Never Pack Your Suitcase Without This Tiny Item – Here's Why!

When it comes to packing a suitcase for a trip, there are some items most of us consider essential: a good book, a spare pair of shoes, and a few items of clothing to keep you comfortable and warm. But there’s one more item that is cheap, readily available, and absolutely essential for travellers of all ages: dental floss.

Travel writer Lee Atkinson is a firm believer in the power of dental floss and can’t travel without it! Not only can you use it for basic oral hygiene when you’re on the road, but it can also be used for different purposes.



Two years ago while riding around Southern India, Lee had an accident that led to his wrist swelling so much that it cut the circulation of his wedding ring. He tried different ways to get it off, from liquid soap to coconut oil and even hair conditioner, but it still wouldn’t budge.

Then, he remembered the dental floss. A loop around the finger and a tug in the opposite direction and the ring finally slipped off. You can’t even imagine how relieved he was!



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Dental floss can come in handy for lots of small disasters. Credit: pexels




Dental floss can come to the rescue for lots of small disasters – like when a shoelace breaks or you’re camping with kids who want to catch yabbies. Atkinson has also personally used it to patch holes in his mosquito net, re-string a broken necklace, and make a makeshift clothesline between two towel racks. It can also be used for fishing or creating tinder for a campfire when there’s no kindling around.



It's incredible how some of the most mundane household items can morph from their everyday purposes to become travel superheroes. In fact, dental floss isn't the only item with hidden superpowers. Our homes are brimming with potential travel lifesavers, hence why we’ve embraced the saying “necessity is the mother of invention'' wholeheartedly.



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Most mundane household items can become handy travel essentials. Credit: pexels




Take a few plastic bags for instance, which can be used as shoe protectors, laundry holders or even a makeshift waterproof cover for your backpack during sudden downpours. And who would've thought that a simple binder clip would be a godsend during travels? It can act as a money clip, hold charging cords together, or keep your headphones tangle-free.



Remember those good old-fashioned paper clips? Yeah, the ones we rarely use these days in our digital era. Well, these obscure items can be a true travel friend. They can aid in resetting electronics, serving as a collar stay, or even act as emergency lock-picks if you find yourself locked out of a suitcase.

Can we forget about the silica gel packs we often find in shoe boxes and bags? Most people toss these aside, but did you know they are fantastic for absorbing moisture and keeping your travel gear dry? Just remember not to eat them, as the packets often sternly instruct.

Finally, this might be a surprise, but an inflatable beach ball can be an absolute game-changer when you’re constantly moving between accommodations. They take up almost no space when deflated, and when inflated, they can act as a small stool, a makeshift pillow, or even an impromptu fitness tool for a quick workout.



So, the next time you pack your suitcase, take a moment to consider the surprising potential of these everyday items. By harnessing their unexpected abilities, you can not only save space and money but also creatively solve a host of travel-related snags.

Key Takeaways

  • Travel writer Lee Atkinson insists dental floss is one important item to always pack while travelling.
  • He shares various uses for dental floss, some of which include removing a stuck ring, using it as a replacement shoelace, and fixing a mosquito net.
  • Atkinson also mentions using dental floss as a string for fishing and a line for drying clothes, among other functions.
  • The article suggests that dental floss is one of the most versatile and useful items that can help you in various scenarios while travelling.

Dental floss as a travel essential may seem a bit random, but you can guarantee that this tiny, dirt-cheap product is really worth its weight in gold.

Remember, folks: avoid disaster for under two dollars and never leave home without a pack of dental floss in your suitcase!
 
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🤣Yeah me also. I haven’t worn jewellery in nearly 5 years can’t be bothered. I even let my earholes close up cos I got too lazy to keep changing my earrings.🙀
Same here, I have rarely changed my earrings since my daughter and son in law gave me some beautiful diamond and sapphire huggies for my 60th birthday. I can sleep in them and they never come undone, which is good as I can’t sleep in studs without losing at least one of them in the bed. I only ever change them if I am getting poshed up and wearing my rose gold, morganite and diamond necklace, earrings and ring set. Or on my wedding anniversary, I wear the mikimoto pearl necklace and earrings hubby gave me as a wedding gift.
 
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Thankyou for sharing this Jarrod.

Very simple when you see it demonstrated. The thread binds the finger reducing it in size.

Hospital Emergency Departments need to learn this trick, saves cutting the ring to remove it from a finger.
 
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