Pack a Straw!

Of all the surprising items to pack when you travel, a drinking straw has to sound the weirdest!  But pack one or two to spare you from damaged jewelry, knotted chains, and frustration.
Slip one end of your necklaces and bracelets into a length of plastic drinking straw, then fasten the catch.  They will not scratch or tangle.  You only need a piece of straw about one-third the length of your necklace or bracelet, so one straw may suffice for several pieces.  For fine chains, you can often slip two into one section of a straw, and the two necklaces still will not tangle and knot up.  Pendants on your chains, of course, remain outside the straw, so no problem there.

I've found the best straws at (of all places) MacDonald's and Wendy's.  Since they serve thick shakes and Frosties, their straws have a larger diameter than those from, say, KFC.  Perfectly adequate to hold a nice thick rope-style chain necklace.  And they are plastic straws, so these can last for ages.  You can easily cut a convenient length with manicure scissors or whatever is handy. 

When you take off your jewelry, slip chain end into a short piece of straw, fasten the catch, and put away in your jewelry roll.  Keeps your precious possessions safe.  Without adding any weight or bulk to your baggage.  (Mine's usually overstuffed to begin with!)

Pick up a spare straw next time you treat yourself to a shake or soda, and stash that straw in your luggage, ready for your next episode of pack-and-takeoff.

May your road rise up to meet you!

Ann

Check Out RFID Blocker Travel Accessories

Great news for travellers worried about identity theft from RFID readers in airports and elsewhere. You may have spotted them in your travels - lifting your passport data from the embedded RFID with their scanner. That RFID chip broadcasts far enough to make you - and your identity - highly vulnerable. Radio Frequency IDentification chips - broadcasting your data - was supposed to speed up immigration clearances. Instead, it endangers you!

Now there's a RFID blocker passport case from Travelon. This protects you from these identity thieves, while keeping your passport chip intact for immigration authorities.

Remember, a damaged passport can be grounds for denial of entry. You could have a problem if that RFID becomes inoperable. Although so far, I haven't run into anyone who has met such a fate if the passport proper is intact and shows no signs of tampering. But most countries do reserve the right to deny admission to anyone with a "defective" or "damaged" passport - without specifying whether a non-broadcasting RFID meets the "damaged" definition.

Check out the RFID blocker passport case! Travelon also makes other accessories with the RFID blocker - wallets, billfolds, credit card cases. This protects your credit cards and "speed passes" using RFID technology. 

May your road rise to meet you,
Ann