Super easy cosmetic kit « The Travelite FAQ. I previously mentioned some mesh bags and pouches you can use to carry your non-liquid toiletries in your travels.
I just returned from a quick run to an office supply store and was reminded of one of the cheapest and most convenient “toiletry kit” pouches around: The pencil pouch. The Pencil Pouch from Staples. You can find pencil pouches in most office supply stores, but during this time of year as we creep into the “start of school” sales, you will likely find these in most larger box stores for a very affordable price. Most of these types of pencil pouches have holes to put them in a 3-ring binder, and they all have a straight-across zipper. They come in a variety of colors, and many of them also have a loop or keyring for hanging. About the only real difference other than color is in the front panel: Some have an open-air mesh format, while others use clear plastic.
Best of all, when these are empty, they lie completely flat. Happy packing! Selecting Your Travel Wardrobe « The Travelite FAQ. Packing for your trip starts way before your actual travel day.
The process starts from the moment you start picking clothes to add to your wardrobe. Here are some tips to help you build a travel-friendly wardrobe: Stick to a color scheme One of the easiest ways to build a travel-friendly wardrobe is to pick one color scheme for your clothes. Do you live and work in a big city and want a metro-urban look? Do you live out in the country and prefer a more natural look? If you would rather go with lighter colors, consider just going with off-white or tan. Although it might be a little harder to find, navy is a wonderful travel color, as well. So as you go clothes shopping, keep your color scheme in mind. Pick wrinkle-resistant clothes Try to avoid choosing fabrics that require ironing. There are quite a few places that sell travel-friendly, wrinkle-resistant clothes. Avoid dry cleaning Layer Not sure what kind of whether you’ll run into?
Quick Tip: How to Keep the Travel Toiletries Flowing « The Travelite FAQ. Do you pack your 3-1-1 toiletry kit with small bottles of shampoo and conditioner, only to find that you can only realistically use half the bottles, because the last half decides to cling to the bottom of the bottle?
This happens pretty often, especially with really thick gels or hair conditioner. Here’s a handy tip: as you use the product from the bottles, add a bit of water in them while you’re still in the shower so you wind up with about half the bottle filled with this water mix.. You don’t need to fill the bottles to the brim; just enough to shake the bottles and get the water to loosen things up. By the time you’re ready for the next day’s shower, the gel, shampoo, or conditioner will have loosened up. After a few uses from a full bottle, start doing this. Happy travels! The Ultra-minimalist packing list: How I packed for Europe « The Travelite FAQ.
“Ideally packed!”
That’s what a London Gatwick Airport security agent told me when my bag got tagged for a manual inspection. She was completely impressed because she couldn’t believe how efficient and well-organized my carry-on bag was! [If you've ever had one of those, you know that they take everything out of your bag. It got flagged because I had a bag full of wires and electronics, so after that leg of the trip, I just removed that baggie and put it in the bin next to my toiletry bag, and I had no further problems.]
It’s been three days since my return home, and my body clock is still very off. So now that I’m wide awake, I may as well be productive and finally share with you how I managed to travel with just 13 pounds for my Europe trip. Oh just a warning: Today’s post is going to be long. Details, details, details Getting over our disappointment at not being able to travel with our friends, Alex and I looked at each other with “Oh my god, what the hell are we going to do now?”