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I know we have been talking about things to pack lately that seem a little different than what is on our normal packing lists. Today we will cover another one: safety pins! Not only that, we will give you 12 reasons to pack safety pins when you travel.
What are safety pins?
You may be wondering what we are talking about. Safety pins are small, metal pins that have a clasp at one end and a pointed tip at the other. They are often used to fasten pieces of cloth or fabric together. They come in a variety of sizes and it is a great idea to take a few small, medium, and large ones on your trip.
How to transport them
I like to use one large one to thread through the others and keep them all together. So why would you want to pack safety pins when you travel? Here are 12 reasons!
Mend a rip in your clothing
Whether you are out on a day hike and catch your shirt on a branch or you are at a formal dinner and your pants split at the seam, safety pins can come in handy to quickly mend a rip or tear in your clothing.
We also use this to pin up a hem where the stitches are ripping out, or simply to hold a jacket or cardigan closed. This is probably the most popular of all our reasons to pack safety pins when you travel.
To keep your clothes from falling off
If a button pops off your shirt or pants, you can use a safety pin to keep your clothing from falling off.
To keep your blanket from falling off
Have you ever been sleeping on a bus or in a hotel and woken up to find that your blanket has fallen off? Safety pins can help keep your blanket in place.
Kill static cling
Ladies? We have all been at that conference and had our skirt stick to us every time we get up. Nothing is more attractive than pulling it off your underwear (sigh). But a safety pin can help with that. Just clip it to your skirt and the static will be gone.
Use as a makeshift belt
If your pants are too big or your belt breaks, you can use a safety pin as a makeshift belt to keep your pants up.
Fix a zipper
We have had a zipper pull break more than one time. Simply take a safety pin and attach it to the zipper. Now you can zip and unzip your pants with ease.
Belt it
If your pants or skirt’s belt loop breaks, safety pins can be used as a makeshift replacement until you can sew on a new one.
A First Aid Favorite
Safety pins can help secure an ace bandage or a field dressing. It can even be used to remove a splinter if you sterilize it first.
Go fishing
If you are ever in a pinch and need to go fishing, a safety pin can be used as a makeshift fishhook. Open it up, attach it to your dental floss or string, and bend the pointy part to resemble a hook.
Attach a name tag
If you are attending a conference or event where you will be meeting lots of new people, safety pins can be used to hook it to your lanyard or collar.
Protect yourself from pickpockets
If your purse has a zipper on top, use a safety pin to clip the zipper pull to the actual bag. Often this is a crime of opportunity and you just made it inopportune. This also works well for backpacks, etc.
Fix your glasses
Yup – that stupid little screw falls out at the worst time! If your glasses break and you don’t have a replacement pair, a safety pin can hold them together until you can get them fixed.
Whew! That was a lot of reasons to pack these babies when you travel. As you can see, they can be used for so much more than just fastening fabric together. So the next time you are packing for your trip, make sure to throw a few safety pins in your bag. You never know when you might need them!
There you have it! 12 reasons to pack safety pins when you travel. What other uses for safety pins do you know of? Let us know in the comments below.