Need Travel Suggestions

[Kraken]

Hi all,

I am new to the DE world and have been building my skill with the material I have at home. The question or request I have for you all is regarding travel. I travel for work quite a bit and would like to keep the equipment to a minimum in the hotels. I could really use some suggestions on how to do that. Specifically, the lather part. Obviously, the razor will travel but I am not too excited about shaving and packing up a wet brush while I move on to my next stop. I am contemplating using a tube of cream to go along with the razor but I am not sure how I can avoid inviting the brush along for the trip.

Any help/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[rodeo]

Welcome to the B&B!!

I'm sure you'll get lots of advice here soon from those who like to travel very light with their gear. I myself don't mind packing a brush and I simply face lather with a stick of soap and a smaller razor. For me, thats no big deal and I do travel often for my job. But then, I look forward to my shave routine too while I'm away. I'm sure others here have it down to a science with minimalist gear and can relate better to your desire. Welcome again.

[mblakele]

If you really want to travel light, you can learn to make decent lather without a brush. But it's easy enough to make space for a travel brush.

My usual travel kit contains an Omega 10066 boar brush with a shave stick (either DR Harris Arlington, Arko, or Speick), and a sample-sized lotion bottle full of KMF Lavender as a backup. I usually carry a Mühle R89 in an eyeglass case, and mail blades 2-3 days ahead of me to the hotel. As a backup, I carry a sensor handle and cartridges. The brush and shave stick each travels in its own prescription bottle - if you don't have one, take your brush down to the pharmacy and ask for one that fits. Poke some holes in the bottom and/or lid for ventilation.

For AS I'll use the "ClubmanRob" mixture in a travel-size spray bottle. It's 2 parts bay rum, 1 part water, 1 part witch hazel. I also carry a styptic ("My Nick is Sealed"), but rarely use it. Sometimes I also include a ziploc with a sock full of Clubman talc.

[Kraken]

Some great ideas so far... I will definately use some of those. I hadn't even pondered the TSA razor blade rules yet. I certainly still want to enjoy my morning shave but just don't want to pack up my whole bathroom. I am beginning to see that the traveling brush is not that big of deal if it is in a vented container. I guess I may have to look around at travel brushes.....

[rodeo]

Some great ideas so far... I will definately use some of those. I hadn't even pondered the TSA razor blade rules yet. I certainly still want to enjoy my morning shave but just don't want to pack up my whole bathroom. I am beginning to see that the traveling brush is not that big of deal if it is in a vented container. I guess I may have to look around at travel brushes.....

Don't need a special "travel brush." Just find one you like, maybe one from your normal rotation at home and then find a similar sized plastic spice jar at the supermarket and empty / wash it out. Drill a finger sized hole in the bottom (to push the brush out if the container is snug) and you have it! You can add a few small drilled holes to the cap if you like for extra ventilation. Just shake your brush out and it's not wet, just damp. Then unpack it at your next hotel or when you get home for a thorough drying. Get a brush you'll be happy with in size because the space difference in negligable. You can also do the same with a plastic pill bottle from your local pharmacy.

[Luc]

I would let the brush dry for as long as I can. I would use a smaller brush such as 16mm knot. I would probably use a container with holes on top/bottom so it can still dry a bit.

Don't forget, you can't have DE blades in your carry-on.

[DarkDragon786]

For my last travel I went ultra-minimal. To carry my shaving cream I used one of those containers that you get shaving cream samples in. It's a tiny jar about the size of a US quarter. I put this, my razor, and a pack of blades in my toiletry bag with no other shaving goodies. The 3 piece was good for this, it packs better than TTO razors.

I didn't get a great shave, but it was good enough for a two night trip. If I were to do it again I'd bring aftershave balm in a 2oz or 4oz bottle and a shave stick.

If you're worried about traveling with the brush maybe you can look at the brush bottles at Em's Place (no affiliation). They have a breather hole to allow it air out. I don't have one, but I'm thinking about getting one for myself.
http://emsplace.com/shaving/travel_shaving_items.aspx

[DavyRay]

...
I usually carry a Mühle R89 in an eyeglass case, and mail blades 2-3 days ahead of me to the hotel. As a backup, I carry a sensor handle and cartridges.
...

...
Don't forget, you can't have DE blades in your carry-on.

For short stays, one or two blades would suffice, and would fit into an envelope in a fold of thin card stock.

[Go West Young Man]

If you're deadset again a brush, just apply regular cream by hand - lathering makes the shave better, but it's not mandatory.

OTOH, why not bring a brush? It's not going to self-destruct from sitting slightly damp in a tube for a couple hours, and it'll make your shave much more enjoyable.

[kwsher]

I travel quite a bit for work as well. Just ordered a Simpson Case brush and 2.5oz tube of cream. Can't carry the blades on of course but I will just check the bag or send blades ahead (although more likely to check; I travel enough to have status so no fees etc.).

[luvmysuper]

I Travel a LOT.

My advice: Pack a bag.
1. It's nice to have a little piece of home with you on the road.
2. Just because you're travelling doesn't mean your shave has to suffer.
3. Don't be one of those jerks on the plane that tries to stuff a weeks worth of crap into an oversized carry on that inconveniences us real travelers so we can't even fit a laptoip into the overhead bin.

I just arrived 2 days ago in Galabovo Bulgaria, and here's what I brought along from Chicago;
.
.

[rodeo]

DING DING DING DING!

That right there might just qualify as the absolute opposite extreme to the term "travelling minimalist!"

But I do agree with you, take it along and enjoy it. Travelling doesn't always have to also mean flying and I drive allot of my business trips but do also fly 5-8 times a year too. More times then not I am driving so carrying razor blades is no problem whatsoever.

[edwinguz]

When I got into this, the first brush I got was an Omega Stripey with a stand, http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Stripey-...f=pd_sim_hpc_4 It came in a tube and this what I travel with. The stand fits into the tube and keeps the brush from falling out when traveling. When at the hotel, I use the stand. It's cheap plastic but effective.

[dpm802]

If you're deadset again a brush, just apply regular cream by hand - lathering makes the shave better, but it's not mandatory.

+1 ... I travel without a brush, and just lather up cream by hand. Neither my whiskers nor my razor can tell the difference.

Ironically, my go-to brush at home is a Vulfix Super travel brush. It is just the right size for home use, but it stays at home when I'm away from the shave-den.

Another thing I do when I travel is to lower my standards. I normally try for a DFS+ shave when I'm home, and if I get BBS from it, that's a bonus. But when I'm traveling, I'm not that obsessed with it, and just want to be presentable. So I lower the bar and try for CCS, and anything above that is gravy.

If it hasn't been mentioned yet, don't take anything on the road that you can't afford to lose. Whether it goes astray via theft, your own carelessness, or the bumblings of an over-eager TSA clerk, you don't want to have anything that is irreplaceable.