Finally! I can’t believe it’s taken me five months to write about what I take when travelling. I love to pack light – just love it! Some may look at this and think ‘that’s not light’, and I’m cool with that! Everyone’s different, so, without further ado, here’s what’s in my new toiletry bag.
It’s a three-zippered number from deuter, with a capacity of 1.2 litres, weighing 50g when empty.* Until recently, I used a single zippered lightweight case from Eagle Creek (which I can’t find on the internet), but I’m loving the organisation options of the new bag – three compartments for easy access!
The old … (pen is for size reference)
… and the new
We’re (hopefully, depending on the weather) going hiking/walking for five to six days next week from Constance to Einsiedeln in Switzerland, which is basically the first third of the Swiss Camino.
We don’t know where we’ll be staying along the way, so I have to assume that some nights may be in youth hostels or basic hotels, where no toiletries are provided.
Sample or travel sizes are your friend (most of these were free!). Here’s what I’ve packed for one week:
- Toothbrush (very lightweight and slim)
- Toothpaste (I have two small toothpastes 25ml and 30ml, each about a third full, so will take them both to use them up)
- Floss (mini)
Dental things
- Shampoo (sample/travel size, 30ml)
- Conditioner (sample/travel size, 30ml)
Shampoo and conditioner
- Body and face moisturiser (in orange GoToob, 60ml)
- Deodorant (spray bottle, 30ml)
Moisturiser and spray deodorant
- Contact lenses
- Contact lens case
- Contact lens solution (15ml)
So I can see the pretty scenery!
- Soap (for face and body, 40g)
- Toner (love a refreshing spritz of toner, 10ml)
- Perfume (a sachet and a small sample size (1.5ml) – nice for a few evenings!)
Soap, toner and perfume samples
- Tablets (hayfever, vitamins, headache, penicillin (for tonsillitis), gastro-stop (the last two are for just-in-case moments) in a small plastic ziplock bag
- Cotton buds
- Toothpick
- Bandaids
- Hotel-size sewing kit (for dealing with (hopefully no) blisters). The past four items are all in a small ziplock bag)
Tablet bag and cotton bud bag
- Hairbrush (foldable with a mirror inside)
Folding hairbrush
- Foundation (sample size, 7ml)
- Eye and cheek powder (silver duo compact)
- Eye and cheek brush (small)
- Eyeliner (mini)
- Mascara (very thin, light and short)
- Lip balm
Make-up items
When it’s all listed out, it looks like so much, but I’ll use everything (except possibly the make-up) every day.
Now it all goes into the three pockets of the washbag:
- Back zip: Brush, make-up
- Middle zip: Soap, shampoo, conditioner, toner, moisturiser, deodorant, contact lens things, packet of tablets, packet with cotton buds etc
- Front zip: Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
Back compartment (without the brush)
Main compartment, with ziplock bags and soap flat at the bottom
Front compartment
And this is what it looks like when it’s all zipped up. There’s still a bit of room in there, and will gain more as the tablets get taken.
All zipped up and ready to go. Total weight 620 grams
I’m pretty happy with that total weight, just over half a kilo, and if I didn’t feel the need to pretty myself up at night, I would ditch the make-up completely.
But wait? What about sunscreen, I hear you say! I wear a wide-brimmed hat, neck scarf, long-sleeved top and pants to avoid sunburn (damn thee fair, sensitive skin!) and carry a small sample-size sunscreen, about 7ml, in the pocket on the waistband of my backpack for easy access and regular cheek and nose applications. The lip balm (which also has sunscreen in it) lives in my trousers’ pocket.
So there you have it. In a dream world, where I had 20/20 vision, my skin wasn’t dry and sensitive and I had short hair, I think my toiletry bag would look very different. Eventually, I’d like everything to be eco-friendly plant or oil-based items, but because I have these things already, and most of them were free, it would be crazy not to use them. I’d love to travel with one natural soap for everything, one oil as a face, body and hair moisturiser and bicarb soda as toothpaste and deodorant. One day! One day! (I look forward to writing that post too!)
What toiletries do you like to take when travelling? Do you use sample sizes or take the lot?
Check again soon for posts about my backpack, walking clothes, casual clothes and sundry/miscellaneous items.
* As always there are no affiliate links on this site. I’m just providing you with information and receive no perks or money from the companies and products mentioned, giving me free reign to say if I like them or not.
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