All Inclusive List of Tips for Ultralight Packing

[trailrunner]

@SKIMT and @Fulton Like haraya I tend to travel with my lightweight neutral T-shirts regardless of color--I've worn my lightweight black v-neck U-60 Ibex in all kinds of hot weather--it is just super breathable. What I've been frustrated with in the lighter colors (I have a lemon yellow Ibex) is that they tend to be very see-through. The ivory Duckworth shirt was a bit better in that regard, but the weaver was not as tight (a bit "fluffier")--I ended up not liking the cut nearly as the v-neck--but that is all personal preference. I've not experienced the Outlier cotton-merino T-shirt that I referred to first hand, but I did get my husband a heavyweight Outlier cotton-merino dress shirt (but in that case the fibers are woven together) and that seems super nice--he just hasn't worn it much yet to get a real good sense of it.

[Hanaper]

Talking about colours, consider taking things that can all go in the same wash load. When you do get the chance to stop and do a proper wash, including the heavier things you wouldn't normally get dry overnight, it's convenient if they can all go in together. For us that means avoiding whites and lights.

* Merino doesn't cope well with driers, so for the heavier stuff allow an extra day of drying time. If you're somewhere that has a drying cabinet, those are fantastic. (Fond memories of the drying cabinet in the communal laundry of our AirBnB in Stockholm, where we got to wash and dry All The Things and set off fully cleaned for the next phase of our journey.)

* Don't wash fluffy towels with merino. The towels shed, and the merino picks up the lint. (We don't travel with towels.)

[bijoux]

Light coloured men's merino available from

Mens crew neck top - T-shirt - 170g - Smitten~merino
Merino Wool Short-Sleeved V-Neck Spencer | Avoca | Heaven On Earth

[SKIMT]

Another update. I found someone else online had made toothpaste dots and let them dry for an ever lighter and more convenient option.

Toothpaste Dots Keep Down Toiletry Bulk When Carrying Light

We don't like toothpaste with fluoride or some of the other chemicals, and had a hard time finding one of the more natural options that would actually dry. I just noticed Dr. Bronners peppermint toothpaste in our local health food grocer and picked up a tube and tried it. Within 48 hours it was dry enough to not stick together. The toothpaste drops taste better than the powder and is easier to use.

[Kerrpe]

No need for a tooth powder recipe - plain old baking soda works great. I often use it at home, too.

Mini zip-loc type bags for pills are lightweight, especially if the trip is less than a week.
I buy phone charging cords that are less than a foot long.
All-in-one color stick for makeup (Boom Stick is a great color.)
Ex officio undies - wash up great in the sink (hotel soap or shampoo works for laundry detergent, I don't carry any)
No more than two pairs of shoes, one on your feet, one in the bag!
Stuff sacks for things that don't need rolling or folding, you can pack a lot in one. Plus, they conform to odd spaces in the bag easier than something structured (like a snake charmer.)

No travel pillow or giant headphones or high heels for me.

[aedifica]

Lush makes toothpaste tablets and toothpaste powder, for those who don't want to mix their own or use baking soda. I tried the tablets a while ago and liked them OK, but they don't have that flavor anymore--so I can't give a specific recommendation of any of the flavors they have now. Teeth | LUSH Cosmetics

Since I do use a 3-1-1 bag I don't have to avoid the wet kind of toothpaste. I put some into an 8mL tube (with the help of a needle-less syringe) and it was enough for me for a 10-day trip, brushing my teeth twice most days. I got the tubes and syringes inexpensively on Amazon, along with some 15mL tubes that I'm using for shampoo and conditioner. (My hair does better when I wash it 2-3 times a week and not daily, so I don't need a whole lot of shampoo.)

I just remembered I have a photo of the tiny toiletries because I texted it to my sister. My "travel-size" deodorant looks huge next to the rest, maybe I'll try out one of the other deodorant options from this thread! All this fit in half a 3DCOC, leaving plenty of room for the small can of Static Guard that I never ended up using.


Pictured: 15mL tubes of shampoo, conditioner, feminine wash (like a very gentle body wash for delicate areas). 8mL tubes of unscented dish soap for washing my CPAP mask, toothpaste, lotion. 1 oz GoTubbs of cold cream (for occasional makeup removal) and shoe leather sealer (for some new shoes I was having delivered to me while on vacation). I wrote the labels directly onto the tubes with a Sharpie, then put clear tape over top so the marker wouldn't rub off.

[pvn]

Yeah, "travel size" deodorant is by far the most obscenely over-sized item in my bag. The packaging for these things is just insanely inefficient.

I usually carry a small bottle of Dr. Bronner's soap, you can use that as shampoo, for washing clothes, and even brushing your teeth.

[Pokilani]

I once melted my deodorant and poured it into an extra large lip balm container that I had used up (Fresh Sugar brand) and cleaned very well. It lasted a whole week. It takes extra time to apply it, which can get tiresome.


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[Ms. Ferret]

I once melted my deodorant and poured it into an extra large lip balm container that I had used up (Fresh Sugar brand) and cleaned very well. It lasted a whole week. It takes extra time to apply it, which can get tiresome.


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I do this too! I don't use a lot of deodorant so I usually use oval lip balm containers like these: https://www.etsy.com/listing/2694031...-tube-015oz42g
If I used more I'd probably try something more like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4956237...tubes-w-caps-2

[Frank II]

For those who like to take their own toothpaste and want an easy way to travel with it:

Toothpaste To Go. Find it at the Container Store.

https://www.containerstore.com/s/too...aste%20to%20go

[melhoune]

I do this too! I don't use a lot of deodorant so I usually use oval lip balm containers like these: https://www.etsy.com/listing/2694031...-tube-015oz42g
If I used more I'd probably try something more like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4956237...tubes-w-caps-2

Actually the best is to switch to natural deodorant, which you can easily put in small travelling containers for a trip lasting a couple of days. The first natural deodorant I have used is from Primal Pit Paste, it is made in the US (so I had to make some logistic magics to get it to Europe) and it comes in jars, sticks (which are actually quite huge) and mini jars. The best is to buy some jars together with some mini jars, and then re-use the mini ones for travelling. I have had mine for years already.

I use since a different brand of natural deodorant (made in Europe), but I still use my Primal Pit Paste mini jars!

[melhoune]

Pictured: 15mL tubes of shampoo, conditioner, feminine wash (like a very gentle body wash for delicate areas). 8mL tubes of unscented dish soap for washing my CPAP mask, toothpaste, lotion. 1 oz GoTubbs of cold cream (for occasional makeup removal) and shoe leather sealer (for some new shoes I was having delivered to me while on vacation). I wrote the labels directly onto the tubes with a Sharpie, then put clear tape over top so the marker wouldn't rub off.

I know it sounds hard-core minimalist but you can replace the feminine wash, the dish soap and anything you use to wash yourself in the shower with a good quality natural soap, the best being the french "savon de Marseille" or an as good "Aleppo soap" (which is actually not necessarily made in Aleppo, it is all about the recipe). For European Binhions I would recommend aleppo soaps from Gaia, made in France, and savons de Marseille from Marius Fabre.
Alternatively, you can replace your shampoo and conditioner with an all-in-one baby shampoo, which can double as shower gel and soap for the body and feminine wash and soap to wash anything. I use for example the one from Weleda.

[aedifica]

I know it sounds hard-core minimalist but you can replace the feminine wash, ... with a good quality natural soap,

It is possible that I could, but I'm not willing to risk it. I use the feminine wash because it's the only thing I've tried that doesn't irritate my skin there. That's worth packing an extra item for!

[SKIMT]

I do this too! I don't use a lot of deodorant so I usually use oval lip balm containers like these: https://www.etsy.com/listing/2694031...-tube-015oz42g
If I used more I'd probably try something more like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4956237...tubes-w-caps-2

This is what we do too, works great. We can go at least a week on one small oval container. We use Desert Essence which is soft and grippy enough to just shovel some into the smaller tube from the big one. It all blends together and applies without any crumbling.

[pvn]

I once melted my deodorant and poured it into an extra large lip balm container that I had used up (Fresh Sugar brand) and cleaned very well. It lasted a whole week. It takes extra time to apply it, which can get tiresome.

I just did this, I didn't even need to melt it. Just squished it in there. Huge space savings. There was a little left over, but not enough for even half of a 2nd tube.



Travel size deodorant is infuriating not only because of the size inefficiency but also because it's just hard to find. 90% of the time I check at target they only have antiperspirant. Now I can just use a regular size speed stick.