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Comments (5)
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Save/ShareHear are five ways to contain all the little items roaming around in your bags for your next trip:
One Budget Travel reader uses stretch hair bands instead of using rubber bands, which tend to break, for binding electronic cords together. (Find them at dollar stores.)
Toilet-paper tubes can have a surprising second-life as storage tools for digital gear. Wrap cell phone and digital camera cords, chargers, and other cables inside the cardboard tube. (A pro trick: Secure each plug end in a notch cut at the tube's rim.)
A fancier way to stay tangle-free is to buy the Grid-It system, from $9. It's essentially a set of elastic bands that are woven into a solid surface and protected by a neoprene sleeve.
Many travelers swear by Eagle Creek's packing cubes and half-cubes, which are zippered mesh compartments. Each container lifts out of your bag and is "squishable" to fit into tight spaces. Prices start at $10.
Last but not least, clear plastic bags, such as by Ziploc, make it easier for you and the TSA to find stuff, of course. Many of our readers stow their electronic accessories and cords inside of such bags. One clever reader marked each bag with masking tape, on which he wrote the name of what is supposed to go inside the bag. That way, when re-packing his luggage, if he sees one of the Ziploc bags without an item inside, he'll be prompted to remember to find it in the room where he accidentally left it.
Now what about you? How do you pack gadgets without having the cords tangle up inside your bag? Please share your tips in the comments.
SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL
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6 Made-to-Squish Items That Are Perfect for Travel
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Sean - This is a completely off topic comment – but the ads on the site are getting obnoxious – first you have a full screen pop-up that I have to click to closed, then the Alamo Insiders ad expands to fill 1/2 the screen and has to be closed, and finally an ad pops up behind the screen… And not only that - the full page pop-up is now showing sometimes when you click over to read a post.
Posted By Iolaire McFadden on May 26, 2011, 10:37 AM
Thanks for your comment, Iolaire.
Posted By Sean on May 28, 2011, 7:08 AM
I found these great little neoprene zipper pouches at a local Japanese thrift store. They had three sizes (S/M/L) that ranged from $1 to $3 each. I use the smallest one for my iPhone and ear buds. The medium one will hold my iPhone, ear buds and wall charger. The large one will hold my iPhone, ear buds, wall charger, and car charger. Most Japanese thrift stores carry these, or something similar. Look around in your home town. They look good too. Basic black with a sturdy black zipper. Sometimes I also carry a three-pronged wall adapter for multiple gadgets, depending on where I'm going.
Posted By Elizabeth on May 29, 2011, 3:37 PM
Cosmetic counters have clear zippered bags that hold most cords/chargers in various sizes.They are easy to pack because everything is in one place. Separate zip lock bags might be a reminder, but repacking is time consuming.
Posted By kk on May 31, 2011, 2:57 PM
First I labeled each electronic cord with a label so that I don't have to remember what each cord goes to. Then I use the Velcro cord wraps around each tightly wrapped cord. I store all my cords in a clear dollar store container that has "locks" on each side. When I arrive at the TSA scanners I pull the box out of my luggage and place in a bin so that the screener can see what's inside without having to rummage through my luggage for suspicious items. Since I have done this I never have had an issue with the TSA !
Posted By Nancy on September 1, 2011, 2:43 PM