This is a post in an ongoing feature on Her Packing List called “The One Little Thing“. Each week or two, I’ll be interviewing a traveling lady to find out the one little thing she just can’t travel without. This one is brought to you by Kristin Luna:
I’m a travel writer and photographer–I contribute regularly to multiple travel and women’s magazines, as well as pen a couple guidebooks a year, so I’m on the road (or in a plane) more often than not. I also write a blog, Camels & Chocolate, as well as create custom editorial content for travel companies and resorts and dabble in social media here and there.
What’s the one little thing you can’t travel without?
My Grid-It. I travel with two DSLRs, a GoPro, a Canon G12, a Kindle, a MacBook Pro, an iPad, an iPod, an iPhone and various other gadgets. Before I discovered the Grid-It–ironically, I first bought one for my sister when she was studying abroad, then quickly claimed one for myself not much later–all my cords, camera batteries and memory cards would get tangled up and lost in my seemingly bottomless carry-on.
>> Buy a Grid-It on Amazon
Why has this one item been so important to you?
I’m an organization freak, so it helps to keep all my belongings neat and tidy and easy to find.
How packable is it? Does it take up much room? Is it heavy?
It’s very slim and easy to slip in a bag. It takes up the small pocket in the front of my laptop bag (or the top pocket on my rolling carry-on suitcase if that’s my bag of choice for that particular trip). The weight depends on how many items you try to strap into it, but mine is always pretty light. My iPod, digital recorder and iPhone are the bulkiest items I store in it, and everything else is a mix of cords, batteries and memory cards.
Why would you recommend this to your travel friends?
It will make you a much more organized traveler. As someone who is very Type A (and borderline OCD when it comes to storing all of my belongings in an orderly fashion), it has been a savior!
Can you name one incident or situation where you were so happy to have this item with you?
Every time I’m in the airport and frantically digging around my bag to find my phone charger (which happens more often than not)!
How did you hear about this item?
I’m a big fan of the travel company Flight 001, and I happened to stumble upon it while shopping in the San Francisco store one day. But you can buy a number of Grid-It variations in different shapes and sizes from the company’s website.
What sort of traveler is this item perfect for?
The flashpacker (as much as I hate such travel cliches) or anyone who travels with a whole lot of gadgets.
Big thanks to Kristin for sharing her one little thing. It looks very handy, so I might have to pick one up myself!
Very cool – thanks for sharing this tidbit! Travel so much between business and personal trips – need a simple organizational tool that can handle my stuff between the two types of trips! Nothing like coming home from a business trip to turn around for a fun weekend away, only to find the one thing you need is still in your work bag! This looks like an easy solution to the problem!
All my plugs and even some pricey gadgets are living at the bottom of my backpack at the moment. I really could use one of these. I think it’s my next purchase!
what size “grid-it” is this?
This is such a cool product, but weight of the Grid-It is an issue. I think it is absolutely wonderful that you posted the update at the end of the article to reflect this drawback, and to then let your readers make a more informed decision before possibly purchasing it. This is the type of response that makes us trust you and your website. 🙂 Keep up the good work!