Favorite Minimalist Travel Hacks/Products?

[KathyH]

Coconut oil, with some essential oils that are anti bacterial works well as a deodorant. Coconut oil is anti microbial on its own, the essential oils are additional anti bacterial as well as for scent. I use tea tree, thyme and lavender (less of the thyme than the other two, as its stronger). I scoop some of this into a small container intended for holding a few aspirin. The only downside is that this will become liquid when it gets really hot (over 80 degrees or so in my experience). For travel antiperspirant, I just melt down some of the regular stuff in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and pour it into a sample/small push up container that I buy from soapmaker websites.

I gave up body lotions and face moisturizers years ago. Now the only thing I use full body, including face, is a shea butter / coconut oil combo, sometimes with the addition of cocoa butter, mixed with my favorite essential oils for a light scent.

Coconut oil starts to liquify at 76 degrees F (24C). Shea butter had a melting point of 90 F and cocoa butter is about 95F. Soooo, mixing the shea or cocoa butters with coconut helps prevent the liquification. There are a lot of great (and easy) DIY recipes (Fyi...cocoa butter is a strong smell so must add a little unless you love the smell). When I buy, my go-to is Lux Naturals.

Like @Sturbridge, I scope the mixture into a smaller container for travel.

[moriond]

The salespeople at places like Nordstrom usually have very small bottles, tubs and atomizers for giving samples, they'll let you take a few for a travel kit. They're smaller than anything I have ever seen for sale commercially.

Lush stores give samples in containers that you can reuse. In one of the review threads for the Spiff Kit Deluxe, I showed some of these on the shelf - they’re less than half the height of the Nalgene tubs in the kit, with the result that you can also fold up the shelf with these containers attached to the base (same diameter)

[Izzy]

Anyone have any ideas for a good thin container for 3 weeks worth of prescription meds? The bottle is ridiculously big and cumbersome, considering it only has about 30 tiny pills. I've always dumped the pills into a ziplock bag, but I hate using those...

[fredlet]

Anyone have any ideas for a good thin container for 3 weeks worth of prescription meds? The bottle is ridiculously big and cumbersome, considering it only has about 30 tiny pills. I've always dumped the pills into a ziplock bag, but I hate using those...

I do this with the little travel pill tubes and put my script on it so they don’t have any reason to squawk.


fredletsTravels
http://www.fredletsTravels.com
#TeamUltraviolet

[backpack]

Lush stores give samples in containers that you can reuse. In one of the review threads for the Spiff Kit Deluxe, I showed some of these on the shelf - they’re less than half the height of the Nalgene tubs in the kit, with the result that you can also fold up the shelf with these containers attached to the base (same diameter)

There are contact lenses containers that are that same height and diameter, they are very sturdy. I bought 2 packs in the 90's and still use them for thick moisturizers think Nivea creme or cocoa/shea butter.


This is also the size of single eye shadows, buying your favorite deep shade and a white or cream enables all sort of duo or trio eye makeup looks. The middle shade of pink, peach, brown, even mauve can be used as a blush.

With a lip balm and 2 lip pencils, one light and one deep in color, I am able to make almost every shade of lipstick in that family of color.

I started doing that, in the 90's, again, when a favorite shade of lipstick was discontinued, I then, discovered that I could create many colors with the method shown above with drugstores then Sephora offerings, by the early 00's.

I saw professional makeup artists work with palettes of powders and cream in small containers in many shades of colors, and custom blend a color for elaborate looks like the ones made by the late Kevin Aucoin or the shades that need to be matched in films for continuity.

For best application, a good set of brushes is a must, I splurged on a designer travel set, with holidays and birthday gift money, many decades ago.
I since found out that you can make your own set, with synthetic brushes from art supplies stores, they are cheaper and stronger.


When I discovered Tom Bihn Inc, in 05, I wanted vegan, ethical products made in the U.S and I found organic shea/cocoa butter and aloe vera gel as well as lip pencils.


Lately, the most wonderful Tom Bihn accessory has been the Travel Cubelet which has revolutioned the way I use my SCB, no more fumbling to find the most used Organizer Pouch or items like my lip pencils, lip balm and stylus.

A close second would be the Side Effect, to which I gave a very cold shoulder when it was first created in Cordura, as a waist pack, but with stylish updates, including new fabrics, it has been part of my EDC for years.

It is a very versatile item that can be a great writing instrument case, a diy makeup brushes kit holder, a stylish evening purse, a biking or hiking minimalist pouch and a great inner pocket for a bigger bag.

[Cristina]

Anyone looking for tiny containers should have a look on Etsy.com. Search for ‘5ml cosmetic container’ or ‘5 ml sample pot’ or 10ml or ‘15ml jar’ if you want something slightly bigger. For reference, 5ml is a teaspoon and 15ml is a tablespoon.

[G42]

It actually was a Nalgene container - the dropper bottle. The dropper lid came off. Not the end of the world, but still.

Unfortunately, those are not leak proof, only the ones with normal screw closures. The dispensing caps of various sorts are convenient but you can't make them completely foolproof.

[G42]

If anyone still has some of the old plastic 35mm film canisters from back in the day, they make good tiny sewing repair containers.

You can fit either the tiny travel spools of thread or just wind thread around a small piece of scrap, some needles, a button or two,and some safety pins.

[carrot]

If anyone still has some of the old plastic 35mm film canisters from back in the day, they make good tiny sewing repair containers.

You can buy them brand new on Amazon, to nobody's surprise. A quick look suggests you can get 24 for $10 or 60 for $14.

[GrussGott]

I recently discovered that Scrubba now sell a mini wash bag. It’s about half the size of the original and perfect for underwear and socks or a t-shirt....which is pretty much the extent of my travel laundry

This! and it makes a great packing cube. I'm a 6'2" 200lb dude and I just spent 3 week in Asia and I used it every morning as part of my routine - and I did jeans in it no problem! it's the perfect size for 1-2 people traveling light if you don't mind a daily load. I kinda did a modified version:

(1.) Fill up the scrubba with soap and hot water, do the whites
(2.) Fill up a tub with rinse water (I know, kinda seems weird, but it worked great!), throw in the whites
(3.) Start the next batch of darks in the scrubba
(4.) Rinse the whites, towel squeeze, hang
(5.) Get the darks into rinse and dry.

Was a great system and as long as we did daily loads it was simple, fast, and easily as good as a washing machine. Beyond using as a vacuum packing cube, it also works great as a liner for your pool / beach bag to toss in all your wet stuff.

Just an excellent product and while this was the first run, it held up through daily hard use for 3 weeks so far!

[backpack]

Over the years, I have continually re-purposed, instead of buying containers.

For example a plastic cube container of fizzy-c vitamin can house a couple of cough drops, protect a favorite lipstick or perfume container, house a couple of small pencils or other writing instruments.

I also clean up in hot water, rince, repeat in warm water, then cold water and thoroughly dry, twist containers of lip balms. Now that I can find shea and cocoa butter locally, I can make my own travel size products in those containers, mainly lip balm and eye cream.

I can also make a cream blush out of the cream product and a little bit of eye shadow or blush in powder form.

In dry climate condition, everything moisturizing is a plus, it is also really helpful for combination skin, where some area need goo and other need powder to blotter and avoid a blemish on the point of the nose, in Autumn (around Halloween).

[InAustin]

Merino wool everything has really helped me turn into an ultra minimalist traveler. Just spent ten days in London, packed three merino wool shirts, two pairs of MW underwear and two pairs of MW socks. All fit into one packing cube, plus an extra pair of jeans. One bag of toiletries, one pouch for cables and chargers, one small pouch for medicine and everything fit into a 15x6x9 leather bag. Was the minimal I've ever been as a traveler. It was phenomenal to travel that way. Merino wool isn't magical, but it's an incredible investment.