Travel with Velcro

Don’t Leave Home Without This

I can’t imagine traveling without my bosom companion. We stick together no matter what, and every time I find myself in a pinch or in need of an extra hand, my go to companion pitches in. Despite her bristly side, she has a softer side, too, and I need both. Even if I don’t find an occasion where I need my friend, I can’t relax if she isn’t by my side for every step of the journey.

I’m not talking about a person. I’m talking about my faithful roll of Velcro. From camping to cross-continental travel, I won’t leave home without it. I have several strips of basic Velcro stuck together and rolled into a disk. I wrap some of it around the stroller handle for ease of access, but just in case, I have a second stockpile in my carry on suitcase. From fastening a car seat bag to a rolling suitcase so I can pull both with one hand and push the stroller with the other, to attaching extra kid suitcases to avoid lugging them myself, to securing a suitcase with a broken or stuck zipper, this one small item has saved my bacon during travel multiple times over.

Even when it isn’t saving the day, it comes in handy to have. You can get it with or without a sticky backing to childproof things like oven doors when you have an exuberant climber, or use it to fasten one last beloved teddy bear or blanket to a small suitcase.

We cut ours into several six to twelve inch strips. If we need a longer strip, we can attach them together to get more length. My go-to kind has the rough part on one side with the softer side on the reverse, though I’ve been known to use the kind that splits into two distinct strips, one rough, and one soft, as well. It comes in a variety of colors, so whether you want to make the quick fixes stand out or blend in, you have plenty of options.

If your bag handle breaks, you can cobble together a new one in a matter of minutes. If your child can’t stop dropping a toy, you can use it as a leash to attach it to stroller straps. You can keep snack containers or water bottles in easy reach without having to hold them. At this point, I have few problems Velcro strips can’t solve for me. Much like my beloved blue painter’s tape, but stronger, I find this stuff portable and doing double or triple duty.

And I never leave for a trip without them.