Family Trip Essentials: Blue Painters’ Tape

Stick Without Stickiness

Each day we highlight one item we used extensively during our trip, from entertainment to necessities like food and water. Our three kids, at ages 11, 9, and 7, now pack their own travel entertainment bags and their clothes as well. Some items, therefore, were chosen entirely by the kids, while some we packed to make our lives easier.

We’re firm believers in blue painter’s tape. From framing works of art to actual painting, you can’t go wrong with this tape that holds everything but comes off without leaving any sticky residue or taking part of the walls with it. That holds true for traveling as well.

We took an entire roll of painters’ tape with us on our recent trip abroad. Boy, did that pay off. Not only did we use it for the intended purpose of hanging trash bags over the skylights to block out that 4 a.m. sunrise, but we found lots of other uses for it, too. 

We added some tape to hang a blanket in a doorway and create some division between the bedroom and living room. The blanket also helped make the bedroom darker, since that doorway had no door to do the job. The kitchen floor in our Airbnb had a slight rise, about an inch higher than the other floors. I stubbed my toe twice before I got smart and added some blue tape to the edge to visually remind myself that it was a step and not just a change in type of flooring.

Blue tape works great for a quick and easy label on belongings, from suitcases to bags, shoes, water bottles, and more. Forget to add a label to your kid’s suitcase or carry on bag? Write your name and any other info you want on the tape and stick it on. Traveling with a little one? Use blue tape to cover any electrical outlets, make blind cords inaccessible, and help keep them safe.

No matter which way you end up using it, you can’t go wrong having plenty on hand. Toss a roll of blue painters’ tape into your suitcase next time you hit the road and rest assured it will come in handy time and time again.