Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette.
In today's video, we'll share some tips
to help you maximize your grooming routine while helping to minimize your
excess baggage while traveling.
♪ The Gentleman's Gazette theme song ♪
Now, when you're packing for a trip, you'll often wonder, "Do I need this?"
Determining essentials can be especially difficult when working with grooming products.
You want all the products you're accustomed to, but you don't
necessarily want to pack your entire bathroom.
And restrictions like weight
allotments and prohibitions on certain products when traveling by air can
complicate matters even further.
In today's video, we'll share some of our
top tips to ensure you can carry out your normal grooming routine when
traveling abroad - all while packing as efficiently as possible.
And we've covered packing several times on this channel.
In these videos, Raphael makes
suggestions for packing carry-on luggage and chucked luggage respectively.
And here, he covers essential items for business trips.
And, in this video, I share some tips on how to avoid looking like a
tourist when you get where you're going.
Today, we'll focus on how to pack
grooming items to help you save space without compromising your regimen.
The first half of our video will be general tips to help you decide what you do and
do not need.
And, in the second half, we'll explain how to help you best pack what
you decide to bring.
And whether you travel often or only on occasion,
we think everyone will find something useful in this video.
Now, our first tip is to plan ahead.
Have realistic goals for what you're going to need on this trip.
All the essentials you're going to need, but no excess that will just slow
you down.
Now, many packing videos or lists will encourage you to pack as few
items as possible.
But, if you're going on an important business trip or taking a
much needed vacation, it's important that you have access to whatever you're going
to truly need to help you feel comfortable and enjoy yourself.
So, rather than focus on how to pack as few items
as possible, try to focus on packing
exactly what you need.
Think about your daily grooming regimen.
Put items beyond
essentials like toothpaste or soap you do actually use.
For instance, does your
hair type require or do you prefer a particular kind of hair conditioner or shampoo?
Or can you make do with what's available for free at the hotel?
Or do you forgo shampooing entirely?
In most cases, you can dispense with quality of
life items when traveling.
Potential usefulness does not outweigh the trouble
of having to pack them.
So, as great as the back scrubber or pore steamer from
our better hygiene products video at home might be,
probably don't need them with you when traveling.
Remember that whatever you
decide to bring or leave at home, there are no wrong answers.
It all depends on
what your hair and skin type require and what you're going to need to feel well
and put together.
When making these choices, be sure to consider how long
you're traveling.
Now, trip duration is probably one of the biggest things to
consider when preparing your grooming essentials.
If you're only going to be
gone for a weekend, you might not need to pack shampoo or conditioner.
You can do
this by timing your hair care routine by doing everything before and not during
your trip.
But, for a longer trip, you'll probably need more supplies so you can
keep up with your routine.
Now, we'll cover a few essentials we think you
should definitely take with you.
Now, while there's a great deal of leeway
when it comes to some grooming tools, others are essential both for your
comfort and for the comfort of those around you.
That's why we highly
recommend having access to the following: toothpaste, toothbrush, and floss.
Take conventional, not an electric toothbrush.
Deodorant or anti-perspirant.
Consider sticks; you can put it in your carry-on and you can reapply as needed.
And next, body wash.
Bar soap is your best bet, especially
when stored in a soapbox.
Just make sure you drain out any water before you fly.
But, some of the newer designs are leak-proof.
Haircare and styling products.
A metal comb will have the greatest utility.
An electric shaver.
Just make sure you bring the proper socket converters if needed.
Otherwise, the result could be a bit shocking.
[Scene from Back to the Future]
Next, a moisturizer.
Try to find something with an SPF of at least 30.
Or else you may want to at least bring sunscreen as well.
Lip balm.
If you don't want dry skin, you definitely don't want dry lips.
Talcum powder.
A convenient way to keep dry and reduce odors.
Next, a cleanser.
Also, a manicure set.
According to Murphy's Law, you're more
likely to suffer a cracked nail or a splinter when you don't have access to a
nail file or tweezers.
Just make sure it's approved for airline use like our
set here from Fort Belvedere.
Next, binder clips to prevent unwanted razor nicks
when reaching into your wash bag.
Ziploc bags are great for separating dirty
laundry or from wet and spillable items from getting onto things that you don't
want to get wet or spilled on.
We recommend getting a multi-pack with
variable sizes.
Now that we've covered what to pack, we'll explain how best to
pack it.
Shrinking container sizes is convenient for all travel and usually
mandatory for air travel.
One way to do this is by decanting the contents of
larger containers into smaller containers.
Decanting can be enchanting.
Did Preston write these subheadings?
[Preston laughs]
[Menacing music]
Anyway, if you try to pack the full-size
bottle of your grooming products, you'll quickly run out of room.
And if you're
flying, they'll just end up in an airport trash can courtesy of the TSA.
Many popular products like shampoo, hair gel, or lotion are sold in travel-sized
containers.
But, note, these travel size containers are often quite expensive,
costing two, three, or even four times more.
If you travel quite often and money isn't an object, you might invest in
travel-sized versions of these various products.
But, with just a little time
invested, you can save a considerable amount of money and space in your bag by
decanting these products yourself.
You can buy generic travel-sized bottles and
fill them at home.
Just make sure you purchase quality
containers with crack resistant materials and tops with tight grooves on the
caps.
This will help you avoid leaks and spills.
You may even have suitable bottles around your house.
Just make sure
they abide by local air travel rules.
For the TSA, all liquids, gels, creams, or
pastes must be in 3.4-ounce bottles or 100 milliliters or smaller when traveling.
And for decanting, you'll want to use a mini funnel.
Now, you can buy one for a couple of dollars.
It will make the process much easier and it's
definitely worth the investment.
You can also get sets in Amazon that contain
both the mini bottles and the mini funnels.
Low and medium viscosity liquids
like shampoo, conditioner, serum, cleanser, hair gel,
moisturizer, or mouthwash;
these can all be easily decanted into smaller bottles
and using the smaller bottles won't
adversely affect their functionality.
The products like toothpaste, cologne,
contact lens solution, and deodorant.
These are all nearly impossible to decant.
They're just much harder to use
without their proper applicators.
If you travel often or spaces are at a premium,
it might be worth the investment to get multi-packs for things like
travel-sized deodorant or toothpaste.
But, if you don't travel often and space
isn't an issue, the full-size version is fine.
For products with spray or drip applicators like cologne or contact lens
solution, there is an added cost of buying a smaller travel-sized item just
to justify the ease of use.
So buy travel-sized or bring the full size if it's
allowed by your air travel guidelines.
And guess what?
That's not the only way to save space.
You can also try to bring some of those
fragrance samples you have lying around.
Next, use multi-functional products.
A great way to avoid bringing multiple products is to bring one product that
does multiple things like a Swiss Army Knife of grooming.
But, just please don't
bring a Swiss Army knife on a plane.
Now, products like these aren't ideal for
everyday use, but when traveling, they do save a lot of space.
Vaseline is a great lip balm to counteract recirculated airline air.
Apply a thin layer where you spray your cologne and it will help maintain the
aroma longer.
And we usually shy away from combination shampoo, body wash, and conditioners.
But, cutting the number you need by a third is pretty helpful.
And you might want to check out this top-selling
offering from American Crew.
And many facial soaps and conditioners
also double very well as shaving soaps.
Consider this olive and tangerine
moisturizing soap from Nesti Dante.
And for the ultimate in multi-use soap,
there's the utility bar from Beardbrand.
This jack-of-all-trades can be used as a
body wash, face cleanser, shampoo, shaving soap, and a beard wash.
If you decide to bring male cosmetics to even out your complexion or to cover blemishes,
you could bring foundation, concealer, or powder.
Or we could use a product that does all of these things like this
beautifying balm from Lab Series or this tinted moisturizer from STRYX.
And if you'd like to learn more about male cosmetics, check out our video here.
You can avoid having to manage liquid product restrictions by focusing on dry
and solid products instead.
Use solid products when feasible.
As mentioned,
bar soaps are much easier to pack than body washes.
And there are some products you might want to consider in their solid form.
Dry shampoo, for instance, is very popular because it's easy to pack and you can
use it on the go.
Amika offers a spray-on variety that
comes in a travel size.
While this version from Redken comes in a powder form.
Similarly, a volumizing styling powder is
much easier to pack than a hair gel.
This offering from Billie Floof comes in
a light and dark hair variety.
And blotting sheets will allow you to
quickly cleanse your face and you won't even need access to a water source to do it.
You can also use wet wipes for your face and your body in general.
Of course,
investing in all these travel alternatives can get a bit pricey.
So, when possible, take advantage of anything you can get for free.
Get freebies where you can.
And most hotels and rental lodging do
offer some free items.
Usually, everything you're going to need for a shower
and toothpaste as well.
And airlines if you fly first or
business class do offer whole toiletry kits.
If you're content to use these
products and you know they're going to be available, feel free to not bring your
own and use theirs instead.
And most hotels will provide you with more if you
run out.
Now, if you especially enjoy a product, consider asking for a few and
use them as part of your travel grooming kit.
On that note, whenever you get
miniature versions of products, especially as samples, consider saving
them for your trips.
For instance, at regular dental visits, you might get a
toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, and mouthwash.
They're the perfect size for travel.
At the mall or fragrance stores, you may
regularly be able to receive samples of fragrances and it's even possible to
receive a specific sample of your favorite cologne if you ask for it.
You can also get free sample sizes of certain products like body wash,
conditioner, contacts solution at department stores or other retailers.
Now, once you've gotten your products packed, you want to make sure that
they're separated and not leaking on your other items.
Here's how.
Avoiding leaks and spills.
Now, when you fly, changes in air pressure
can cause the air in bottles to expand.
Now, this can force the liquids in the
bottles out.
So, when filling your containers, fill them up as much as
possible.
Use all the product before returning home and refill any partially
used bottles before traveling again.
You can also add extra layers of protection.
Cover the mouths of containers with plastic wrap and then, screw the tops
back on to prevent leaking.
And consider wrapping any products that might leak in
a plastic bag just in case.
Now, for protection and organization,
we recommend that you store most of your grooming products in a Dopp bag.
Dopps are the tops.
Now, invented by and named after the German-American craftsman Charles Doppelt,
the Dopp bag will help keep you organized.
The Dopp bag is often also
called a "toiletry kit."
Now, this bag provides a barrier between your grooming
items and the rest of your luggage in case of spills.
And as an organizational tool,
the Dopp bag keeps you on track when it comes to tight packing.
It should be
able to fit into your usual checked bag easily.
You'll also want it to be
lightweight for maximum portability.
Go with a durable lightweight fabric like
nylon or canvas.
Now, leather may look better but it's also much heavier.
The Dopp bag lets you organize.
It has pockets, dividers, and sections that make it much
easier to pack when traveling.
And because you'll know exactly where
everything is, it greatly reduces the hassle of flying.
And you also want
a Dopp bag that fits your needs.
See if you can fit all of your grooming
essentials in that bag.
Now, if they don't fit, you'll either need
to pare things down or a lot more space.
You can also repurpose a bag you already
own as a Dopp bag as Raphael has done.
Finally, if you travel fairly often,
it might make sense to have a regularly stocked Dopp bag at the ready.
When packing for a trip, your bag will already be ready to go, saving you time from
having to pack and unpack it each time.
Think of it like your grooming go bag.
Hopefully, you're not going on a trip because you're wanted by the law.
["Bad Boys" by Inner Circle plays] [Preston looking like a Man in Black]
And, finally, don't worry.
They have stores abroad, too.
Generally speaking, it may always be more cost effective to pack
than to rather purchase grooming essentials when you reach your
destination.
But, if you're worried about weight and space, it may be more
convenient, if not more expensive, to buy certain items once you reach where
you're going, especially cheap utilitarian toiletries
like bar soap, toothpaste, floss,
mouthwash, generic shampoos, and deodorant.
Or items that carry on restrictions prohibit on planes.
Think especially of blades for your razor if you prefer to use one.
If you're
planning to do this, make sure you schedule time for your trip to the store
upon arrival.
Now, this also applies to anything you forgot to pack.
Unless, you're climbing
Andes Mountain or plan on trekking in the Gobi Desert, chances are, if a city has
an airport, it also has a store.
A store where you can buy toothpaste,
deodorant, and shampoo.
Like convenience stores, big box stores, and grocery stores.
And depending on where you are, you can also buy more specialty products.
But, you'll want to avoid getting anything too
expensive, unless you plan on bringing it back
with you.
Also, it's important to be mindful of where you are going.
Certain products,
like particular hair care supplies, might not be available in foreign markets.
And if there's anything that you have that you know you just can't live without,
double-check before departure to make sure that you've packed it.
But, to ensure
you don't forget anything, we've included a grooming items checklist in the
description box below.
Feel free to add or to subtract from it as needed.
And, if
possible, do your packing on your bed, on a large table, or flat surface where
you're able to keep organized and see what's going on.
And with that, you're ready for your next big trip.
Now, today, I'm wearing a purple polo from Hugo Boss, khaki trousers,
brown belt, and brown dress shoes.
And finishing it off with my Fort Belvedere brown shadow-striped
socks.
Check out the Fort Belvedere shop here for socks like these.
♪ The Gentleman's Gazette theme song ♪