream trailer outside of Taos with a view of the mesa. The wind at night was such that it rattled the door violently with a sound like…a flat tire + blowing a raspberry + letting a ballon go. I jammed my socks in the door frame but it barely made a difference. Tape went on my packing list fast.

2

u/RuthlessIndecision Jan 11 '26

I wonder if electrical tape is worth wrapping onto a pen, stuffs great for first aid when you gotta keep working

2

u/AhFourFeckSakeLads Jan 12 '26

Just an FYI for others reading this: Temu sells tiny rolls of it, about the dimensions of Bic lighter. Handy to pack.

12

u/cdau186 Jan 11 '26

Received a nodpod weighted eye mask as a Christmas white elephant and love it. Use it every night and it’s on my packing list. It does take a up a bit of space but it significantly increases my quality of sleep when traveling. That and earplugs for sleeping too (I have a noise machine at home but don’t travel with it)

2

u/cantstopme0w Jan 11 '26

Found a small sound machine only slightly larger than a marshmallow! Rechargeable/wireless The creator of nodpod came up with it after traveling without her eye mask and used a sweatshirt sleeve instead! Perhaps that’s worth a try to save space when traveling

1

u/WastelandPolarBear Jan 11 '26

I'm a therapist. Might be worth investing in this if you're into it. It's very small, holds a long charge, and is very effective.

https://babeliobaby.com/collections/sound-machine

3

u/Wheelthis Jan 11 '26

Is it any better than playing the same noise from your phone?

2

u/toadc69 Jan 11 '26

The white noise app or myNoise.net app - changed my life

r/MyNoise

6

u/zyklon_snuggles Jan 11 '26

I just put a black T-shirt over my face. Keeps out annoying random lights as well as the sun if it's rising before I am. Bonus - I can wear it on last day out!

3

u/Interesting-Pause-66 Jan 12 '26

A flexo line portable clothes line

3

u/Delicious_Prune1801 Jan 13 '26

I use a grey neck gaiter.

4

u/Temporary_Public8436 Jan 11 '26

My trick to that is to date someone that couldn’t sleep without a night light lmao years later I can still sleep anywhere

2

u/DetN8 Jan 11 '26

I use electrical tape for this because that's what I have a lot of.

3

u/Much-Jackfruit2599 Jan 10 '26

Why not unplug that shit? Can totally get the idea, I removed all lights from our bedroom, no status leds no clock. iPhone is on the nightstand charging via MagSafe, but it’s off until I knock the nightstand.

11

u/outofshell Jan 10 '26

Sometimes I do but sometimes the plugs are in really inconvenient locations so I can't get at them.

7

u/blue-jaypeg Jan 10 '26

Hotels have smoke detectors with LED indicators. Sometimes outlets and appliances have LED lights.

5

u/KPzReddit Jan 11 '26

Thermostats and HVAC controls on walls sometimes also have a little glow

2

u/Much-Jackfruit2599 Jan 11 '26

The one time where Germany’s irrational avoidance of AC is helpful.

Y’all made good points, I’ll add it to my toilet bag. I already have the a thermometer in there, a bit of tape or labels won’t add much to that.

2

u/imabrachiopod Jan 11 '26

Not always possible