Travel kits

Having not yet traveled with my DE stuff, (lot's of trips coming up soon), I've been reading and looking for the ideal travel kit to put together. It's struck me that I already have the perfect kit, my everyday equipment, all I have to do is haul it.

I've checked out those little travel brushes and since my favorite size is around a 30mm I don't think I'd be happy with a smaller one so I went to Em's and went shopping!

Em's Place sells a plastic case for a brush that's 5 inches high and should work for transporting my Shavmac with me: http://www.emsplace.com/shaving/travel_shaving_items.aspx


Might as bring one of my favorite razor, the Vision, with me so a leather case seemed in order:

http://www.emsplace.com/shaving/merkur_razors.aspx#rcase

and a soft leather dobb kit bag to hold it all:
http://www.emsplace.com/shaving/travel_shaving_items.aspx

I can bring the Tabac cream and soap with me, which has become the baseline lather for me. The only thing still needed is a small aluminum bowl, since I build the lather on my face, I don't need a large mug and, as much as I'd like to, I'm not taking the Moss Scuttle with me.

I figure that since I already have what I know is a great combo for delivering up a great shave at home, why would I want to change any of it by substituting gear and product just because I'm away from home?

My question is, am I overlooking something? Why a small dinky little brush instead of taking a decent sized one with.
Why not take the razor that you know and like instead of playing around with a travel razor that you might not be as use to and may not get that great shave from?

There's more than enough room in that kit bag for my alum block and ASB's along with some cologne, so why not?

I've read where one of the considerations for the small travel brush is a reluctance to splash and fling lather around. Folks, I stay in hotels with maid service and if I'm going to be there a few days, I tip my maid, so I'm going to feel free to splash away. I may even use the bath towels for a hot towel treatment, (which is something I seldom do at home), just to enhance the experience.

So what are some of the thoughts behind coming up with unique travel items instead of using what you usually would at home?

Patrick,
Having just taken a 4 day trip to Florida, I did what you suggest. I took pretty much everything that I would if I was at home. My travel kit consisted of a 1930's British Aristocrat #16, a Silver Plated Tuckaway Gillette Set, a Vintage Owl Drug Company Badger Brush and a Standard Boar's Hair Brush. I picked up a few tubes of Palmolive Brushless Cream but I also took a fresh puck of Williams Mug Soap and a Vintage Old Spice Mug. My hectic schedule meant some 1 pass shaves but it was better than using a plastic razor and a can of goo. The base of the Palmolive coupled with the brush applied Williams made for a very nice slick lather. The water temp coming out of the faucet was very hot and aided in a very close one pass shave.

Hey Mike! Wouldn't it be great if Sara could come up with a collapsible version of the Moss Scuttle?

I might add that you will probably want some variability in that travel kit. Tabac may work awesome for you at home, but you might get on the road and find that Tabac sucks with the water and whatever other variabilities play into this (all those YMMVs) and then you are stuck having lousy shaves. I make sure I pack two different types of blades (usually Derbies and Swedes or Feathers), a few varieties of soaps (milled & glycerin), a cream, and two different aftershaves (skin food and milk type) just to cover my bases.

Dennis

Patrick...I'm still in the "Dark Ages" not having tried the Moss Scuttle. If I add one more item to my shave repertoire, my wife will most likely feel the need to buy more shoes.

Patrick,

I just went away last weekend, and I wish I'd had followed your reasoning; I brought with me me c&e pure badger travel brush, which is about the size of my pinky finger, and didn't enjoy it nearly as much as my usual c&e best badger. It seems too small to lather with, and the quality in the hair itself wasn't nearly as water-retaining as the best. Your wise by bringing your good stuff, IMO...I wish I would have found that brush travel case sooner...

Enjoy the trip!

Ryan

Patrick D said:

Hey Mike! Wouldn't it be great if Sara could come up with a collapsible version of the Moss Scuttle?

Click to expand...

+1 love that idea

Dennis02 said:

I might add that you will probably want some variability in that travel kit. Tabac may work awesome for you at home, but you might get on the road and find that Tabac sucks with the water and whatever other variabilities play into this (all those YMMVs) and then you are stuck having lousy shaves. I make sure I pack two different types of blades (usually Derbies and Swedes or Feathers), a few varieties of soaps (milled & glycerin), a cream, and two different aftershaves (skin food and milk type) just to cover my bases.

Dennis

Click to expand...

+1 The more you take with you, the bigger the chance of getting BBS shaves.

barnz said:

Patrick,
I brought with me me c&e pure badger travel brush, which is about the size of my pinky finger, and didn't enjoy it nearly as much as my usual c&e best badger. It seems too small to lather with, and the quality in the hair itself wasn't nearly as water-retaining as the best. Your wise by bringing your good stuff, IMO...I wish I would have found that brush travel case sooner...

Click to expand...

I thought I was smart and a bought a travel brush instead of a bigger standard brush so that I could use the same brush for travels and at home. That was before I found B&B and understood how many variables there are to shaving! So, I normally add some cream or re-soap the travel brush a bit between every pass. If you have a small brush, don't expect the lather to last more than 2 passes if you use soap. It takes a bit more time, but it's doable. As always YMMV.

_
V

Didn't Mantic do a you tube video on setting up a travel kit ... I thought I watched it awhile ago and it had some great info.

thmsmd said:

Didn't Mantic do a you tube video on setting up a travel kit ... I thought I watched it awhile ago and it had some great info.

Click to expand...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFNuV7vxZvA

I have a travel setup with travel sizes of my standard grooming items. I use a normal brush and razor. The bowl is a small stainless steel pet water bowl just big enough for a puck of Mama Bear or HoneyBee in addition to a tube of Proraso and a travel size Nancy Boy. Just like home.

Tramping along the Ribble Way (the muddiest 70 miles of Lancashire I EVER walked!) last month I took: Bonsa Sheffield Steel 5/8 Extra Hollow Ground in its handy cardboard tube case, a 1/4 full tube of Musgo Real, and a 10ml EO bottle (the dinky little things with a plastic dropper on top) of the Musgo aftershave. For alum, the same block I use for a deodorant (I wash it first, of course) and as a strop, the inside of my belt or the heel of my hand, whichever seemed cleanest. I took a tiny mirror from my wifes handbag, and this kit served me very well. I looked more or less civilised the whole way, although cold water shaving was necessary when there was no dry wood.

In the past I've used my sheathknife, but it's a pain in the arse keeping it sharp enough when you're out in the woods, and a razor always works better.

Taking a short weekend trip to the mountains of Tennessee later today to spend tonight, Saturday, and then get on the road early Sunday hitting some antique shops along the way as we head back to Hoosierland. I had fairly good results assembling a travel kit on my recent few days down to Florida earlier this month. I believe I will mix things up a bit this time still taking full sized shaving gear. Last trip I took my English Gillette Aristocrat ( Bad Idea) and a Silver Tuckaway set. I lugged an Old Spice Mug and a puck of Williams Mug soap...at the time it was my only soap I was using... a managed to pick up both Red and Green Palmolive Lather Tubes thanks to 75 cent close out prices at CVS just prior to the trip and while in Florida. I brought both a small badger brush and a boars hair brush in ziplock bags.

I'm awaiting some creams and soaps from Buy/Sell/Trade transactions so if something comes in the mail today that I'd like to bring along I will. My razor choices thankfully (unthankfully?) are numerous. I'm most likely going to bring a 1940's Gillette Rocket as well as my "finishing tool" razor the Slim Handle 1930's British Gillette Aristocrat. I'll stick with the same 2 brushes because they did a fine job last time. I acquired a Proraso ASB from Target last weekend so that will go in the bag. Now the only variable is the creams or soaps. If nothing spectacular arrives via the Post today, I'll pack a tube of Green Palmolive and one of the Red ones too and keep it simple. I do have a tube of Speick that I could utilize too. Of course a fresh pack of Derby's and a couple Red Pack Faux IP's as well. I will report back with a review of this hastily arranged travel kit.

If you are looking for a dobb its not leather but durable as hell great storage and styles available lots of space and compartments but not over large either take a look at Victorinox. I have had mine for years wash it up and it looks like new.

I'm going to be taking a 4 day family visit/business trip and have decided on the following for my first travel kit:

Futur & Progress
Derby/Feather
Shavemac & Merkur Vision Brush
Mama Bears Rosemary & Mint Tube SS
Cremo Cream
Tabac Soap & Cream
Alum block
Feather "Kanwa" Natural Herbal ASB
Mama Bears Summertime ASB
Small aluminum bowl
Assorted Holders
Nice size dobb type bag

That should get me started!!!lol

I have a 5 day trip coming up and am mentally planning what to bring. I think I settled on:

My Superspeed (unless I run out and buy a travel razor)
Sandalwood stick
Travel brush
Taylor's Bay Rum AS
Alum block
Blades

It's possible I might bring along a tube of Trumper's Limes and a small bowl but I don't know yet.

Antique Hoosier said:

Patrick...I'm still in the "Dark Ages" not having tried the Moss Scuttle. If I add one more item to my shave repertoire, my wife will most likely feel the need to buy more shoes.

Click to expand...

Mike,
Get the scuttle.....its worth the shoes.

While wandering around Target, I came across what may prove to be a really nice traveling bowl.

It's a Ziploc 2 cup container with a dark blue screw down lid that's both microwave and dishwasher safe.

I'm going to see how well it works with the in-room coffee pot with the water as hot it can get it, probably somewhere around 200*f.

If it keeps the brush and lather warm for me, it'll turn out to be a 50 cent unbreakable travel bowl.


Edit: Mike, you really owe it to yourself to get a Moss, it's the real deal!

Hate to say it, but after having my DE blades snagged by the TSA on the last few flights I've been on (never used to be a problem, but they are scrutinizing toiletries a lot more after the whole "liquids and gels" thing) I brought the following travel kit with me on my last flight a few days ago:

QED stick
turnback brush
alum block
travel size Nivea ASB
and....

...Sensor cartridges.

I did have a fancy eShave pewter handle I picked up years ago for the Sensor cartridges, so it was at least a little DE-like

Unfortunately, I am forced to report that the Sensor cartridges (just the regular, non-Excel ones) performed perfectly fine. Not BBS, but close, acceptable, and irritation-free. You could really do a lot worse, and avoiding the TSA hassle over DE's is a real plus! Only real problem is that I could start feeling some stubble a few hours after shaving.

If you're checking luggage or driving, however, go crazy - bring everything you've got! I figure that when compared to the fairer sex, guys generally pack so light that we deserve a little slack here!

It was sure good to get back to some Feathers, though!