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Your ultimate travel kit

I’ve put together a pretty budget and decent travel kit. The case was an xmas gift when i was like 12 so i don’t think it’s something that can be found, but the rest of the stuff has provided me with some good shaves on the road:

Razor: 1959 Gillette Tech and a Trac 2 in case i’m flying and can’t get DE blades.

Soap: Arko stick with a West Coast Shaving tube (works pretty well!)

Brush: Anself Pure Badger Travel Brush (it says pure badger but mine is definitely synthetic. It’s very stiff but works well with the arko stick for face lathering and collapses into a compact size.)

Aftershave: I ordered a sampler of aftershaves and used one of the tiny bottles of old spice as a travel AS. I also filled a tiny travel shampoo bottle with witch hazel.

Blades: Pack of Polsilvers and Trac 2 cartridges.

The pic of the kit and brush is below minus the arko stick and witch hazel bottle. Where the corkscrew is i replaced with the little bottle of Old Spice.
 

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My trip is closing in, so is time to look for a good kit suitable for international travel. It will be a 15-day long trip across 4 countries, and I plan to shave every 2nd day. This is what I've been researching so far, and my short experience traveling with gear, although I've never traveled by air after becoming a wet shaver some 8 months ago.

Brush: I'm leaning towards synthetics since they dry faster and don't develop funky smells for improper drying. Although the Simpson Wee Scot does looks cool. Don't have any experience with it, so I hope I can get some feedback from you guys.

Razor: I have a few options that I can take, all Gillettes. A super-speed, a black tip, an English tech and a Super 84. I'm leaning towards the Super 84 since is one of my favorites, and is my current travel razor.

Soap: Tabac stick by far. Although I might slip a small tub of scooped out TOBS in the bag for special occasions.

Aftershave: I have a travel bottle of Proraso balm. I don't feel like air traveling with an alcohol-based AS anyway.

DOPP bag: Peak Design Wash Pouch. Is already on the mail, and I plan to do a review and a video once I receive it.

As for blades, I'll have to either purchase locally or drop a box of Astra green on my checked baggage.

Any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated.
I learned this when traveling to Europe this last summer: Unless you stay in hotels catering to Americans you will need to bring your own face sized wash cloth. Hand towels are provided but a face cloth is considered as something personal like a toothbrush so you are expected to bring your own.

Have fun on your trip!
 
I learned this when traveling to Europe this last summer: Unless you stay in hotels catering to Americans you will need to bring your own face sized wash cloth. Hand towels are provided but a face cloth is considered as something personal like a toothbrush so you are expected to bring your own.

Have fun on your trip!
Nice tip. In fact, I'm staying on Airbnb exclusively, but I'll bring the washcloth just in case.
 
I just received this:

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I know is a Simpson travel case, although no Simpson brush, but a Maggard Razor's travel synthetic brush. I'm still debating about using a Badger brush in the Panamanian weather, although it might not be such an issue when traveling abroad, so I'm not discarding the Wee Scot completely.
The turning point will be the brush capability of face lathering. If I can get a good enough lather for my Tabac stick, then I'll keep the synthetic as my go-to travel brush. If I can't, I'll bite the bullet and get the Wee Scot.
 
+1! The WS is VERY SMALL, but it punches far above its weight, producing enough lather for a 3-pass shave! I also use a pill bottle for my travel case. The WS is a great travel (and occasionally everyday) brush IMHO!!
You guys are convincing me. But I'll just wait for my first shave with the Maggard Razor's 18mm travel synthetic brush, and see if I can live with it.
 
here are some of my travel kits over the years.
But, tell us, What interesting countries are you visiting??
Is our first hop over Europe, so we are visiting a few popular countries (Netherlands, France, Spain). I'll provide more details as the trip approaches. I'm taking notes as to were to get wet shaving stuff. So far I have a few placed pinned down in Paris and Madrid. Not so much in Amsterdam.
If I manage to get at least a tub of Martin de Candre, I'll call my Wet Shaving explorations fulfilled.
 
Is our first hop over Europe, so we are visiting a few popular countries (Netherlands, France, Spain). I'll provide more details as the trip approaches. I'm taking notes as to were to get wet shaving stuff. So far I have a few placed pinned down in Paris and Madrid. Not so much in Amsterdam.
If I manage to get at least a tub of Martin de Candre, I'll call my Wet Shaving explorations fulfilled.


Great itinerary!
Having been recently to Holland, Germany, Switz, etc, I can attest there's not much to be found in the mainstream retail stores. You're far better off, still, ordering online. And spending your time in Europe enjoying the food, wine, culture, people and fashions. Having said that, a visit in Paris to the Creed shop, or traveling down to the south and stopping into MdC or another fragrance maker, would be a treat. Of course, forget finding any bargains, as the local costs are high and will include VAT. Have a safe, fun trip and post lots of pics!
 
Great itinerary!
Having been recently to Holland, Germany, Switz, etc, I can attest there's not much to be found in the mainstream retail stores. You're far better off, still, ordering online. And spending your time in Europe enjoying the food, wine, culture, people and fashions. Having said that, a visit in Paris to the Creed shop, or traveling down to the south and stopping into MdC or another fragrance maker, would be a treat. Of course, forget finding any bargains, as the local costs are high and will include VAT. Have a safe, fun trip and post lots of pics!
Oh, I'll so that. BTW, I have Planète Rasoir on my list, is a very cool store that is located around the Louvre area, although I don't expect any bargains at all. Just maybe a little souvenir to say that I bought something wet shaving related in Paris.
 
Update on the Maggard Razors travel synthetic brush: It performed flawlessly. I was able to complete a 2-pass shave, with enough lather in the tiny 18mm knot for a 3rd if needed, using only my Tabac stick rubbed against my stubbles. No bowl or scuttle needed. So it officially became my travel brush. It has a lot of backbone, so that should have been one of the main reasons for its success.
Still I think I'll get the Wee Scot, mainly because a) I just love badger brushes, b) is one of the few Simpsons that I can afford, c) I can still use it while traveling for just a weekend, and d) the Badger knot is way softer for face lathering than anything else. At least for my beard and skin type.
 
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I like your setup. The Wee Scot is a good travel brush. Traveling with your preferred shaving lubricant(cream/stick/puck) is not impossible. Any can be either hand lathered or face lathered and the Wee Scot serves up a great performance. It is small enough to dry in 24hrs and will actually fit in a small medicine/pill container. These containers are very, very sturdy, the cap and base can be drilled for aeration holes using a 1/16-1/8 bit.
For your razor of choice, if you go with a DE, a 3-piece is also a an easy pick. One handle, an assortment of heads to choose from. As a Vintage Gillette guy, I typically bring along a 102 and a 162, but always keep a pre-war Tech in one of those dinky pocket sets from the 60’s-70’s. What can I say, I like options and because the razor breaks-down so easily, they all take up the same bulk as one TTO.
AS Lotion might be considered advantageous by some because the container is less likely to break and depending on the humidity in the area to can serve more than one purpose.
For oral health and body, we all do what we do.
Keep It Simple
 
Here is what I travel with

Brush: Simpson Wee Scot
Razor: Muhle R89 Head and SS Maggard MR11 Handle
Blades: Astra SP - Stored with Razor above in an Tin from Frugal Shave
Soap: LaToja Stick
Aftershave: Small bottle of Proraso Green
Balm: Small bottle of Nivea
Dopp Bag: Alpha One Niner - Recon Eight

If I'm flying I pull the blades out :thumbdown
 
My shaving travel kit consists of:

- Rockwell 6C razor
- Frank Shaving 2band turnback brush
- Yaqi purple haze synbad synthetic brush
- DIY MWF, and Speick sticks
- Polsilver blades
- Anherb ASB

If it's a longer trip, I'll pack a couple of extra soaps for variety.
 

Mike H

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My travel kit. Last day of vacation.
A straight and usually an AC Feather. Shave stick, Palmolive or Speick. And a restored brush.

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Razor: Usually Edwin Jagger Kelvin (short handle version of DE89), sometimes a cheapo DE if I'm worried about TSA confiscation.

Blades - Store brand Israeli Personna in the handy dispenser with blade bank. These are also my go-to blades at home. I keep a couple that only have 2 or 3 blades left just for travel.

I always use a travel size of Gillette Foamy, Barbasol, Gillette gel or Edge. They work fine for me, don't take up much room and no need for a brush.
 
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Constants:
-Coach dopp from my wife
-Restored Ever Ready travel brush with a 16mm Finest in its brass container
-Travel Tech with a Bakelite handle
For software, a tube of cream or a La Toja stick is more than sufficient. For post shave, 444 takes up very little space.
 
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PAA DOC with Maggard 3 inch handle . Haggard Synth brush. These both fit in large prescription bottles that pack nicely. Formula T tins are a good size for travel. I face lather on travel but have used a number of cups as a bowl. Marbury balm also fits in one of the prescription bottles.
 
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