You are currently on the planning part of your trip. We are sure you wondered how to pack travel-size toiletries. Hence, the reason you are currently reading this article. Well, don’t worry, as this quick read will answer all things you need to know about toiletries. Let’s start!
What Is Considered Toiletry?
For starters, you just need to know first what is considered “toiletry.” A dictionary definition of it is that it is an object used for washing and taking care of a person’s body. This includes soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and the like. We can broaden our scope by including in our definition of toiletries such as beauty products, grooming items, and other necessities we need for travel. In this way, we can know what objects we consider as toiletry and can prepare them properly.
Toiletries Acceptable on Plane
We use different bags on the plane for our luggage: the carry-on luggage and the checked luggage. The latter is bigger than the carry-on luggage and is probably the one you are picking up in the conveyor belt after a flight. As the name suggests, carry-on luggage is luggage that you can bring on hand while on a flight. You can bring different kinds of toiletries according to the type of luggage.
>> Remember to pack a couple of underwear for every trip.
For a Carry-on or Hand Luggage:
All airlines require their passengers to have liquid products in their carry-on luggage with a max of 100 milliliters. In addition, all bottles that are in the hand luggage must fit in a clear quart-size Ziplock casing. The list of stuff that needs to be within the plastic Ziplock casing are liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and even pastes. This is the 3-1-1 Liquids Rule of airlines.
For a Checked Luggage:
On the other hand, all your items that will exceed the 100 milliliters or the 3.4 ounces limit must go inside the checked luggage. To find out more about what kind of things are allowed inside the checked baggage, you can check your airline’s website to know the exact items you can have in your checked luggage.
How to Pack Toiletries for Travel?
Step 1: Preparing and Planning
You can start this day by laying out or listing down all things you use on a day-to-day basis. Figure out which of these objects you will use in your upcoming trip and which of these stuff needs to stay behind. Select anything and everything that you think you need in your travel. After that, you can categorize all these things into: NEED, WANT, NOT REQUIRED, and NOT APPLICABLE.
Step 2: Remove some out
There are times when your layout is either nonnegotiable or a must-have in your planned travel. It can be your favorite perfume or even your top-class cleanser. In this way, you can start decreasing the space you allot in your hand luggage by decreasing your toiletries or entirely removing some of the items. Ask yourself, can you live for a few days or even weeks without your top-class lotion? How about your favorite perfume? If your answer is no, fret not. There are still many tips on the following steps that can give you the solution to this problem.
Step 3: Trim it up!
After eliminating the things not needed in your travel, it is time to reduce some of what’s left. Try to remember how much of a particular toiletry you use daily. If you only have short hair and only use shampoo every other day, you can reduce the amount of shampoo you will bring. Next, consider the length of the trip. Take note of the entire duration of your trip. If possible, put some allowance on it for you to be ready for some unforeseen circumstances. You can reduce the amount of liquid you will bring in your hand luggage to have some of your toiletries, if applicable, be in solid form.
Step 4: Travel Bottles
After all of that, you can now choose the correct container you need for your travel. Most of the time, 100-milliliter containers are too big for a trip that lasts for about a week or two. In this case, you must buy various sizes of travel containers that you will use for your trip. One common mistake is that travelers immediately buy the 100-milliliter bottles, ending up having too big a container for their needs. Instead of doing that, you can opt to buy a variety of container sizes that ranges from an ounce, maybe two ounces, and the like.
Some Valuable Tips for Your Next Trip
Pro-tip #1:
Ask the place you are staying on your trip if they offer toiletries in your room, such as shampoo, hairdryer, soap, etc. Some hotels have many things to offer to their visitors, like toothpaste, disposable razors, and the like. Do not be afraid to ask ahead!
Pro-tip #2:
You can choose to bring a product that can do many things, a multi-purpose substance that is! For example, a moisturizer can act as a sunscreen or a shampoo and conditioner in one. This way, you can lessen your luggage that you will carry while you travel.
Pro-tip #3:
Try selecting a plastic container over a glass one because glass weighs heavier than its plastic counterpart. It can also avoid some accidents such as the breakage of glass. Do a test try for all your toiletries. Try and see if you can fit all the things you need for the trip inside your hand luggage. If it doesn’t, try rearranging the stuff inside the hand-carry luggage. If it still not good, try using and packing some multi-purpose products.
Pro-tip #4:
For trips with a span of more than a week, try not to bring any full-sized toiletries. Instead, you can choose to buy travel-sized products in your local drug store as you go.
Conclusion
There you have it. Those are all the answers to your queries, including how to pack travel-size toiletries. What are you waiting for? Follow this easy step-by-step guide and say hello to a trip that does not burden you heavily (literally)!