- A flight attendant said she never travels without three items from a hardware store.
- Low-cost items like a bungee cord and shoe covers can make navigating an airport easier, she said.
- The shoe covers can also be used to separate dirty sneakers from clean clothes in a carry-on.
Before you head to the airport, there's typically a to-do list: Pack, check in for your flight, and charge your headphones.
But a flight attendant nicknamed CiCi argues that a trip to the hardware store should also be on your to-do list.
In a video posted on her TikTok account on Tuesday, she told viewers they should always fly with a bungee cord, shoe covers, and carabiner clips.
The flight attendant said these essentials are helpful for any flight
CiCi, who asked Insider to omit her full name and the airline she works for, for privacy reasons, said that these three items are helpful for both navigating an airport and traveling in general.
For example, shoe covers are the ideal tool to get through a security line without getting your feet or socks dirty, she said.
"When you're going through TSA, just slip your shoes off, put these on, and walk through the security scanner germ-free," she said in her video.
She told Insider these shoe covers can also serve a purpose inside your luggage.
"The one thing that I think is the most useful is the painter shoe covers because they protect your clothes when you pack," she said. If you're packing dirty sneakers in your carry-on, you can wrap the shoe covers around them to keep your clothing clean.
The next item she mentions in her video is a bungee cord. For travelers who have multiple bags or items, this is a must, she said.
She uses the bungee cord to connect two items. For example, CiCi travels with a roller suitcase and a shoulder bag. Instead of lugging the bag on her shoulder, she wraps the bungee cord around the bag and connects it to the suitcase. In the video, she said travelers can do the same thing for a pillow.
The final item she recommended buying from the hardware store is a carabiner clip. As a flight attendant, CiCi said she's seen heavy water bottles fall out as passengers are placing their bags in the overhead bins and nearly hit other people in the head. She said she prevents this from happening by using a clip to attach her water bottle to her bag.
So before your next flight, consider adding a stop at a hardware store to your to-do list.