Road razor, rasp, or rage?

[OMyMyOHellYes]

OK - recent trip (first one since the most recent ditching of canned shave snot at home) ... well, it got me to thinking. Tried using shave snot because it's easy to haul around. And I got bad results - SURPRISE! It looked like I had used a wood rasp on my neck. Felt like it too. I'm ordering an inexpensive Omega Bambino and getting a few of the small Bigelow/Proraso tubes so I can tuck one in my kit.

But, given that travel introduces certain constraints, how much concession do you make when traveling?

For me, I am a face latherer anyway, so I don't need a bowl or scuttle. I expect a small brush and good cream will go a long way. My travel razor is a Schick Injector from several decades ago simply because it's very small and easy to pack (going through trying to find best blade choice now). That said, it doesn't do quite as good a job as the DEs do, but most of the time it will get me to close comfortable shave.

Not as good as at home, but I am coming to grips with making that small sacrifice while on the road. Thus the question - Do you:

1. Change equipment while on the road?
2. Change consumables while on the road (cream, soap, aftershave)?
3. Change technique (face/palm lather vs mug)?

Finally, are you getting, or expecting, the same results on TDY as you get at home base; are you accepting a little bit of a compromised shave because of the above factors; or are you grumpy because you don't get that BBS feeling in the hotel room?

OMyMyOHellYes

[bkfist]

When I'm travelling I take a stick of La Toja, as it comes with a protective plastic cover.

I take my Feather Popular razor - plastic & steel in a cheap plastic case. If it gets lost or damaged, no biggie, about $17 to replace... PLUS it's not going to get bent if I drop it in unfamiliar territory.

I put some aftershave in one of the small 5 ml bottles that Garry sends in aftershaves in, good for 4 or 5 uses.

I take either my Semogue boar brush, or my Shea Soft pure badger ($8.00 from Target) - I originally always took my boar brush, but forgot it about a month ago, so the Shea Soft is now a permanent resident of my travel bag. Again, if something happens to it, it's $8 and easy to replace.

I always face lather anyway, and with the shave stick, it's a given.

Although I usually take a shave bowl with me to soak the brush in, I can get by just fine with a disposable cup. (I take a bottle or two of distilled water for shaving... I don't like soap scum on my razor or brush, and prefer the great lather soft water affords.)

[StuMcB]

Last Holiday for me I took my travel pack, Brut AS, WH and a merkur 1904 with blades,

[Go West Young Man]

Any good cream can be used brushless if you're really short on space.

[CyiDev]

Last Holiday for me I took my travel pack, Brut AS, WH and a merkur 1904 with blades,

Are those salt and pepper shakers? Wal-Mart had some that looked similar and makes me wonder if it could hold my Duke D3 when it arrives.

[Alraz]

I always save a little space for my shaving supplies unless I am going camping/fishing. in my experience, I do not need too much extra space.

Al raz.

[StuMcB]

Are those salt and pepper shakers

Nope, they are chrome and bakelite travel brush and shave stick holders. There's plenty on the bay. The whole pack cost a few £'s.

[ateace]

OP - Your automated tag line and your avatar are nicely matched!

1. I do change equipment on the road. My usual travel razors are Sensor or Atra. If I have the rare luxury of unlimited bathroom time on the road, I'll
bring along a cheap DE that I can shrug off if lost or stolen. The razor is a Lord head (Merkur-style) with a Parker 97 handle. It's much like an HD, maybe a touch milder, which is OK on the road.

2. I do change consumables - either KMF or a travel can of Gillette Series Sensitive Gel.

3. Technique is the same, except that there's no brush. Just apply cream or gel by hand and have at it. I face lather at home, so no bowl or mug needed anyway.

The overall quality of my shaves on the road is very good. I don't mid sacrificing a little precision or closeness on the road in the name of saving time or keeping my face presentable.

[dgilman]

OK - recent trip (first one since the most recent ditching of canned shave snot at home) ... well, it got me to thinking. Tried using shave snot because it's easy to haul around. And I got bad results - SURPRISE! It looked like I had used a wood rasp on my neck. Felt like it too. I'm ordering an inexpensive Omega Bambino and getting a few of the small Bigelow/Proraso tubes so I can tuck one in my kit.

But, given that travel introduces certain constraints, how much concession do you make when traveling?

For me, I am a face latherer anyway, so I don't need a bowl or scuttle. I expect a small brush and good cream will go a long way. My travel razor is a Schick Injector from several decades ago simply because it's very small and easy to pack (going through trying to find best blade choice now). That said, it doesn't do quite as good a job as the DEs do, but most of the time it will get me to close comfortable shave.

Not as good as at home, but I am coming to grips with making that small sacrifice while on the road. Thus the question - Do you:

1. Change equipment while on the road?
2. Change consumables while on the road (cream, soap, aftershave)?
3. Change technique (face/palm lather vs mug)?

Finally, are you getting, or expecting, the same results on TDY as you get at home base; are you accepting a little bit of a compromised shave because of the above factors; or are you grumpy because you don't get that BBS feeling in the hotel room?

OMyMyOHellYes

I'll have to get back to you in a month or so, after I've tried out more traveling with a DE. Last time I went abroad with a DE, I brought just the razor, some blades, and my usual cream. As Chris observes, good cream can be face-lathered brushless, although it's not quite as light and fluffy that way. Last time I traveled on a plane, though, I made a lot of sacrifices for convenience's sake, and I didn't like it much at all. I brought with me a Sensor Excel 3-blade that I found in a drug store, and, for lack of planning and distaste for canned goo, no cream at all. I know for a fact that I can shave myself with a cartridge without any lubricant besides water, but the last time I tried that had been before I switched to DEs. I was pretty unhappy with the quality of my shaves, although there were no wounds to speak of.

My current plans are to bring along a cheap (Lord brand) DE, some blades that I'll stash in my checked bag, my Omega travel boar, and a stick of Palmolive. I prefer to face lather under any circumstances, so shave sticks suit me, and they're pretty much ideal for travel purposes. I haven't decided yet what to do about aftershave, since I prefer to splash on some witch hazel. Might pick up some Thayer's witch hazel pads, but other than that, it won't be much different from my home set-up.

Short answers: no, in my experience, my hugely altered travel kit last time was in no way comparable to my home kit. Yes, I accept in theory a slightly compromised shave, as a matter of practicality. I don't really care about BBS, but I certainly am grumpy when I've had a lousy shave that leaves my face feeling like my last shave was half a day ago.