Bought a $6 padlock at a hardware store in Prague instead of the $40 one in my hostel lobby, and it outlasted the trip

Susan Ellis · 2026-09-23T08:35:03.400002+00:00

Two summers ago I was three weeks into a six week trip through central Europe when the combo lock on my backpack finally gave out somewhere near the train station in Brno. The hostel front desk wanted 40 bucks for a replacement, which felt insane, so I walked ten minutes to a small hardware shop and bought a basic padlock for the equivalent of about six dollars. It was ugly and the key was stiff, but it worked fine for the rest of the trip and I still use it on my gym locker today. I think about that every time I see a travel gear store charging 50 bucks for something with a logo on it. Anyone else got a cheap fix that embarrassingly outlasted the fancy version?

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Bought a $6 padlock at a hardware store in Prague instead of the $40 one in my hostel lobby, and it outlasted the trip | Budget Travel Hacks - nhfree.com