The Small Things That Earn Their Space in My Bag: Travel Hangers, a Clothesline, Plug Adapters and Rubber Twist Ties

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The things I’d miss most on a trip are rarely the big ones. These four cost very little, weigh almost nothing and solve problems every traveler runs into. I use all of them.

Foldable travel hangers

Hotel hangers are often the fixed kind that won’t leave the closet, and Airbnbs sometimes have none. I carry a set of foldable plastic travel hangers. They fold flat in the bag and open when you need them. The listing describes them as portable, folding hangers for travel and cruise ships.

Where they help: a closet or room that has too few hangers, or none.

A stretch travel clothesline with suction cups

I use the Travelon Travel Clothes Line. It’s a braided elastic line, 60 inches long, with a large suction cup at each end. You stretch it across a bathroom and press the suction cups against a tile wall or the side of the tub, then hang what you’ve washed in the sink. Travelon says the braided elastic means you don’t need clothespins: you slip the clothes between the cords. It packs down to almost nothing.

Where it helps: drying a few things you’ve rinsed out in a bathroom, instead of packing more clothes. Suction cups need a smooth, clean surface to hold, so press them onto tile, not textured walls.

Plug adapters

I carry plug adapters. They change the shape of your plug so it fits the outlet in the country you’re visiting. They don’t change the voltage. Most phone and laptop chargers accept the voltage in most countries, which is why a plain adapter is all many travelers need. Before you rely on one, look at the small print on your charger. If it says “100-240V,” it works on the power supply of most countries. If it says only “120V,” it needs a voltage converter, which is a different and much heavier product.

Plug shapes differ by country, so look up your destination before you buy. A single adapter doesn’t cover every country.

For most of continental Europe (Italy, Spain, Germany, France and more), you need the two-round-pin Type C shape. This is the 4-pack of US-to-Europe Type C adapters I use.

For the UK, Ireland and Hong Kong, you need the Type G shape, with three rectangular pins. This is the 3-pack of grounded Type G adapters I use.

For Australia and New Zealand, the shape is Type I. This 3-pack has two US inputs on each adapter.

Rubber-coated twist ties: the surprise on my list

I first found these at Eddie Bauer, and I’ve since found them on Amazon. They are small and cheap, and I’d put them next to a small roll of duct tape as one of the most useful things you can pack. Here’s what I use them for:

• A phone holder on the seat in front of you. Make a loop and hang your phone from it on a plane.
• A temporary phone stand, for watching something or taking a video call at a desk.
• Locking the zippers of a backpack in places where I don’t feel comfortable leaving it open.
• Tying a backpack to a carry-on with a larger one in the airport.
• Makeshift hooks in a hotel room or Airbnb.
• Keeping extension cords neat, and holding a blackout curtain in place.