Packing List

Toiletries

The traditional men's "Dopp kit" was created in 1919 by Jerome Harris, employee (and nephew) of Charles Doppelt, a leather goods designer who immigrated to the U.S. from Germany in the early 1900s; the folding leather toiletries case was given an abbreviated form of the company name. Its popularity grew considerably during World War II, when the U.S. Army issued millions of them to recruits. Dopp kits continued to be manufactured by the Charles Doppelt Company until the firm was purchased by Samsonite in the 1970s (they are currently made by Buxton). I view them as overly large, overly heavy, and overly inappropriate for the traveller who wishes to venture lightly. I use a simple, small, lightweight (1.8 ounce, 50g) packing cube for this purpose.

Considerable space & weight can be saved by avoiding large, "economy-sized" containers of toiletries; seek out small, travel-sized versions, often available at the "trial sizes" section of your pharmacy (they can also be found online at Minimus, a great source for tiny/travel sizes of all sorts of things — not just toiletries). Doctors occasionally have sample sizes of such items as dental floss. Be aware that most travel-sized containers can be refilled; even a small toothpaste tube can generally be reused (hold it tightly mouth-to-mouth with a larger tube, and squeeze the latter), though I advise against packing gels and liquids in any case.

A list of "essential" toiletries could be considerably longer than the one presented on this page. Probably half the world's population would be inclined to add a good moisturizer, and there are many whose lists would extend to foundations, exfoliants, mascaras, perfumes, and the like. Having limited personal experience in these areas, however, I can offer little in the way of helpful suggestions, except as they pertain to volume & weight. Both of these can be all too rapidly inflated by cosmetics; consequently, always strive to eliminate liquids by seeking out non-liquid alternatives.

toothbrush, cap, tooth cleaner, floss

A cap for your toothbrush will keep it clean, allow it to dry easily, and — if you get the type with an attached suction cup — let you hang it on the nearest mirror or similar surface, and not have to look for a sanitary storage spot.

Old-fashioned tooth powder works just fine, and will save you more space, weight, and security hassles than pastes and gels. If you try to shake tooth powder directly onto your toothbrush, you'll end up wasting a fair bit. Instead, dispense some into the cup of your palm, and pick it up with a damp toothbrush.

In addition to its intended use, dental floss serves a myriad of other functions, equalled only by the sarong and bandanna in multi-use potential. It makes excellent heavy-duty thread for all kinds of repair work (make sure you carry an appropriate needle); the cutter on the box is handy for regular thread as well (airplane knitters take note). Tightly-knotted floss (especially the waxed kind) being generally quite difficult to untie, it can also be used as a temporary luggage "lock", to discourage pilferage. Floss also makes a superb slicing tool, and can be used to cut items such as cheese, cake, pastry, and cold butter (even an umbilical cord, should you give birth in your hotel room one day); for this reason, don't be tempted to use it to replace a broken necklace string, this being something you want to break under conditions of stress, not act as a cutting instrument! Other emergency uses include: shoelaces, clothesline, ukulele string, and replacement for a broken toilet tank chain. Finally, if a dripping faucet is keeping you awake, tie one end of a length of floss around the spout, put the other end in the drain, and arrange the floss so that the water flows quietly along it, rather than forming drops!

razor, blades, shaving oil/cream

Some hardy souls use soap, but my fair, sensitive skin demands something with more lubricative value. A remarkably effective alternative to a (bulky, often aerosol) container of shaving cream is shaving oil, a tiny (smaller than your thumb) 1/4-ounce plastic bottle of which will last for up to 90 shaves. Sounds unlikely, but it works surprising well (oil being the best lubricant, after all), and also eliminates the need for after-shave lotions.

I first discovered shaving oil in the 1990s, and haven't bought a can of shaving cream since. So it's not just a travel aid, but a truly better overall approach to shaving. I've tried several brands; my favourite comes from England, and its supplier (David Somerset) makes it convenient to purchase via credit card and the Internet. Give yourself a week to get used to it; you'll want to rinse the blade a bit more frequently than you're used to (oil "clings" more than creams, gels, & foams, one of the characteristics that makes it work so well). I'll be surprised if you ever go back to those giant cans of chemicals.

There's a terrific razor available for the traveller as well: the AVID®4 (shown at left). This Italian-designed system weighs about half an ounce, is approximately 4.5×1×0.25 inches, and incorporates two handles with four cartridges loaded with high-quality German stainless steel blades. Good for about forty shaves, the AVID4 is inexpensive, works exactly as advertised, and takes up almost no space in your bag; hard to imagine a better solution for those choosing to pack light.

comb and/or hairbrush

I list these items primarily for nostalgic reasons in my own case, but many will find them useful.

shampoo, bar soap & container

Consider my advice concerning travelling with liquids. You don't need much soap, if any, as it is pretty much universally available, but you'll want a water-tight container of some sort if you do pack it. A Ziploc® bag will suffice, but can be a bit messy. Special soap containers are available, though if you keep your eyes open, you'll likely find something suitable at a housewares shop.

deodorant

Again, factor in the liabilities of travelling with liquids.

nail clippers

Try to find stainless steel ones (at good cutlery stores) if you're bound for humid climates. Also, when buying a toenail clipper, be sure to get the proper type (as pictured at right): aside from being larger, toenail clippers are supposed to be different from the fingernail variety, with convex cutters rather than concave ones. Some manufacturers seem not to understand this, to the detriment of your toenails.

mirror

Avoid glass (heavy and prone to breakage); look for one made of thin acrylic.

viscose towel (washcloth?)

Viscose, which is derived from cellulosic sources (wood pulp, cotton), has a highly amorphous polymer system (as well as polar polymers), making it the most absorbent fibre in common use, thus an ideal basis for a high-efficiency towel. Originally developed in 1983 by Pacific Dry Goods, but now produced by MSR, the classic Packtowl® Original (92% viscose/8% polypropylene, and pictured here) comes in a variety of sizes. It's lightweight and packs small, yet soaks up an astounding nine times its weight in water (the large size will hold a full liter of fluid), even when damp (unlike, say, terrycloth, which becomes effectively useless when wet, and — being cotton — takes a long time to dry). Further, you can release 90% of that water merely by wringing the towel out. It dries quickly as well (if still damp when you need to depart for your next destination, simply pack it in a Ziploc® bag and hang it out to dry when you arrive). Viscose towels may not look like much, or feel particularly soft (they initially resemble a piece of rather stiff felt, though become softer and more "towel-like" — and more absorbent — after each washing), but they're much more effective than other types of "travel towels". They can be machine washed (no bleaching or ironing), and air or machine dried. And they can be cut to preferred sizes, without worrying about the edges unravelling. Viscose is also biodegradable, and the brand I recommend is produced in an eco-friendly fashion.

Be aware that most products sold as "travel towels" are not viscose, but rather some sort of microfibre. Even the MSR Packtowl brand includes non-viscose forms: their Personal and UltraLite versions are made of polyester/nylon blends (85/15 and 70/30 respectively). These feel softer to the touch (which makes them more appealing, thus easily sold), but are considerably less effective when it comes to absorbing water; they are also more expensive, and slower to dry. So I strongly recommend that you avoid the hype, and get one (or more) of the viscose versions (i.e., the Packtowl Original); a good on-line source, with reasonable prices and a variety of sizes, is Walkabout Travel Gear.

A small viscose towel (or even a piece cut from a larger one) also makes a good washcloth, an item fairly uncommon outside of North America. If you prefer an exfoliating washcloth (I find them too abrasive), the quick-drying Japanese "Salux" brand is a good travel choice; a related item is the Buf-Puf facial sponge, which comes in regular, gentle, and extra gentle versions.

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