Some Notes on Safety Pins

There are many packing lists online. And they all have decent recommendations. But one thing that I have learned is a must are safety pins. I keep a bundle in my luggage at all times. They are small, easy to use, and quick.  

There have been a number of times I don't notice a little tear until I am about to leave for the day. Ideally, I would sew it up, but when time does not permit me to sit down and do so, the safety pin is a great alternative. It is not perfect by any means, but it does the trick.  I even recently learned that depending on the type of button you have, it can keep the button in place. That was very useful.

But one of my favorite tricks is using it to secure my bag or purse. There are a lot of backpack locks on the market nowadays, but I didn't want to spend extra money on something that would drive me nuts. They are a great option, but I know I would get annoyed having to either put in a code or key every time I wanted to open my bag. But coming to Barcelona, I have been warned countless times about pickpockets. So I started to get a little nervous and wondered how I could secure my bag just a little more. I realized I have safety pins. This will not stop anyone completely, but pickpockets are trying to steal quickly, and if there is a safety pin in the way, it will take longer and hopefully at that point they will move on or you will be able to notice. 

I like to keep a couple of different sizes. Generally preferring the smallest size there is, I still have a handful of regular and even sometimes one or two of the larger ones.