Sunday, April 30, 2006

The Hipster Travel Kit

A big thank you to Kathy A for my new t-shirt. I imagine I'll be wearing it a lot. But enough about me and my wardrobe. I'd like to introduce my latest invention.

divider Hipster Travel KitI have been looking for the perfect gift for my friends who travel. My first thought was to give them ear plugs and eyeshades, items I've found useful for sleeping in noisy places like planes, buses and Italian hotel rooms. Then I went to the web for other useful travel items that people might not think of. First at the 43 Folders Wiki, I looked at Packing Hacks in the Travel Hacks section. The only advice: Duct Tape. When I found small rolls of duct tape, I thought, bingo! a case for other useful items!

Hipster Travel Kit ContentsThen I checked OneBag, where they also suggested duct tape, and many other things including bandannas and universal sink stoppers.

The eyeshade was my big problem. It's easy to find cheap polyester eyeshades, but you might as well cover your eyes with a plastic wrapper. Until Sarah E gave me the idea of using the bandanna as an eyeshade. The extra bonus is that you can do far more with a bandanna than you can with an eyeshade. Even a nice eyeshade from a fancy airline.

As for the binder clips, I plan to have a posting this week to illustrate some of the many uses for these versatile fasteners. Because their most famous use is the binding of the Hipster PDA, I am hoping that Merlin Mann will not mind my appropriation of the "Hipster" label for this travel kit.

The Hipster Travel Kit Contents:

  • Universal sink stopper (or jar top gripper);
  • Duct tape: the Handyman’s Secret Weapon;
  • Bandana: dust-mask, eyeshade, hanky, flag
  • Cord: clothesline, fastener;
  • Binder Clips: emergency clothing repair, cufflinks, keyring;
  • Ear plugs: for sleeping in noisy places and protecting your hearing in clubs and at concerts; and
  • Bottle protector: for wrapping the contents of the travel kit.

8 comments:

JuliaR said...

Very interesting! Instead of metal clips however, think about using plain old wooden clothespins. They are bigger I know but very versatile and you can take them apart and use the one side as a wedge to hold a rattling door or window. And the universal sink stopper is genius.

David Scrimshaw said...

I'm sorry, Julia, I'm afraid I'm just not seeing clothespins replacing binder clips.

The rattling door or window use is not enough to win me over because some folded up cardboard or newspaper could do that job.

Meanwhile, clothespins would make terrible emergency cufflinks.

Anonymous said...

I´m currently traveling in Spain, and one thing I´ve been very greatful for is,

a cheap-o floss container, the type that you can pop the inards out of
In which I have hidden a needle and a couple of safety pins.

It´s nice to have an emergency sewing kit.

Anonymous said...

What would the sink stopper/jar top gripper be used for?

i've personally never found myself in a travel situation where i wanted to fill a sink or tub with water, or had to open a jar? maybe having to take a quick "sink shower" in a public restroom?

David Scrimshaw said...

Case, like me, you are obviously a shower guy and not a bath guy.

However, unlike me, you are not a "do your own laundry in the hotel bathroom sink" guy.

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