Something I strongly recommend anyone to bring when they are travelling is a sewing kit. I brought mine on impulse, and I've used it three times already.

The first was when I tugged at a zip on my photographer's jacket (the one with many pockets that my brother calls the "flak jacket") and ripped the zip away from the cloth. It wasn't very much, but it was enough so that if I tried zipping it back on again, it would have definitely gotten worse over time.

The second time was when I noticed that the button on my trousers was falling off. It was hanging by a few strands of thread, but I've fixed it and its stayed put since.

The third time was tonight. As I was zipping up my rucksack, I noticed a rip in it, and it looked to get worse. Somehow I have managed to add an extra 5 kg into my sack, and I have no idea where it's come from. I'm pretty sure silk ao dais do not weigh that much. It's a bit of a patch work, and I'm still worried enough about it that I'm considering buying a new bag, but it seems to be holding.

The moral of the story? Bring a sewing kit, preferably one with a doobrie that makes it easy to thread the needle.

Labels: big trip