What DIY means for the average traveller

When spending lots of time travelling around, you begin to notice some benefits to travel that aren’t talked about. For example, by not living in a house with a mortgage, you’re avoiding the hassle and cost of maintaining a home. 

By frequently moving around, we’re less concerned about the idea of a “man and his castle”, where we spend lots of time creating a home for us. But, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be prepared for getting our hands dirty and fixing things.

Whilst many nomads won’t have a shed full of tools that they accumulated over the years, tool hire is always there if needed. It sounds obvious, but this taps into the idea of living a minimal and simple life: we can access tools and “stuff” as and when we need, as opposed to hoarding everything in one home.

The ideas of being a nomad and a minimalist are not absolutely married to each other, but for many it is. But, sometimes emergencies happen, and we should be prepared for that. We can’t always rely on the commercial availability of tools and products to get us out of a sticky situation. So, here are some tools and DIY-related products that we can have as travellers, making us a little more self-sufficient wherever we go.

Screwdriver

A screwdriver is something everyone should have on them as they’re incredibly relied upon for a lot of basic tasks. For example, if your laptop breaks as a digital nomad or your thermometer run out of battery, you may need to open it up to access the battery. 

A full-sized screwdriver would be a nuisance, and potentially an issue for airport security. So, pack a travel-sized one. Perhaps a miniature one that has several heads inside one body, or, a keychain one. It could mean fixing up your AirBnB room if there’s an issue.

Knife 

Having a swiss army knife at all times would cover the screwdriver part, but also mean you have various other tools, like a corkscrew opener. But, most importantly, it has a knife, which can be very useful on the road. One use may be simply cutting off some material on your bag or shoe that’s causing you comfort issues, or it could be as much as a lifesaver. It can be used for fixing your gear or things within your accommodation, opening wrappers and such, as well as cooking and first aid. When it comes to DIY, it can be useful as an improvising tool.

String

String is an item that requires little space and weight, yet can be used in many ways for both DIY and survival. You may find yourself fixing a bed or mosquito net with it, or your bag and clothes. You may find yourself hanging up pictures with it, using it as a measuring tool, or even using it for some gardening.

Final Word

The idea behind DIY is to be self-sufficient, and this is exactly what living out of a backpack is all about. We rarely think about DIY when travelling, as it seems like a Dad thing to do when owning your own home. But, with a few lightweight tools, you can achieve a lot wherever you are.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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