When you’re going on holiday, knowing what to pack can be a struggle. It’s made even more difficult if you’ve only paid for hand luggage, as there’s nothing more annoying than trying to cram everything into a tight space.

However, there’s one tiny item you should always try to pack in your case when travelling anywhere. It could come in especially handy if you’re going somewhere far away and want to minimise your jet lag. All you need is a couple of clothes pegs, which many of us will have at home.

If you’re someone that can’t get to sleep unless the room is in total darkness, staying in a hotel can be a pain, as the curtains don’t always close all the way.

This is where the clothes pegs come in handy. You can simply use them to clip the fabric of the curtains together, allowing no extra light to seep in and ruin your slumber.

A similar trick was circulating on TikTok in recent years, but it involved using a hanger instead of clips. However, people have pointed out that there were a few flaws in this hack, which is why it’s worth packing a couple of extra pegs instead.

When travel influencer Emmaline Childs shared the hack on TikTok, she said: “Pull out a hanger with the clippies and use that.”

In the comments, viewers did say the hack was effective but also noted a common issue. Anyone who has stayed in a hotel recently might have noticed that those types of hangers weren’t provided.

And in certain cases, they can’t even be unhooked from the rail. One commenter said: “Half the hotels don’t give you the option to remove the hangers now!! But the other half I sleep well.”

Because of this, the experts at Islands say you may want to pack some clips or clothespins as backup. The pros said: “Not only do they help close those stubborn curtains, but they also serve other handy purposes.”

For example, one Reddit user said: “We always pack 4 wooden clothespins. The ones that have springs. Good for drapes, closing snack bags and whatever else.”

They’re also ideal for hanging wet clothes in the shower to dry overnight for those times you decide to do laundry during your hotel stay, and resealing those snack bags or toiletry bags so that your belongings don’t spill out into your bags.