For the One-baggers, what about toiletries
 

Just wondering what one bag travellers do for toiletries given the size restrictions on liquids/gels and just space in general when traveling with only one bag.

I'm a male and I travel with glasses, glasses cleaner, spare contact lenses, contact lens case and cleaning solution, body wash, shampoo, comb/brush, hair styling product, toothbrush and toothpaste, mouth wash, floss, shaving cream and razor, hand cream, and misc medications (pepto bismol, alka seltzer, advil, etc) all are travel sized and I still manage to fill my Swiss Gear hanging toiletry pack, which takes up quite a bit of room in my rolling carry on bag. My questions are:

A: What do you do to reduce the bulk of you toiletries down to a manageable size and into a smaller toiletry bag
B: How do you deal with security given new security rules (especially in the USA) with liquids/gels and the requirement that they be visible and in clear bags at least as I understand it.

Look for smaller bottles for the things you can't go without. I use small bottles from Daiso because 1 oz of face wash is more than I need for two weeks. Test a travel size at home to figure out how much product you'll need and just optimize around your usual trip length. If you bring just in case items, see if you can get it as a solid or wipe and only enough to get you through a day and over to a local store.

New security rules? Did I miss something? The liquids go in the 311 bag. Medically necessary > 100ml can go outside a 311 in the US if you declare them at the check point https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-...-lens-solution. Solid pills and wipes can go outside a 311, too. This doesn't get a onebag any lighter or smaller, though. Weigh that Swiss Gear bag. It could weigh more than your shaving cream and contact lens solution...

The 311 bag needs to be clear correct?

I’m a male and travel lighter than you when it comes to variety of items, but I do use for my one bag travel an amenity kit I received from Delta. I put in it hair brush, tooth brush, razor, razor blades, small & large nail clippers, tweezers, QTips (in a snack sized zip lock), pills and eye glass wipes. Liquids all go in a separate quart sized zip lock.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ff9827409.jpeg

I use a folding/hanging toiletry kit from Eagle Creek (since discontinued). I also carry my own first aid kit in a small packing cube.

The key is replacing liquids with dry items as much as possible. You can repack your own into Nalgene bottles. REI also sells a lot of medications in individually-wrapped packets.

In my toiletry kit I carry:

• Folding toothbrush
• Tooth powder in a 10ml nalgene jar
• Floss
• Comb
• Razors
• Shave oil in a 10ml nalgene dropper
• Face cleanser in a 30ml nalgene bottle
• Deodorant
• Bar soap in a leak-proof soap container
• Spray bottle of glasses cleaning solution
• 5ml pouches of no-rinse laundry soap
• Gold bond powder
• Hand sanitizer
• Sunscreen face stick
• Tweezers
• Nail clippers
• Picaridin (insect repellant) wipes
• Pre-moistened face wipes
• Hand lotion
• Acne cream

My first aid kit:

• Acetaminophen
• Ibuprofen
• Thermometer
• Assortment of bandages
• Tegaderm film
• Pepto-bismal tablets
• Tums
• Alta Seltzer
• Imodium
• Neosporin cream in packets
• Hydrocortisone cream in packets
• Benadryl
• Zyrtec
• Sinus decongestant pills
• Alcohol wipes
• Antiseptic wipes
• Hand wipes
• N95 mask
• Q tips
• Throat lozenges
• Pair of latex gloves
• Disinfecting wipes
• Vial of table salt
• Emergen-C

The first aid kit is about the size of a paperback novel.

Figure out how much actual product you need for your 1 week of travel and find the appropriate-sized refillable bottle and bring just enough for that 1 week. The amount one needs is rarely that entire 3 oz size drugstores sell in their travel section. Other items such as shaving foam can be replaced by switching to shaving oil or even conditioner in a pinch. A 1 oz bottle of shaving oil can last months. I also separate the actual liquids into the liquids bag and the non liquids into its own bag. My toiletries kit is extra-small because it is actually my non-liquids bag.

The easy answer is don't travel with liquids. The only one I have trouble with is toothpaste. Generally I pick up a small tube at my destination because my airline usually provides it in flight. I'm a frequent long hauler so this won't be an option for everyone.

Ultralight backpackers use toothpaste tablets or dehydrate their own into dots. Some options: https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/...ht_toothpaste/

I reduce my liquids with pre-moistened wipes for my glasses and mosquito repellent (if required,) stick deodorant and sun block instead of liquids or gels. My 311 usually has shampoo, toothpaste and shaving gel. Taken to an extreme I could travel with toothpaste powder and shaving soap with a brush but haven't needed to go that far.

Small silicone travel squeeze tubes for favorite hair gel and body wash. Travel size shave cream and contact lens solutions. And I made a OTC med and emergency kit from one of those medical travel wallets.

Tooth powder is the easy non-liquid alternative to toothpaste. Works fine IME.

4" x 6" toilet kit
 

I have a minimal amount of stuff. Interesting to see the range of travel demands in people's responses. I travel anywhere from 1-4 times per month, for 1-4 days per trip. My toilet kit is very small; I just carry a few things:
1) small travel tube of toothpaste (I pester the dentist for extra samples, and buy more from Target)
2) small refillable cologne bottle with my favorite cologne. I use a refillable bottle my wife got me for xmas: This can easily provide 1 week's worth.
3) old orange prescription bottle for my prescriptions / dental flossers / advil / alleve.
4) razor handle & blade (I have a gilette razor, I cut down the holder for the blades to hold a single blade; I never travel with multiple blades)
5) small bottle with shave oil: using J Crew shave oil. I took a small hotel shampoo bottle, washed it out, and pour the shave oil in there. I hate those bulky travel cans of shaving cream/gel!
6) nail clippers
My one luxury is my sonicare. I tried a Quip but hated it (not strong enough). Tried small travel toothbrushes - I just don't get the same "clean" feeling. I have a sonicare platinum that I put in a grey pouch with a Velcro closure (came with the toothbrush).

All in, my toilet kit is 4" x 6", about 1" thick. And then add the toothbrush.

I'm also a male, 22" and carry on. I have several amenity kits now and will use one for the plastic bag and another for razor, shaving stick, badger brush, deodorant, etc. Two of these amenity kits are smaller than my Amazon toiletry bag.

I'm assuming hostel stays or camping when hearing that sort of loadout...

To answer your "What do you do to reduce the bulk of you toiletries down to a manageable size" question, I wouldn't pack all the consumables that are easily available at destination.

Any hotel will have soap, shampoo, body wash, hand cream/lotion, etc. already provided at the bathroom sink.
Additionally, better hotels will give you complimentary shaving cream/razor/toothpaste/mouthwash at the check in upon request. (Hilton, IHG, etc.)

If you're at lodging that doesn't... well, then continue to stuff that dopp bag full. :)

Ask yourself how much of this stuff you really need.

If you are a regular US domestic traveler, you presumably have Pre-Check, directly or through GE/Nexus. In that case, the 3-1-1 bag does not come out of the suitcase and the chances of anyone saying anything about anything are closing in on zero.