Of course there are many things to pack for a trip.  In fact, The Traveling Professor has several blog posts on what almost everyone packs on a trip to Europe like shirts, pants, socks, etc.   But there are some things that are overlooked that can help you out while traveling.  Check out these useful travel tools

Small Pair of Children's Scissors:  The Traveling Professor has used these to cut tags off luggage and remove wristbands, opening plastic packaging on items purchased at stores, tidying up frayed clothes and even cutting tape when packaging items to ship home, you never know when these scissors will come in handy.  A large, regular size pair of scissors will never make it through aiport security, but in hundreds of flights, The Traveling Professor has never had a pair of children's scissors confiscated.

Carabiner Clips:  Boy do these come in handy when attaching things like keys, hand sanitizer, flashlights, luggage tags, scissors to the inside or outside of a backpack.  It makes these items easily accessible and hard to lose. 

Big, Fat, Colorful Luggage Tags:  To be honest, The Traveling Professor is not too concerned about losing luggage, but since almost all luggage looks alike, he is more concerned about someone else mistakenly picking up his luggage.  Putting recognizable luggage tags on your bags makes it less likely someone will pick them up by mistake.

Bungee Cord:  The Professor always has a bungee cord wrapped around his suitcase.  For the same reason as putting a big, fat colorful tag on luggage, a bungee cord can serve other useful purposes.  For instance, one time a zipper failed on a suitcase and the bungee cord was able to keep it reasonably closed.  When traveling with walking sticks that were not able to fit inside a suitcase, The Professor was able to secure them to the outside of his suitcase with a bungee.  The Traveling Professor even used a bungee cord as a makeshift clothes line once.  Again, a bungee cord is something that probably won't be used, but when it is needed, it is really needed.

A Small Absorbent Microfiber Towel:  Wow!  The Professor has used this many times, especially in wet or misty weather in Normandy, Ireland, Scotland, and Iceland.  Dry off cameras, phones, glasses, fogged up windows and lots more.  Golf towels work really well because they usually have a grommet to attach the towel with a carabiner clip to your luggage or backpack.

Clear Plastic Baggies:  The Traveling Professor takes about a half dozen plastic baggies on trips.  They are great for organizing and separating things like money (currency and coins), charging cords and adapters, meds, and all sorts of things.  If traveling outside in wet weather (again, like in places like Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, and Normandy) The Professor will always put documents and small electronic devices in the baggies.

Paper Binder Clamps:  Perhaps no tool on this list has as many diversified uses as this one.  The Professor has used these clamps as a money clip, to hang clothes (on his bungee cord, of course), to keep papers/documents together, as a razor protector, to keep torn clothes and damaged shoes together, and keep bags of chips and other snacks closed, There are never-ending ways these clamps can be used. 

Apple AirTags:  An Apple AirTag is an electronic disk, about the size of a quarter.  With an iPhone, the AirTag can be tracked down to its exact location.  The Professor attaches them (with a carabiner, of course) to luggage.  

For general packing tips, see these Traveling Professor blog posts.