Lesson's from traveling abroad: Packing toiletries

When it comes to a long trip, whether at home or abroad, a lot of thought goes into which toiletries to bring and how to pack them.  No one wants lotion spilling on their toothbrush.  No one wants to try and fail to find their favorite lip gloss/deodorant/tampons in another country. And no one wants to be lugging around extra weight in a backpack or a roller case.

Around this time Sar and I were splitting ways.  She was returning to the States and I was setting out for backpacking.  By now, some of my packing mistakes had made themselves clear and lucky for me, Sar was willing to help me out and take stuff back home with her.

Even though I took a lot of unnecessary supplies (you can find brand-name bandaids, toothpaste, and razors even in the less touristy countries like Romania), the Lewis N Clark Hanging Toiletry Case was one thing I got right. 


If I were going on my trip now, a year later, here's what I would pack in my Lewis N Clark Toiletry case:

Travel q-tips: I neglected to think of these the first time around.  Lucky for me, Sar had them and she left the rest of them with me when she came back to the States.

An assortment of feminine hygiene products: You can find them in the stores overseas but which specific products from which specific brands are hit or miss, and also more expensive.  So if you are like me and swear by certain solutions, take your own.  Hint: The newer compact tampons will save you space.

In the protective plastic is where I store my liquids just in case something malfunctions, and also my hairbrush because I'm afraid it would tear the netting on the other compartments.

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint:  Yes it is expensive at $30 for less than half an ounce, but it is my one makeup item I can't live without. It can make a softly tinted lip or, with a couple coats, a sultry red lip.  It's also a cheek stain that goes from barely blushing to full on siren depending on the amount.  If I needed a mascara or eyeliner I'd pick it up at my destination, but only because I'm not picky.

Humangear GoToob Travel Bottles: These come in 1 oz, 2 oz, and 3 oz, and are TSA approved.  I learned my lesson after failing at solid shampoo and then having to lug around full size shampoo and conditioners in my backpack last summer.  My curly hair must have conditioner, and my hair is fairly picky about brands so I stick to Organix Rejuvenating Cherry Blossom Ginseng, which is easily transported in my GoToobs.  The GoToobs are pretty secure and also, because they're made of silicon, you can really squeeze out every little bit of product.  They're even approved for food storage!  Another great selling point is that there is a multiple-choice-type label around the collar so you can remember what is in each tube.

Next are these great elastic loops that hold everything pretty securely.  I used them to hold my deodorant and two must-haves from Lush:

Lush " Silky Underwear Dusting Powder ":  Seriously, this powder is amazing.  It's original purpose was to prevent chafing, but it's so much more than that.  It has grated cocoa butter, so it will make your skin feel soft, especially if sprinkled on after lotion, and after long trips on the dry airplane, that is sorely needed.  It smells divine so it doubles as a perfume.  It's a triple threat because you can use it as dry shampoo on days when you couldn't wait in line at the hostel for a shower or were running late for your train.  (It happens.)  It will also absorb sweat, which is a biggie when there is no air conditioning -- sprinkle it along your bra line to avoid embarrassing boob sweat, or into your favorite pair of flats to avoid stinky feet and blisters.  There's probably even more uses I haven't discovered.  It's amazing.

Lush '9 to 5 'cleansing lotion: Another fantastic-smelling multi-purpose product from Lush. You can slather it on and then rinse it off like normal, or if your short on water or time you can leave it on.  As it says in the name, it's a cleanser and a lotion.  I've also heard of people using it as shaving cream but I used cheap conditioner for that.

Lewis N. Clark Laundry Kit: This kit comes with packets of Woolite, which is a nice touch but the necessary part is the giant plug.  It's so versatile you can use it in virtually any sink or tub.  I wound up using hand soap to clean my clothes most of the time, but I always used this plug.  

I also highly recommend the Lewis N. Clark Latex Clothesline specifically because of it's velcro loops.  Suction cups limit the places a line can be hung, and also the weight that can be placed on it.  I hung everything from socks to blue jeans on this line and the velcro always held.  

(See this entry for tips on making it easier to do laundry in the sink.)

Not only does the toiletry case hold everything, it can hang from a variety of places too, thanks to it's large loop and buckle at the top (seen on the right).