This is where you can really save a lot of room and
weight. Where possible, pack dry versions of toiletries. They pack lighter and
they last longer, so you can pack just the amount you need. Examples include tooth
powder rather than toothpaste, and “crystal” deodorant rather
than gels or roll-on. I’ve used a couple
of these solid deodorants which were ineffective, or irritated my skin, before
I discovered this
awesome one while traveling in Australia. Highly recommended.
This will vary from airport to airport, but as recently
as 2 months before this writing I have been asked to remove my liquid and gel
toiletries into that little 1 quart plastic bag. When you pack dry versions,
you don’t need to separate them along with the wet stuff.
Why limit it to 3 ounces?
Somehow, over the past several years, the 3 ounce bottle
has become the standard for on flight toiletries. That’s actually way more than
you need of many products. Save tiny shampoo bottles from hotels and repurpose
these to carry smaller amounts of product. One of my favorite travel hacks in
the past couple of years – don’t remember where I saw it first – is using a contact
lens
container to pack tiny amounts of liquid product. I use the right side for
moisturizer and the left side for hair paste.
Not that razors and toothbrushes take up a lot of space,
but in the spirit of packing as compactly as possible, I use collapsible travel
toothbrushes and
this tiny
razor which actually uses regular size blades.
Many hotels will provide you with sample sizes of
toiletries that you have forgotten to pack, but in my experience the shaving
cream product they typically offer is subpar. It works in a pinch, but it’s not
a great shave. The look and feel of this stuff suggests that it might actually
be hair conditioner. Interestingly enough, many minimalist travel devotees
recommend hotel room conditioner as a substitute for shaving cream. Try it,
your mileage may vary.
Something that has always bugged me about tiny
containers of shaving foam is that it’s almost impossible to determine how much
product is left, so you get a surprise mid shave. I was super optimistic about
ultraportable shaving
oil
– and the prospect that you only need a few drops to get the job done – but in
my experience these products gave me a worse shave even than hair conditioner. My
favorite solution here is to fill a tiny hotel shampoo bottle with shaving
cream from the guys at The Art of Shaving. Even their travel
size bottle is way too much for most of my trips, so I save space and weight
here by packing just what I’ll need.
If you like to wear cologne, you may have struggled with
how to bring your favorite scent along on your travels. A fantastic solution is
this tiny (holds about 1/10 of 1 ounce) bullet shaped refillable spray
bottle, designed specifically for this purpose. It’s easy to
fill, and mine hasn’t leaked in about one year of use.
If you plan to travel from more than one week, especially
if you are on the hairy side, you might tuck one
of these tiny trimmers into your bag. No sense in letting
eyebrows and nose and ear hair get out of control.
Pro
Tip: Put together an ultralight first
aid kit in a small Ziploc bag. In addition to any of your regular prescription
medication, you might include melatonin or other sleep aid, aspirin or other
pain reliever, and something for indigestion. Adhesive bandages and a small
amount of antibiotic ointment are also first aid essentials. If you plan to
hike upon arrival, a bit of moleskin packs easy and can be blessed relief. In
the very unlikely chance that my hiking will leave me stranded, I thought this
super tiny water filtration straw, a Mylar blanket, and waterproof matches. Avoid off-the-shelf first aid kit
which are often housed in a bulky lasting clamshell type container, may include
stuff you don’t need. Rather, pack the first
aid items which are important for your unique activities and travel style.
Get more travel tips and 1-bag packing secrets in my e-book, now available at Amazon!
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