Why You Should Pack a Bungee Cord for Your Next Trip, According to a Flight Attendant

It's small, but mighty.

Looks like a bungee cord is the travel emergency tool we didn't know we needed.

In an Instagram reel shared by Cici in the Sky, an account run by a flight attendant who regularly shares her travel advice on social media, showed why a bungee cord plus a few other everyday items would be helpful for your next trip.

The post, entitled “Three things to get from the hardware store for your next trip, and how to use them,” Cici walked viewers through three low-cost items that can have a major impact on your travels. And while all three tips are stellar, the bungee cord caught our attention as perhaps the most versatile of them all.

“Take the bungee cord, put it through your handle, and you can get your carry-on bag and just hook it right on there,” she explained, as she took the item, wrapped it around the handle of her luggage, then around the handle of her carry-on duffle bag, connecting the two. Then, she just wheeled the two attached bags away, rather than having to lug one over her shoulder and drag the second.

But that wasn’t the only use case she gave for the little bungee.

“Attach your pillow to your luggage,” she said while strapping the pillow to the front of the suitcase, again freeing up her second hand while on the go. And for its final — and perhaps most important — use Cici said, “If your handle breaks for some reason, just attach this here,” as she attached it to the top loop of her bag, “and then you can drag it.”

As for her other go-to items, Cici shared that she brings low-cost shoe covers with her to the airport so that when you’re going through TSA, you can just “slip your shoes off, put these on and walk through the security scanner germ-free.” She added that the covers are also great for protecting your clothes in your luggage, and you can even “put them on your feet in your hotel room if you’re worried about germs.”

And Cici’s last little accessory was the mighty carabiner, which she said you can use to “attach your water bottle to your bag,” which ensures you don’t lose it or have it accidentally fall on someone’s head when they open the overhead compartment, an accident she said, happens surprisingly often, but one that can be prevented for about $9 on Amazon. 

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