Can You Do All Your Travel Shopping at Home Depot? Absolutely!

During my 20 years traveling as a guidebook author, I have discovered some ingenious ways to get myself and my stuff from place to place in comfort. I don’t always have the luxury of shopping at high-end travel stores, so my go-to travel-gear source is a little unconventional. Here’s how visiting a home improvement store can help you prep for your next trip.

Organize with plumbing

Organize your necklaces and scarfs in plastic tubing. (Photo: Melinda Crow)

You’ve probably seen tips for using straws to separate delicate necklaces, but what about bulkier beads? Stop by the plumbing department for plastic tubing that is also perfect for keeping scarves from becoming a wadded mess after TSA rummages through your checked bags. Caution: Traditional PVC pipe will add weight to your luggage. Look specifically in the section for sink drains to get lighter-weight plastic in six- and 12-inch lengths lengths.

Go with gardening

Pack your own bug-repellant coils to keep critters away. (Photo: Melinda Crow)

If your trip involves outdoor activities, the garden department is where you’ll find coolers for road trips and everything you need to keep bugs away.

Cooler tips: Something as simple as drink holders in the top can turn an ice chest into an outdoor coffee table. Always carry a folding soft-sided cooler in your luggage for day trips and picnics.

Pest tips: Incense-type repellant coils that you burn outdoors pack easily and help keep mosquitoes and gnats away, whether your destination is a beach condo or a deep-woods campsite. Personal repellants come in a variety of sprays, lotions, and wipes. Bracelets you wear around the wrist and ankle add another layer of protection.

And don’t forget the gloves. Even if your trip doesn’t include outdoor activity, a pair of lightweight gardening gloves will get you through packing chores with your fresh manicure intact. Heavier versions are usually in the tool department.

Related: WATCH: 6 Household Items That Will Make Packing Easier

Light your way

Every hotel room is a little brighter with a night light. (Photo: Melinda Crow)

Stop bruising your shins on hotel furniture by packing a good travel nightlight. Today’s versions come with practically unbreakable LED bulbs and include options for motion and light detection. If you’re a serious road warrior, you may even want to invest in a variety of electrical and lighting gadgets that you control with apps on your phone.

Flashlights are handy for almost any type of travel, including cruises. A good four-to-six-inch multi-LED light will serve almost any travel need. You’ll also find choices that strap to your head or your finger, or clip to your clothing.

Lighting tip: Use glow sticks to mark trails at night or keep track of travel buddies in the dark, or drop one in a water bottle to create an instant lantern. Glow sticks and small flashlights are usually located near the checkout counters.

Juice it up

Travel-sized surge protectors are a must-have. (Photo: Melinda Crow)

The electrical supply department can handle practically all of your power needs. You’ll find charging cords for standard devices and travel-sized surge protectors to keep you up and running.

Power tip: Keep a three-way electrical outlet and an indoor extension cord in your luggage for those times when you need one more place to plug into or just a little more reach.

Zip it, clip it, and lock it with hardware

Explore the multiple uses of the Gear Tie. (Photo: Melinda Crow)

The hardware department is where you stop the dangling and tangling with things like Velcro straps and metal S-clips. An invention called a Gear Tie should win the travel-gadget award of the century. These rubber-coated twist ties come in sizes as small as your pinky to as long as your arm. They can do everything from corralling a curling-iron cord to bracing your phone or camera for a perfect timer shot.

Related: Two People, One Suitcase? Packing Tips From a Pro

The Viewtainer (Photo: Melinda Crow)

The runner-up for best travel gadget is a clear-plastic tube called a Viewtainer, designed for holding nails, screws, and washers. I’m thinking it works well for everything from crayons to currency. What couldn’t you store in it? It has a handy split in the cap on one end. Squeeze the tube and pour out your stuff.

Essential to a happy ending for any trip is making it home with your house and car keys, or at least remembering where you put them. The key-making area can help with that. Find flashy clips, hooks, and straps to keep keys handy.

Box it and bag it

Is this your new favorite carry-on? (Photo: Melinda Crow)

Check the household area for tubs, baskets, and totes with which you can organize your travel stuff between trips. If you plan to ship anything ahead to your destination, get boxes and packing materials on the same aisle.

Just around the corner in the tool department, take a look at heavy-duty tool bags that come loaded with pockets, inside and out. Since they’re designed to carry heavy tools, you can stuff them with anything without fearing that the bottom will fall out. There’s even a roll-around version that could become your favorite carry-on.

The major takeaway is to shift your thinking from “home improvement” to “travel improvement.” If you do this, your local Home Depot may never look the same to you again.

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