Planning a trip? A vacation? Maybe found yourself needing to move? Packing is often one of my least favorite activities when it comes to any form of travel. But packing can get even more stressful when we consider trying to travel with some of our most fragile and prized possessions- body jewelry! You are torn between just wearing a single pair of plugs and weights all week or trying to figure out the best way to keep these things safe as you travel. So, as a professional traveler, here is some of my best advice for traveling with your plugs and ear weights!
For Short-Term Trips
A vacation, a work trip, even just a weekend away. My hands down favorite way to travel with my stuff is with a custom pelican case! I know, this seems a little overkill but hear me out! I’ve seen way too many people lament a broken or chipped plug after a flight or on the road, and I love my collection too much to see that happen. I also don’t want to spend my entire flight stressed about the fate of the pieces in my luggage. You can get small-sized pelican cases online or in a local store, and they usually come with foam inserts. An Xacto knife or a hot knife works perfectly to cut out inserts roughly the size of your plugs or weights. For me, since I’m at 38mm, I have two of these cases and they fit any of my plugs if I want to travel with them. Then I just pop my chosen pairs into the case for the weekend, close them up, and toss them in my luggage. I don’t have to stress and they will be safe and sound at my destination.
Now at 38mm I can only fit one pair of plugs in each smaller case, but smaller sizes could easily fit more, or you could invest in one of the slightly larger cases. However, this size also allows me to fit some of my weights comfortably. I also sometimes “double pack”. I'll squish a small set of weights around my plugs with none of the surfaces touching so they don't scratch, and get twice as much space out of a single case.
Plugs and weights
The cases close so securely that I’m not worried about things moving around and knocking into each other. These cases are so great because I can travel with even stone, glass, and rough face plugs that can be more fragile without worry. I do generally try to travel with plugs that are a more sturdy material just out of an abundance of caution.
If you don’t have access to cases like this, however, the good old sock trick will do you just fine. I’ll take two pairs of socks, and in one pair I’ll put one of my plugs, roll it up, and then bundle it in the sock. Then I’ll do the same with the other plug and the other pair. Now I have two little bundles ready to go. I would not suggest this method of packing for more fragile pairs, and I only use this for some metal plugs and weights I have that I know will be fine, and very occasionally pairs of wood or stone. This is fairly secure and has served me well on many trips, but it’s definitely not as safe as the cases.
For Moving
Now, fancy cases and rolled socks are great for a trip or a vacation but what if you need to move your entire collection? If you are anything like me you have a substantial collection of plugs and body jewelry, and moving that is no easy feat. I certainly will not be purchasing cases for every single pair I own. Well, I have a tried and true method for moving large amounts of plugs and hangers, and it’s actually very simple and cost-effective, if not time-consuming.
Get a 12-pack roll of paper towels and a bunch of rubber bands. I’ll lay out 2-4 sheets of paper towel, start one plug in one cornet, and begin to roll. Once it feels sufficiently padded, I’ll add the other, and finish rolling. Then I’ll fold in the sides to create a bundle and rubber band it all together. For very fragile pairs I may roll them individually and band them together, or use far more paper towels. Then you just rinse and repeat for your entire collection.
One plug already wrapped, stacking the second atop it, the rough faces facing away from eachother.
I take a packing box that will fit just about exactly all my plugs, and line the bottom with towels. Then I slowly put in all the plugs and hangers, with the heaviest pairs at the bottom and the lightest or most fragile at the top. More towels or extra clothes, and you can pack it all up!
As a bonus, when you arrive you can save all those paper towels and I use them for cleaning and around the house for a few weeks till they run out. I learned this technique from packing up studios to attend conventions and I have actually never broken a pair with this (knock on wood). When in doubt use more paper towels or even wrap particularly fragile pairs in a t-shirt or shorts for extra padding.
Be it traveling for a vacation or a move, I hope this guide can help you plan to pack all your plugs and hangers as safely as possible!