Travel help

[Justso]

Ok guys, I have a few questions for you seasoned travelling wetshavers..

I'm leaving on vacation next Sunday and I'm trying to prepare what I'm going to take w/me in terms of my wetshaving gear. I already have a leather dopp kit, but I'm debating on whether or not to pick up a C&E best badger brush to take with me instead of my expensive Shavemacs. Good idea? Yes/no? Pros cons?

Next question: What do you guys use as a bowl to lather in on the road? Do you just lather up in the hand or do you travel with a bowl of some sorts?

Next: do you bring your entire tubs with you or do you fill up some little sample vials to take instead? I would think that the tubs would be a bit awkward to load up with. I'm thinking of just taking my tube of Proraso with me instead. Maybe also my tubes of C&E Sandalwood & Nomad.

In essence, I'm trying to do two things. First, I don't want to take my expensive gear with me (IE-Vision, Trumper's Creams, Shavemac brushes) with the way luggage mysteriously gets lost and the TSA loves to pilfer through bags. Secondly, I don't want to weigh down my shave kit with a bunch of tubs of creams/soaps, etc.

Anyway, your travel input is greatly appreciated

-Justin

 

[NMMB]

Justin,

I'll be leaving for a "vacation" in a little over a week as well (only my "vacation" will take longer than a month and will, amongst other things, involve me getting married). I don't know if the following will help/inspire/whatever, but I thought that I would share.

W.R.T. the brush: I actually picked up a C&E travel brush for when I'm on the road, but right now I am not sure if this extended trip will call for a larger brush (I really don't know if I can deal with a little brush for more than a month).

W.R.T. the bowl: I will be bringing my small stoneware bowl with me and keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't break (I'll be driving rather than flying, so if it breaks it will be my fault). In the event that it does break, well, I'll replace it while I'm on the road.

W.R.T. creams: I intend to prepare some large "samples" of my favourite creams for the trip. I'm not sure yet which creams I'll be bringing, or what I'll be putting them in... but I've got a little more than a week to figure it out.

Enjoy your trip...

 

[mrob]

During the academic year I travel about once a month or so, not nearly so much as many who post here--but it still gives me the opportunity to cobble together a travel kit.

I just picked up a Swiss Army travel shave bag on sale at Marshall's for $10. In it I keep 2 QED shave sticks, and perhaps a tube of Proraso or Toms of Maine shave cream.

For the brush, I use a Savile Row 101 pure badger brush, which I store for travel in a large pill tube--I leave the top off for ventilation, but others have drilled holes in the tube for the same purpose.

For the razor, I purchased a Merkur leather travel pouch for my Vision. I've had good luck with just throwing a box of Derbys in the travel bag, but others have not.

I also throw in an atomizer of Thayers lavender WH, a small tub of CAR peppermint after shave (you don't use much so its small), and a decant or 2 of colognes. There's still room for shampoo (NB), toothbrush/paste and whatever else I need.

I leave all of these items--save the Vision!--in my travel bag year-round, a trick I learned the hard way by forgetting one or another important parts of the kit.

Hope this helps.

 

[Kyle]

Justin,

If you've got the room, I would put both brush and razor in your carry-on bag and leave everything else for the checked luggage. If this option won't work, then I'd say, go with the C&E. Also, tubes and sample containers both work very well when traveling your creams.

 

[Nick]

Justin,

I've been on the road for most of the past 4 months. Do you have the original box your shavemac came in, or at least a box it could fit in to protect the birstles? The Vision box is obviously sturdy and can protect your razor no problem, but truth be told, I just take the blade out and let my Vision mix it up with the rest of the loose articles in my toiletry bag. I have brought a bowl in the past, but have started to shy away from it... If you do, I suggest going out and looking for something plastic. For the past couple months, I've just taken things that lather incredibly easily, like the Tabac I got from Rschul2, and several QED sticks. Neither of those options need a bowl per se.

It basically comes down to a trade off between how much you want to risk your expensive items, and how much added weight you want to lug around vs. how enjoyable and unique you want all your shaves to be.

A couple recommendations:

1. Depending upon how much hotel hopping you'll be doing, bring extra blades (above what you'd think you'd need).

2. Go to the TSA website and print up their Word DOC with approved items... If FeelyHands McHappyWand wants to take your blades, he's gonna, but it doesn't hurt to have that as a reference (disposable razor blades are allowed).

3. I don't know the rules exactly, but I'd go light on EdT's, especially the aerosolized ones, those I know you can only bring in limited quantities.

Lastly, when I pack things like shampoos, spray bottles, and anything with liquid in it for the most part, I'll wrap it in saran wrap first. That helps to keep the lid from popping off should it get squeezed in transit, and it can help to contain any spills should the item be breached.

Of course, traveling by car frees up a lot of options.

-Nick

 

[Justso]

Thanks for the input guys..

I think I'm just going to take my long handle. If push comes to shove, I'm out $25, not $100. I can get nice close shaves, not as close as the Vision, but nice & smooth.

Nick...that was great advice about the plastic bowl. I may go up to the store and get a small Gladware container and lather up that way. I'm going to take some of my sample vials to pack in my shave kit, rather than the bottles. I'll be damned if I'm going to pack on a $80 EDT to have Johnny ******* put a little TSA card in my bag that I see when I open my bags at my destination saying that my EDT was confiscated. (That happened to a friend of mine)

I'm really considering getting the C&E Best Badger... $35 is a lot less to lose than my irreplacable old Shavemac with the old style bristles on it.

Keep the ideas coming guys if you don't mind. I'd like to hear what everyone's travel regimines are.

 

[jmhUT]

Hi Justin, here is my travel setup:

Travel Pack - C&E BAEKGARD travel pack, currently on sale for $46. ~10x6x6, unbeatable value and quite nice.

Razor - If I am only going overnight I will just take a M3 with me. Anything longer than that I take a Gillette long handle adjustable and mail a blade to wherever I am going.

Brush - I bought a travel tube from Ems that fits my Shavemac perfectly. The lid has a hole drilled in it but I generally leave the lid off entirely if the brush is wet. Eventually I will upgrade to the Simpson major.

Creams, A/S, W/H, soap, lotion, shampoo, etc. I have a Nalgene kit that has a couple 1oz. "jars" that work great for cream samples. The rest of the containers that came with the set are not ideal for me but work great for the wife's things. For all of the above but creams I use 2 oz. squeeze bottles from QED. They are ridiculously cheap, small, and functional. I have a dozen that I keep filled with various concoctions. I choose whichever ones strike my fancy on any given trip and throw them in the kit. Also works superbly for the gym bag.

Bowl - I use an empty pot of Taylors. It's virtually indestructible and if you don't use the lid and pack it on it's side you can partially pack other items in it. This way it takes up very little room. The pot is a bit small but works fine with small brushes.

This system is quite weight and space efficient. Although I typically use the extra space to pack more items.
Cheers,
Jeff