Normally, when a person is traveling, they have several important items on their packing list including their luggage and hand-carry items. However, it is always some of the smallest things that matter the most such as a crayon in wallet. In this guide, we will explore several reasons why keeping a crayon with you is always handy so that you always keep your little friend with you.
Also, read why it’s important to carry a bread clip in your wallet!
Why Put a Crayon in Your Wallet When You Travel?
I’ve been through a lot of strange travel hacks over the years from people who suggest packing beverages in your shoes to carrying a fake wallet. While some of these hacks actually work, most are too absurd for any sane person to consider.
But what about putting a crayon in your wallet while traveling? Does this travel hack work?
And, why would anyone put a crayon in their wallet?
Surprisingly, this is one of those strange travel hacks that actually work. Let’s discuss some reasons why this hack is so useful.
Learn how to post a travel update on facebook!
The Crayon Makes it Harder to Lose Items in Your Wallet
With many people switching to cash payments and apps like Apple pay becoming more popular, it’s no wonder that wallets are becoming thinner. After all, if you only have a little cash and a card or two in your wallet, it will seem almost empty.
While an empty wallet isn’t necessarily a bad thing (as long as you have enough cash in your cards), it can be easier to lose. However, the main problem with an empty wallet is that it’s easier for cards and cash to fall out of the wallet. When your wallet is more packed, there’s less chance of your cards or other items falling out.
This becomes even more necessary when traveling as the last thing you want is to lose your cards or identity documents in a foreign country. You could get a wallet with zips or separate compartments for cards, but you may still forget to close the zip and the cards can easily fall out if they’re loosely put in the wallet.
Adding a small crayon to your wallet is a great way to prevent items from falling out by mistake as it makes the wallet more compact. You can easily find a crayon about half the length of your wallet. Place your cards and cash in the same compartment as the crayon to create compactness and prevent the items from falling out by mistake.
Yes, you could use other items to keep items in the wallet. However, a crayon is ideal since it doesn’t stain other items and fits perfectly into most wallets. It’s also much easier to wedge a card between the wallet and crayon than in a wallet with a pen or other object.
So, if you have a habit of dropping things from your wallet, using a crayon in the wallet is the ideal solution.
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Crayons Keep Kids Busy When Travelling
If you’re traveling with kids, the biggest challenge is to keep them busy. There’s nothing worse than having kids constantly nagging you because they are bored and have no toys to play with. Unfortunately, you can’t really keep toys when traveling, so you’ll need an alternative solution to keep the kids busy.
A crayon can be quite useful in keeping kids occupied when you’re traveling. Simply pull the crayon out of your wallet, give your kid a piece of paper and let them draw something. It’s much better than giving them a mobile game to play and helps nurture their creativity. Best of all, children often take time when drawing with crayons, and you won’t have to worry about them for a while when they have paper and a crayon.
If you’re keeping a crayon in your wallet to keep kids busy, always keep some paper folded in your wallet. You won’t want to be in a situation where your kid has a crayon with no paper to draw on and they start drawing everywhere!
A crayon doesn’t necessarily need to be kept only for toddlers as kids of all ages can stay busy by drawing. As a parent, this can be a lifesaver as you won’t have to deal with bored kids in any situation.
Even if you don’t have kids, you can use a crayon to keep other travelers’ kids busy. This is especially helpful when traveling on public transport.
However, never give a crayon to a child without their parent’s consent, and make sure the child is old enough to know not to put the crayon in their mouth.
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A Crayon is a Versatile Travel Tool
As a regular traveler, I’ve seen strange items being kept as “travel tools”. Many of these are only partially useful and some are completely useless. While a crayon seems to be one of the “useless” travel tools, it’s more versatile than you may think.
Besides being a great tool to keep kids busy, you can use a crayon as an emergency writing tool for yourself. Crayons don’t need to be sharpened like pencils. Alternatively, you can use a pen, but there’s a risk of the ink spilling and damaging the items in your wallet. A crayon, on the other hand, won’t leak or damage anything in your wallet.
Another advantage of keeping a crayon as an emergency drawing tool is that it draws on most types of surfaces, unlike pencils and pens. Quality crayons are so versatile that they can be used to draw underwater. Of course, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever need to draw underwater, but you get the point.
Some people also suggest using a crayon as a self-defense tool. In my opinion, you’re much better off using your intellect to get out of potentially life-threatening situations, and you shouldn’t use a crayon as a self-defense tool (unless you’re John Wick!).
Some travelers, especially seasoned campers know how to use a crayon as a candle. Yes, you can do this, but only use it in an area with proper ventilation since crayons release harmful fumes when burned.
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A Crayon Can Save Your Life
This is probably the best reason to keep a crayon in your wallet. While it seems absurd that a crayon can potentially save your or someone else’s life, it’s actually true. Many people, especially children have used crayons to give off distress signals after being kidnapped, which later led to them being saved.
Think about it. A crayon is small, easy to carry, and doesn’t look suspicious. You can use it to draw on most surfaces and it works even when wet. This versatility makes crayons ideal for writing distress notes or drawing distress signals when you’re in a life-threatening situation.
Best of all, you can use a crayon to save someone else’s life, especially if you suspect that they’re in a difficult situation.
There are true stories of children who were saved from kidnappings because a stranger saw their distress and slipped a crayon on them. Even if the child doesn’t have paper on which to write a distress note, they can leave a sign on any surface with the crayon.
Crayons Can Prevent Your Cards From Bending
Apart from preventing items from falling out of your wallet, a crayon can help prevent your wallet from warping, which reduces the chances of your cards getting damaged. The trick is to wedge identity cards and bank cards between the crayon and the wallet so that the wallet remains straight.
You can use any other thick item, but a crayon has multiple other benefits for travelers and will never be marked by airport security. However, take care to wrap the crayon on a piece of paper to avoid damaging the cards or any cash in your wallet.
When using a crayon to maintain the shape of your wallet, always take care not to use a crayon that’s too thick or thin. A thick crayon will damage your wallet and make it too bulgy. A crayon that’s too thin will likely break. So, always use a crayon from a reliable brand and one that’s the ideal size for your wallet.
What’s the Right Way to Put a Crayon in Your Wallet?
Putting a crayon in your wallet isn’t rocket science, but there’s a way to do it correctly. The best way to put a crayon in your wallet is to make sure it’s placed horizontally and fits with the wallet’s length when closed.
Ideally, wrap the wallet on a piece of paper to avoid damaging any notes or cards. Also, ensure that the crayon is neither too big nor too small or you’ll end up damaging the wallet.
While you can use any type of crayon, it’s best to use waterproof ones as they’re more versatile and can be used on most types of surfaces.
Conclusion
Based on all of the above-mentioned reasons, we highly recommend that one should always carry at least 2 crayons. This is essential so that even if you lose one of them, the other one is there for a backup. We hope that this guide has been useful for your future travel!
We also recommend that you read our guide on traveling with a hamster.
Why Put a Crayon in Your Wallet When You Travel
If you’re traveling and get kidnapped or are being stalked and need to write a distress note, a crayon is an ideal tool to have. It’s colorful and bright and can easily be noticed. The best thing about using crayons to write distress notes is that they can be used on all types of surfaces and don’t fade easily. You can also give a crayon to someone else if you suspect they’re in trouble.
Putting a crayon in your wallet has multiple benefits and is definitely worth trying out when traveling. A crayon can help prevent your wallet from warping, which can reduce the likelihood of your cards getting damaged while in the wallet. A crayon can also prevent credit cards, coins, and cash from falling out of a mostly empty wallet.
The easiest way to use a crayon as an emergency candle is to wrap an additional sheet of paper around the candle and let it burn with the crayon wax. An average-sized crayon can last for around 10-15 minutes this way and provide light in emergencies.
