Travel: Carry On Only

[bbest]

Have any of you frequent flyers figured out a solution to carry-on your shave gear? Sure, you can get travel sized products (I love the e-shave travel kit!), but you still aren't allowed to bring DE blades in your carry on... That means you have to either stick with cartridges (which my skin can't handle), or alas, you still must have checked luggage.

I'm sure my above two solutions are the only solutions, but figured I'd take a shot in the dark and see if someone who travels tons has come up with some magical solution to do carry-on only and still get a DE shave.

Thanks!

 

[Prof. Moriarty]

Mail a pack of blades to the hotel you will be staying at is one option. Alternatively search the local drug stores for DE blades.
Hope this helps mate.

 

[Slash McCoy]

There are no new strategies or secrets. It is still a choice of:

1. Pack blades in checked luggage
2. Mail them to yourself
3. Buy some when you get to your destination
4. Arrange for the concierge at your hotel to have some on hand for you.
5. Figure out a new way to sneak a couple of blades on. (And risk a serious hassle if you get caught)
6. Forget about DE shaving.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/279916-BIC-single-blade-disposable is a relatively painless way to implement option number 6. A fixed head (non swiveling) single blade disposable or cartridge can be an acceptable travel option. These can be carried in your carryon bag. The shave is acceptable IMHO when a straight (or a DE) is simply not an option.

 

[Mr. Scruffy]

I check my bags. A good shave is worth the extra 20 minutes waiting in baggage claim.

 

[dcobranchi]

I check my bags. A good shave is worth the extra 20 minutes waiting in baggage claim.

And the extra $100 round trip?

 

[Jayk]

I have always checked my luggage.

Not to hijack the thread too much, but are feather pro blades or injectors legal for carry on?

 

[Edinburgh]

I always keep several types of blades at the homes of relatives and friends. When flying, I either pack the blades in checked luggage, mail them ahead of time to my hotel or else purchase them at my destination.

 

[Mr. Scruffy]

And the extra $100 round trip?

I mostly fly Southwest, no extra charge for luggage. The first bag charge for most other airlines is $20 - $25 one way. Still worth it, to me.

 

[Guest111]

I travel fairly heavy. I always check a bag. We usually go Southwest, and if not my company pays my bag fees.

 

[bbest]

I check my bags. A good shave is worth the extra 20 minutes waiting in baggage claim.

It's not the 20 minutes or the baggage fees I'm afraid of (my travel is all for business, so my company pays baggage fees), its the lost or severely delayed luggage that is my concern. It has happened to me twice in less than a year, leaving me with no clothes, no shaving tools, nothing... So for business, I have resolved to carry-on only. Looks like I might be sticking to mach 3 or mailing blades to the hotel (I don't have time to go shopping for blades once I get to my destination).

Thanks for all the feedback!

 

[mblakele]

Whatever you do, have a plan B. Mine is a bumpfighter handle with trac II cartridges. I suppose most hotels have disposables on hand, but I think of that as plan C.

For flights within the USA I mail blades ahead. But once or twice the mail has failed to arrive on time, or at all. Internationally I am usually going someplace where I expect to buy blades. But sometimes I have needed to shave before I could find the right shop. So I fire up plan B. With good prep and technique, the trac II cartridges work pretty well.

 

[Guest111]

its the lost or severely delayed luggage that is my concern. It has happened to me twice in less than a year, leaving me with no clothes, no shaving tools, nothing... So for business, I have resolved to carry-on only.

That's why I also bring a small carry on with a change of clothes and my medicines. Basic toiletries can be replaced at the hotel desk or any drug store.

 

[aihpcfl]

It's not the 20 minutes or the baggage fees I'm afraid of (my travel is all for business, so my company pays baggage fees), its the lost or severely delayed luggage that is my concern. It has happened to me twice in less than a year, leaving me with no clothes, no shaving tools, nothing... So for business, I have resolved to carry-on only. Looks like I might be sticking to mach 3 or mailing blades to the hotel (I don't have time to go shopping for blades once I get to my destination).

Thanks for all the feedback!

Same here. Add to the list your things being stolen and your luggage being beat all to heck. And if you have soft luggage you have to worry about it being left out in the rain. It isn't a matter of if, but only when.

Finding wet shave products other than carts and canned foam is tough. I wouldn't count on finding blades on the road either. If we're a big concern to me I would mail a blade to the hotel, but I do ok with my old Fusion.

Take a look at the Gillette Guard import. I saw it mentioned on the forum the other day and looked at it at West Coast Shaving. When I'm out of Fusion carts I may give it a try myself.

 

[Moondancer]

Same here. Add to the list your things being stolen and your luggage being beat all to heck. And if you have soft luggage you have to worry about it being left out in the rain. It isn't a matter of if, but only when.

Finding wet shave products other than carts and canned foam is tough. I wouldn't count on finding blades on the road either. If we're a big concern to me I would mail a blade to the hotel, but I do ok with my old Fusion.

Take a look at the Gillette Guard import. I saw it mentioned on the forum the other day and looked at it at West Coast Shaving. When I'm out of Fusion carts I may give it a try myself.

Recent week long trip to China saw me packing one of these with an extra blade in my carryon with a Merkur Slant in my checked bag. I ended up using the Slant the entire time I was gone, but I have used the Guard at home a couple time to make sure it was an acceptable compromise; it is. And for the cost, you can't go wrong. WCS was where I got mine.

 

[nemo]

Gents, razor blades are not allowed in carry-on luggage. Period.

Discussion of how and when you were able to break the rules and sneak some on board will not be allowed.

 

[codecheck]

The last time I checked my baggage, my complete dopp kit was stolen from my luggage. On a recent trip, I carried on a couple of disposable twin blade razors packed in different places in my carry on luggage and had no problems. This last trip was a short trip but the shaves were lousy. If I had to travel for business like I used too, then I would pack items which I did not care about loosing. Airlines will not reimburse you for items taken out of your luggage. We can thank the lovely individuals who want to be martyrs and kill a lot of innocent people for all of the current hassles when flying.

 

[shavefan]

I travel weekly for business and NEVER check my bags, way to much hassle and risk. I stash a Mach3 in my carry on along with my travel brush, soap/cream, ASB/ASL. fortunately for me the Mach3 gives me no problems so its not a big deal, I get great shave whilst on the road. I have also been experimenting with the imported Guard razor from WCS and its OK, but not as close as the M3.

good luck

EDIT: I'm posting this from 33,000 ft....

 

[Cacique]

I would just carry the razor and anything expensive/important on carry on, and the blades on checked. If anything happens, at least you still got your nice razor.

 

[shiro]

do you think they would allow disposable safety razors on as carry on? if so you can look into medical prep razors. My uncle came across a bag of them and gave them to me. They are made of plastic, open comb, come with a cap, are individually bagged(sterile) and the blade can not be removed.

here are some pics of them:
http://imgur.com/a/lhwKF

http://www.medline.com/product/Double-Sided-Shave-Prep-Razors/Razors/Z05-PF06411

 

[The Dean]

do you think they would allow disposable safety razors on as carry on? if so you can look into medical prep razors. My uncle came across a bag of them and gave them to me. They are made of plastic, open comb, come with a cap, are individually bagged(sterile) and the blade can not be removed.

here are some pics of them:
http://imgur.com/a/lhwKF

http://www.medline.com/product/Double-Sided-Shave-Prep-Razors/Razors/Z05-PF06411

I don't think they would allow those. And it would probably hold up the security line for 20 minutes if they did. I believe those blade can be removed if you smash the plastic razor with your foot---no?

All the suggestions in Slash's answer are good ones, IMO. Any decent hotel should be able to accept a mailed blade or acquire one for you. If you are staying with a friend, even better--mail it to them.

Since I almost always check a little something, I take whatever blades I want. But if it was a very short trip and I was carrying on everything, I'd carry my Fusion.