Po Chai And Duct Tape: 10 Unlikely Things To Pack
Jul 08, 2008
11 Comments
Updated 5/11/10: See my comment below for update on health warnings re: Po Chai.
Here’s a look inside my suitcase. Some of my unusual packing items may come in handy on your next trip.
- LED keychain flashlight. I like Photon Micro Lights. They are purely amazing!
- Foam earplugs for hotel and airplane. To me, these are all about personal preference. Some just fit me better than others, which is more important than 1dB plus or minus.
- Nylon rope. Useful for, among other things, tying up rolled down pillows in luggage or as a bathroom clothesline.
- Duct tape (several feet, wrapped around a can, i.e. shaving cream). This is useful for sealing, labeling and much more. I’ve used duct tape with a plastic garbage bag to seal up or redirect a misbehaving A/C duct.
- Po Chai Pills. I learned about these many years ago from a Chinese friend. They have been around over 100 years. For me they are a lifesaver when air travel expands the intestines, leaving my gut feeling rotten. I would not travel without them.
- Extension cord (light weight) and 3-way plug adapter. This comes in handy when the power is in the wrong place for my laptop, phone or toothbrush charger and more.
- Assorted bags. Quart, one and two gallon zippered, plus trash bags. The uses are unlimited.
- Reusable plastic envelopes for itineraries, hotel/car reservations, boarding passes, maps, coupons and notes.
- Traveling food supplies. Check out one of our most popular articles, Eating Well At 30,000 Feet. It was viewed over 300 times just this past weekend.
- Light bulbs (100 watt) for poorly (fluorescent) lit hotel rooms.
Now it’s your turn. If you have anything to add to my list, please share them with our readers.
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Re: Unlikely Things to Pack
We get up in the night, and I always pack two night-lights – one for the bathroom (where there is always a receptacle for shaving and the alternative is a full-on bright light) and one for the room (where there isn’t always an outlet) so you can see to get to the bathroom.
Instead of regular nylon rope, i would use 550 cord (aka para cord). It has many more uses and packs well. You can usually find it at a local military surplus store. A 50 foot hank should be under $5 US, but you can find great deals online. You can sometimes find 500 and/or 1000 ft. rolls if you find that you use it a lot. It is also handy to have around the house, in the car, camping, etc.
Thanks for the additions Lynne and Dylan!
I like to pack a nightlight too. When I forget I unscrew all bulbs in the bathroom except the dimmest one, and partially shut the door. But a night light works a lot better.
I’ll look for the 550/para cord. If only we had a military surplus store. Oh well, next trip to the mainland.
Aloha,
Jeff
As of late I have been carrying around a cheap slide dimmer. It can act as a night light for the kids. Or, for holiday without kids, it can make a room feel much more relaxed or romantic. It is also great If I want to sit up reading after the wife goes to sleep.
It is 100% a comfort item, but after a few trips, I would miss it if I left it behind.
I like your idea Andy. But what do you do if the lightbulbs turn out to be non-dimmable compact fluorescent? I’m already carrying lightbulbs, not that I couldn’t run and buy them, but who wants to spend all the time shopping for this stuff. I’m going to look at the dimmers at Home Depot. Thanks.
Jeff
These are great tips!! I’ve been looking for a remedy to relieve \vacation stomach\ whenever I go to a new place. When I clicked on the link for Po Chai pills, I saw that they were recently recalled in Singapore and Hong Kong due \to traces of phenolphthalein and sibutramine having been detected in batches of the capsule form of the pills\ which are known to be carcinogenic. I’m still trying to decide if the risk of just trying out these pills once to have stomach relief outweighs the benefits. Where do you find these pills?
I always pack a few wooden clothes pins with each person’s name on it. You can pin it to your towel to ID it, close curtains that just won’t close all the way, or actually hang clothes up…
After reading this and researching Po Chai Pills I was about to start them since I have intestinal difficulties. But I came across this article below. They have been pulled from Singapore and Hong Kong as it contains small amounts of a carcinogen. Too bad! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Po_Chai_Pills
The health warning on Po Chai (as far as I can tell) was on a new capsulated form which was recently introduced. Po Chai has always been in the form of a small plastic bottle which contained pellets. None of the pellets in a bottle have been implicated. Here’s the article for reference: http://news.gov.hk/en/category/healthandcommunity/100511/html/100511en05003.htm
This may sound kinda obvious, but I always bring a small travel-size container of advil where I’ve dumped out half, then added back some tylenol and zyrtec (allergy meds) in their place. I keep that little container in my purse all the time. It’s very handy–it gets you by if there isn’t a shop nearby, and can be a total lifesaver when you’re desperate. I figure if I was in huge migraine-style trouble, I would have enough medication to get me through until I could find a store.
I also always bring a little iPod charger you can plug into the wall. It will take any usb connector, so I can use it for both the Touch and the shuffle. It’s very handy for keeping kids entertained, and you no longer require a laptop for simple charging.
Po chai, a remedy that was always in our household while I was growing up and still is today.