Let's share tips for useful emergency repairs....

Great post!!!

I too carry a small bit of duct tape, good for TONS of uses. And wow, I never thought of the dental floss for a sink. I have used it as one-use bag locks though, and to replace a broken shoe lace. Works very well! And, for safety and security, I carry a small plastic door stop. I put it against my room door at night, as far from the hinges as possible. If someone tried to force the door open the small plastic wedge will stop the door much better then a lock. Physics being what it is, the door WILL stay closed.

GREAT IDEA! I'd never thought about using dental floss to quiet a leaky faucet! I also take a small bit of duct tape (wrapped around a pencil) as well as a mini one-time use super glue (they come 5 to a pack). A VERY small leakproof bottle of olive oil doubles as face cream or use it to quiet a squeeky hinge so you don't wake up anyone else.

Great topic! Besides duct tape and dental floss (good suggestions above, by the way), I also carry a small selection of safety pins. They keep curtains closed, fix clothing malfunctions, and can keep zipper pulls closed to foil (or stall) the attempts of prying fingers.

Don't forget the TIDE laundry stick!

I also used the hotel shampoo for a quick sink wash of a few items of clothing.........

Duct tape IS a travellers best friend. I too, take it off of the roll and wind it around a popsicle stick.

A few other handy things for repair or otherwise include:
Split key rings, heavy grade dental floss, clothes pin, heavy duty carbiner, surgical elastic, several diaper pins pinned into my Carry On and blazer or Jacket, foil emergency blanket, clear plastic garbage bag, eye glass repair mini kit, chewing gum, mini tube of super glue, mini sewing kit from hotel, zip locs, multi-tool, Swiss Army knife or thumb sized flat can opener, mini fold up scissors (Checked baggage only) etc...

A few plastic wire ties that lock and double sided velcro straps.

I'm not sure if it qualifies as an emergency repair item, but I really regretted not having packed more small (sandwich-sized) ziploc bags after my first two blew out their bottoms.

A big Hefty garbage bag. Useful to cover your luggage in a rainstorm and to sit on when it's wet.

Agree. Large black garbage bag for each suitcase is a great idea. I have used it several time to cover my rolling suitcases during heavy rains.

Also have used dental floss as thread for repairs.

I usually grab what's left of a roll of duct tape, fold it so it's flat and pack it. I carry a small sewing kit and some safety/diaper pins. Floss is in my toiletries but I have used it when I need a more heavy duty sewing job (luggage or daypack).

I buy a swiss army knife when I'm on the ground (can't carry one on anymore). I always make sure to get one with tweezers and scissors for repairs.

My glasses broke on our flight over to Rome when I was taking my contacts out to get some sleep. When we got to the hotel, my husband cut a small strip off of the sticky baggage check ticket and stuck them together. That held me until I could get some glue!

I think the dental floss comments are great - but having a swiss army knife for me is essential. I even used it once to help secure the hotel door locked - also it can help you make new friends along the way - sometimes others do not have a bottle opener or a corkscrew.

If you are thinking about dental floss as an all-purpose fix-it item, I suggest foregoing waxed floss. It doesn't work nearly as well as a sewing thread as the unwaxed types like Glide. I know--I had to use it once to repair a tote strap once and had the waxed stuff. Grr....

Great tips, Skip!!
I always bring the 2 gallon zip lock bags. They serve as great laundry bags (zips up those smelly items) and if I need to "squeeze" some more luggage space for souvenirs, I'll use those as packing "vacuum" bags for the clothes. Decompressing the air out of them will give me at least 1 to 2 inches of extra space.

I do like the black bags idea too!! Gotta love this site for travel tips!

I always carry a multi-tool, and packed it. It was a godsend several times in Sicily- helped to fix a broken down car, for instance. I also had a roll of electrical tape that was very handy at times. Both don't take up that much room in checked luggage- I shoved them down into the bottom of my boots.

(I wasn't traveling "on vacation".)

Thanks for the great dental floss ideas as well as others. I keep several different lists for different kinds of travel and I just spent a few minutes adding dental floss to them.

My only contribution is that you can buy mini rolls of duct tape on www.minimus.com. If you haven't ever visited this site, do so. They have thousands of mini size items.

That website is www.minimus.biz (not .com) :)

Thanks Gretchen

Tips for repairs - AND injuries!!! I fell twice and just had a small first aid kit so didn't have enough bandaids. I needed a larger bandage for my knee. If you need a larger bangage, use the panty liners that women "may" have in their luggage. They worked well for a bandage until I could find a pharmacy. Just make sure you have tape to keep it on.