Duct Tape???

“Be Prepared!” A motto I first heard when my son joined the Boy Scouts many years ago and one that serves me well when I travel. I make sure to travel with a variety of items that will rescue me from pending disasters. One such item that can always be found in my luggage and which keeps me in this constant state of readiness is…duct tape!

Before you roll your eyes and think this is a goof of some sort, let me assure you it is not. As a matter of fact, if you are familiar with Magellan’s, the online travel shop that coins itself “the worlds most trusted source of travel supplies”, then you know that duct tape is an item that can be found among their reliable wares!

Why do I carry duct tape and how can it be useful? Let me count the ways….

Luggage Repair: The way bags are tossed around these days its not unusual for them to take a serious blow that may render them useless. If you’d rather not spend precious vacation time shopping for new luggage give it a temporary fix with duct tape.

Personalize Your Luggage: With 95% of bags coming off the luggage carousel looking alike (soft side black polyester), I wanted mine to be a bit more conspicuous. Of course, if I purchased the set in red this wouldn’t be an issue! But since I didn’t, my handles and the piece of metal that attaches the wheels are now wrapped in duct tape. Which ever way my bag is laying, I can always spot it quite easily.

Hem Clothing: I’ve never been much of a seamstress, and although I carry a mini emergency sewing kit, I find duct tape faster and easier to hold up a fallen hem.

Lint Brush: Very handy for getting rid of speckles on your dress clothes.

Blisters: Bet you didn’t know that many runners use duct tape on blister prone areas. It stays in place and the shiny back is slick enough to slide on socks.

Stops Rattles: The gentle motion of the ocean is perfect for being lulled to sleep, but sometimes causes hangers to rattle in the closet. One strip of tape is all it takes to bind them together in silence.

Blow Dryer: Ever notice that the blow dryer that’s in your cabin has a button that needs to be depressed in order to run? I can’t style my hair like that. Now I tape it down!

Packing: Good to have on hand for wrapping up all those fragile souvenirs you’ve purchased.

Create a Clothesline: Twist a long piece into a rope and tie to stationery items. Perfect for drying swimsuits.

Emergency Shoelace: Cut off a piece the length of the lace and roll or twist it. Beats shopping for laces in port!

So there you have it. Duct tape is affordable, strong, adheres to all surfaces, is waterproof, and comes in basic gray or fashion colors. Its use is only restricted by your imagination. Don’t leave home without it!