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

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...

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.

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.