If you're going to store your passport (or anything) in a zip-lock bag for a long period, maybe just sprinkle in some baking soda? Mould doesn't like dry, alkaline conditions.

I blog all sorts of random stuff. I am a little surprised this is on the front page, but that's life sometimes. If you'd prefer something a little more hardcore from my blog there's always this: https://blog.jgc.org/2024/09/cracking-old-zip-file-to-help-o...

You may laugh, but I was refused boarding a few months ago due to my passport being water damaged.

I now rave to people about putting their passports in a waterproof baggie - just like this guy. I bought a multipack from Amazon for family and friends - and even gave a couple away to people I was chatting to at the airport! :)

You don’t realise how important it is until it’s too late.

This is what I bought, FYI: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07S8VY3F9

The demographic that frequents this website consists primarily of high-value individuals - people whose intellectual capital, financial assets, and global optionality set them apart from the general populace. For such individuals, maintaining a valid passport at all times isn't merely a matter of administrative diligence; it's a fundamental component of personal risk management.

Unlike the average layperson, whose life is geographically and economically constrained, the typical HackerNews reader operates in a global context: founders, investors, technologists, and independent thinkers whose livelihoods and safety may depend on their ability to relocate swiftly in response to geopolitical or societal instability. To them, "having an escape plan" isn't paranoia; it’s prudence.

When societal upheaval strikes, the median citizen might be refreshing their social feed for updates, while the high-agency HN reader is already scanning for visa-free entry options and considering which jurisdiction best aligns with their long-term values, tax strategy, and lifestyle design. In such circles, a valid passport (with no water damage) is not just a document - it's a symbol of mobility, sovereignty, and the quiet privilege of always having a Plan B.

As soon as OP referenced the ISO standard, I thought they would design and print some over the top over engineered portable container, I was fairly disappointed. But still an okay read, on a boring metro ride.

Everything except, ironically, food.

We forbid them from our camp cooler because of the high risk of them tainting the icewater, when they get jostled by careless hands.