Share Your Ideas for Recycled Travel Supplies

[CarolineC]

Travel supplies are often quite expensive, but you can save money by making your own or using found objects and trash to create packing organizers, luggage spotters and more.

Share your ideas for recycled travel supplies!

Related Story:
Turn Your Trash into Travel Treasure

[What's next]

Since most of the small hotels in Europe do not provide washrags, cut up multiple ones from a towel and throw them away as you leave each city.

[Host Bonjour]

I've been around a good part of Europe and usually stay in boutique hotel, even stayed in a Gausthaus in Germany outside of Munich on a farm, been in all kinds of places in Italy, Switzerland, France, Monaco, Liechtenstein, more of Germany.........and honestly never encountered a problem with bath linens. I usually go 3*** (but at 2** prices, ya gotta know how to make the deal) but in little hotels they will give out the unsold rooms (include breakfast) for a lower price rather than have the room go empty. Same thing for Australia, New Zealand, Macau, China..........

So never had a problem with being shorted on linens. Most of the times, there are too many as I have done most of my traveling solo!!

If there was no face cloth, I simply use the hand cloth instead. There's always one of them to go along with the bath towel. And while I always have my Swiss Army knife with me, the scissors on there would butcher any kind of cutting job I'd try to make and I wouldn't find any need to pack scissors for a trip. Swiss Army knife has everything I need - works every time. Also, I don't think the smaller boutique hotels can afford to be losing that many towels to destruction. To get a better price on a room, they are counting on guests to take care of what they are given.

Better idea, and it doesn't take up much luggage space: if you're worried about not finding a wash cloth in a European city, SIMPLY PACK A WASH CLOTH!! I know lots of people who do this when they go house visiting!! They just like their own wash cloth wherever they go and it sure folds up small enough so I think packing your own wash cloth is easier and less vandalizing than cutting up some small hotel's supply of bath towels. Ya use yours, let it dry out for the day (or bring a zip-loc in case you must leave before it's dry) and then keep it with you your entire trip. Spare the wreckage. TOWELS COST MONEY and it isn't factored into your room rate!!

BYOWC. Bring your own wash cloth Your hotelier will be forever thankful. And you will be forever deserving of that sweet little rate you got at that cute little boutique hotel you just stayed at. Better still, you can GO BACK someday, with a clear conscience knowing you didn't destroy their linens!!

We must ALL BE CONSIDERATE, responsible travelers. Cutting up towels? Not nice. Kinda like stealing the oh-so-plush terry cloth bath-robes that cost $100. Ya have to think.......would ya want someone doing it to you? I give all my house guests wash cloths to use and towels. If they took scissors to my towels they'd be put out so fast they'd not be done with their showers. And I get house guests from around the world, i.e., friends who have hosted ME. It's COLLEEN'S hotel here and I treat them right. They treat me right. Same goes for any other hotel. They treat you right, you do right by them. It's only decent.

Just my two cents. Don't destroy what ISN'T yours when you travel.

[What's next]

Wow, Colleen, you really misunderstood what I was talking about and gave me a blast ! You talked about using a towel on your airplane seat and I was suggesting you cut up a towel AT HOME and make wash cloths and then you could throw the wash cloths away instead of carrying wet ones around. I have not had wash cloths in some of my rooms in Turkey, Italy, etc., etc. I would never think of damaging anything in a hotel room.

[christinemos314@yahoo.com]

If you receive your morning newspaper wrapped in plastic, save it. They make great shoe bags. You can also put any damp clothing in them from your midnight swim the night before you return home. They are thin and pack down to nothing.

[Betsy at Mt Hood]

We take road trips with our dogs several times a year. The old towels are great for wiping wet, muddy paws or drying off the dog if he goes swimming.

[BonnieC]

My newspaper is delivered in clear narrow plastic bags. They are perfect for slipping onto shoes before they go in the suitcase - keeps everything else clean.

[Pinecone]

Next best thing to the thin newspaper bags are store plastic grocery bags. I always take a bunch to use as shoe bags, travel garbage bags, wet things bags, one in my purse in case I buy something I want to carry, to wrap around something which might spill, and to use to cover a valuable purse if I have to dash through the rain. One time I did use two plastic grocery bags tied around my good shoes when I found myself caught in a rainstorm and had to run through puddles/mud from my car to get inside. Not a trendy look, but it worked perfectly! The size and weight are just right, and the handles come in handy to tie around something or to hook onto a tote bag with a caribiner (another item I always carry with me...)

[jocap]

For face flannels and lots of other uses, we always travel with J-cloths, which can either be brought home and washed, or can be flung if you've cleaned too many shoes with them.
Jo.

[lynclarke]

A couple of small ideas. 1. If you pack an old pillowcase to use on a vacation trip, then make sure it is the most gaudy, highly visible one you have in the ragbag. When you do the last look upon leaving your rented room, you will notice the garish color. Not so much, with a white pillow case. 2. Save that big oversized shopping bag from one of the "good" dept stores. Put it in the front flap of your suitcase. It will be an instant raincoat for yourself or your suitcase. 3. Save those "mylar" mailing envelopes which seem to be the rage these days. Make sure your travel documents, receipts, reservations, all important papers, and ALL ELECTRONICS are wrapped in one. There is nothing more discouraging to find your carry-on bag will be stored underbelly in one of the small planes BUT right now it is sitiing on the tarmac in the pouring rain. 4. Speaking of small planes - or any plane for that matter- take EVERYTHING you will need during the flight out of your carry-on and stow it in a plastic bag while you are sitting in the waiting room. When you go to your seat, stow the carry-on, and put the plastic bag into the seat pocket in front of you. Things you need will be handy, you will not clog the aisles while searching for one item from your carry-on, and your "stuff" will not be contaminated by all the used kleenex and other disgusting things found in the seat back pocket.

[trekkerman]

Another item for Scarves and Ties- an empty and cleaned small Pringles can. Wipe it out thoroughly, comes with a snap-on plastic top

[Dreaming]

We save our "old underwear and pack it -- then we just throw it away after using it. That way we don't have dirty "undies" smelling up our luggage and we have more room to pack items bought along the way for our trip home. This is also a good way to use, and get rid of, your husband's old Tee shirts, etc., too!

[LSKahn]

I like the suggestion of the newspaper plastic bags. I used them to store all sorts of items in the house--and for dirty laundry on the road. Unfortunately, I do not get the newspaper anymore, as I read it online.

I am also a devotee of bringing old clothes, old underwear, and shoes that have almost had it. At the end of the trip, the old shoes are tossed and I have extra room for whatever I bought on the trip.

I also never bring valuable jewelry on trips. If you need jewelry at all, a few pieces of cheap costume jewelry do just as well as the expensive stuff. Who knows the difference? If its junk, and you leave it in a hotel room, you won't get upset. Old jackets that you won't mind if you lose are also good on trips. I left one on a French train once. I was out of the station when I realized it. I could have gone back for it, but why bother when it is a $15 worn out jacket. I sometimes bring a couple of almost worn out umbrellas. If they break, into the trash. If they get left, why worry?

This advice is for personal travel. It is a different deal if you are on a business trip and need to look your best.