If you want to fly
with a carry on bag only, and you're wondering
how you're supposed to fit all your toiletries
into a small bag like this, then this video is for you. I'm traveling and living out of a
30 liter backpack since a few years now, and in this video, I thought I would
share with you my best tips and tricks. And I want to talk a little bit about
the products that I use and like. Also how I do with long trips and
very short trips where I go as lightweight as possible. So yeah, I thought I have a lot to share. And I totally get it that everyone is different and some people
are happy with a small bar of soap and a toothbrush, while others
are a little bit more high maintenance. I guess I fall somewhere
in the middle of the spectrum and I can easily fit everything I
need for months into a carry-on luggage. However, it was a process
for me, and also I did not start traveling minimally from the start. Quite the contrary. I can just quickly show you: this beast
used to be my toiletry bag in the past. I think I came a long way and I have
a few good tips and tricks to share. Let's quickly talk a little bit
about the limitations that you're facing when you are traveling
with toiletries in an airplane. And all the airports around the world
have more or less the same rules. You need to transport your fluids
in a quart or one liter sized clear bag and the containers cannot
be larger than 100 ml or 3.4oz. Don't try to take a bigger container
and just fill it less. This is not allowed. Really, the maximum size is 100 ml. You can pack your toiletries in a cheap
one liter ziplock bag or you can also use something
more durable like this. I personally always had the problem
that the ziplock bags broke on me while traveling, and it was sometimes
really hard to find a replacement. So I switched to this clear bag
from Osprey. And I traveled to three continents by now
with it, and it was never a problem. And one thing that will make your life
much easier when you get to the airport is if you already put the bag
with your fluids somewhere in your bag where it's easily accessible. The easiest way to pack less
is just to bring less, obviously. ;-) For me, it always helps to consider
what is provided at my destination. For example, we often go to hotels where
they provide you with shampoo and soap and body wash and all those things. And if you have uncomplicated hair
and you just stay for a day or two, this may be perfectly fine for you. And if what they provide in the hotel
room is not enough then we often just nicely
ask the cleaning lady or at the reception and we always got a little bit more. Another way to pack less is, especially
when you're traveling with others, is to just share a few things. Not everybody necessarily needs
to bring their own shampoo or toothpaste. My next tip is to switch to solid
toiletries as much as possible because the nice thing is that it doesn't even
have to go into the clear bag. This is only for fluids, so everything
you can bring as a solid, you can just pack somewhere else into your bag. Nowadays there are just so many
solid toiletries options. Actually you can really replace
almost everything as a solid. I also did a video a while ago
where I challenged myself to travel with solid toiletries only. I will link it in the description. But I brought a few products
to just give you an idea of which things you can substitute with solids. The most popular solid product probably
in hair care is the solid shampoo bar. These things were around first
and I really enjoy using them. Nowadays you can buy lots
of variations from different brands for different hair needs. Some of them even have conditioners,
integrated or separate conditioner bars, but they are very easy to travel with
and they last for a long time. The most challenging thing, in my opinion,
is how to transport those solid bars. My husband still uses one
of those tin cans, but when he has to transport the soap inside when it's still
wet, it usually turns into quite a mess. I personally prefer to keep
my soaps and my shampoo bars in this Matador Soap Pouch. It's made out of a special fabric
and in theory the bar is supposed to dry through the material… I have very good experience
with this thing and I like that it's very lightweight and flexible.
But inside I use another thing: I personally always travel with a little
suction cup and a hook that I hang into the shower and then I put my solids into
these little soap savers, and then I just always keep them hanging in the shower so
they dry up and they never get so mushy. Another benefit for me
is that some solid shampoos tend to fall apart once they get smaller. Inside these little
soap saver pouches, they're always together and usable. And once it's time to move again, I just
pack everything back into my Matador Soap Pouch and throw it in my bag and I don't have a mess. Another option are those solid
shampoo and conditioner leaves. They're just tiny, thin leaves. Don't take them out with wet hands because
they will stick together. I use two or three leaves to wash
my hair, and there are 50 inside. They are also a nice option
when you want to go ultra lightweight. And since we're talking about hair care
and I just see this in my bag, I personally travel with this
Wetbrush Pop and Go. I really enjoy using it because it works
very well on wet hair and on dry hair, and for me, this is the perfect size to
travel with for longer periods of times. For dental hygiene,
I travel with toothpaste tablets. I prefer the ones from a german brand
called Denttabs. But luckily, there is more companies
making them with fluoride or without. I usually keep them
in a small container like this. I can pack several weeks worth
into a container like this. And then when I want to brush my teeth,
I just chew one tablet, mix it with my saliva, and brush my teeth
as it's supposed to be done. But I know that toothpaste tablets
are not everybody's kind of thing. So I wanted to mention one more thing. I also enjoy using this One Drop Only
toothpaste concentrate. So you really need just
a small drop of it. And I have been already
traveling with this little container… Now I'm here since about
two months, I would say. So this goes a long way. Likewise, my husband has the mouthwash
from them, also from One Drop Only. You just need to add one
or two drops to a cup of water, and you got yourself a mouthwash. So next, let's talk about skin care. And again, there's tons
of options available. There's many solid face washes out there. But my favorite thing at the moment
are those Olay Facials. They're wipes, and you just
need to add some water on them to activate them, and then
you can clean your face with them. And I actually can go a long way
with a sheet like this because I found that a quarter of it is more
than enough for me to wash my face. Another option that does not count
as a fluid would just be cleaning wipes. Also, sheet masks don't count as fluids. And there's also lots of serums
and face creams available as sticks. So lots of options there as well. Instead of shaving cream… I am a little bit lazy. I just use whatever soap
I have at the moment. But you could also just bring one
of those razors with the cushions with the shaving cream
already included. But there's also solid shaving cream. My husband always cuts himself
a slice of the stick and puts it into a small container like this. And with that, he can
travel for a few months. When it comes to deodorant
and antiperspirants, if you switch to one that's a stick,
it also does not count as a fluid. Or another option would be
a crystal deodorant like this. It's just a stone. You make it wet, use it under
your arms, and you're good to go. And if you don't want to bring
a large stick like this, then with most toiletries, you can just melt them
and refill them in a smaller container. For example, of this one,
I would just cut off a slice. I carefully warm it up in the microwave,
and then I would pour it into a small container,
from an old chapstick or something. And then I have enough
deodorant for a few days. And also, when it comes to sunscreen
for the body, I really enjoyed using this solid sunscreen stick from Neutrogena. For the face, I usually bring
this Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreen Powder. I enjoy it very much because
it has an integrated brush, and I can just use it on my face,
and then it's not shining… I just broke it. Great girl! And I enjoy it very much… I have to put this together
in the quiet moment… But I really enjoy using this very much
because my face is never shiny with it. As you can see, we already have lots
of amazing options to pack that don't even count towards the limits, and our bag is still empty. Next, let's talk a little bit
about the fluids you want to bring. And at some point,
you may realize that always buying travel-sized products
is very expensive. Refilling them into smaller containers
is actually much more economic. And I know that the most popular travel
container is a silicone bottle like this. I guess everybody used this at
some point in their life. In my opinion, they work fairly well,
even though they are a little bit bulky. And if I can give you one tip,
if you travel with it in an airplane and it's half empty before you close it,
just squeeze out a little bit of the air and seal it like this. Because with all the pressure changes
in the airplanes, this closure usually pops quite easily
and makes a big mess in your bag. What you can also do is put a little bit
of cling film inside here as well. Or if you want to be absolutely sure
that nothing bad happens, then put it in a ziploc bag extra. But instead of buying travel sized
containers, in my opinion, it's much more nicer to just start
collecting suitable containers over time. In my opinion, many products
come in very nice containers that you can actually refill. For example, my favorite face cream
I always put into this airless dispenser. I don't even remember which product it was
originally, but now my normal cream that comes in this heavy glass jar, I just
refill into this thing and it's much more compact and easier to travel with. Then every time I come across
a nice sample size, I just hold onto it and I have a little collection
of small containers like this. I think this used to be
from a hotel once upon a time. And really, if you start looking,
you find lots of nice options. For example, my favorite antiperspirant
is in a roll-on. Unfortunately, it does not
have a solid version, so I always refill a little bit into this
tiny container that I found. I think this used to be like
a headache roll-on or something, but I can just pop off the head there
and refill it with my antitranspirant. And this saves me a lot of space
and also lasts me for a while. And another type of container I love
to refill are those little squeeze bags. This one is 50 ml. Usually refill it with whatever I need
and clean it out afterwards. And if it gets all gross,
I just throw it away. But this type of container
I really enjoy, because the more you use it up, the smaller it gets. Whereas this thing always stays bulky. So I always try to hold on
to these things when they make sense. What also helped me a lot to reduce the
amount of things I bring is that I always try to find kind of multi-purpose items. Nowadays, you can get many products
that have more than one use. I I think the classic example is like
the 3-in-1 soap kind of thing. That's for the hair,
for the face, for the body. Usually you find this
thing in the mens section. Looks like they're trying
to sell more products to the girls… But for me, they work fairly well. So when I go on a short trip, I usually
bring one of these things with me. Another thing I like to bring
is a cream that I can use for my face and my whole body. Two products that work very well for me
are the Skin Food Light from Weleda, and also the Nivea Soft cream. And it saves me a lot of weight, instead of bringing
special creams for the face and so on. However, if I want to do something nice
for my face or I want to bring something special i usually pack a small serum
like this, or one of those serum drops that come in little one-time packages. Those little drops. And then
I just put this underneath one of those moisturizers
and it's good enough for me. Another one of my favorite multipurpose
things is the Cattier dry oil. I can use it on my face
and on my body, but also on my hair, either before washing or afterwards. Afterwards, just put a little bit
into the lengths, otherwise it will look very greasy. At the end of the day, it is an oil. I always use it when I come out
of the shower, just on my wet body and rub it in, and then
it basically turns into a „cream“. Most creams are also just
a whipped up version of oil and water. So it's basically the same thing
in a more compact form. And especially in the winter,
I really enjoy using it. And another multi-purpose item
are Dr. Bronner soaps. I don't have one here at the moment, but you can use them
for almost everything. From washing your hair,
to washing your body or dishes. Some people even use it as a toothpaste. I never tried that, but yeah. So there's lots of options
that can really reduce the amount of products you need to bring. I also wanted to talk a little bit
about the things that I bring on short and long trips, and maybe let's start
with the short trips. I really enjoy hiking, and sometimes
we hike for several days. Then my goal is to travel
as lightweight as possible. I don't want to haul
all of my toiletries around with me. So the little kit that
I usually make myself is this. This lasts me for two days. What I have in here is one of those
sample packages of a CeraVe moisturizer. I have two quarters
of the Olay face wipes to wash my face. I have a few of those shampoo
and conditioner sheets. I have two toothpaste tablets,
and I have a little bit of floss. And with this small package,
I'm already "good to go" for two days. However, if I go hiking,
I would usually also bring this small, and solid sunscreen with me. And then I really have everything
I need, and it only weighs a few grams. And now let's talk a little bit
about long trips, because there it basically always depends. When Everson
and me are more stationary, so we stay in the same place
for a longer period of time, we just go out and buy the essentials – shampoo,
toothpaste, all those things – there. When we are more on the move and we don't stay in the same place
for longer periods of time, then it's a little bit more challenging, because you kind of have
this issue of restocking, even though many things
last quite a long time. For example, I can go with a shampoo bar I guess, easily a month or
1.5 months. And when I bring the dry oil,
this is 100 ml, if I bring the whole thing,
it usually lasts me for several months. But in many countries, solid toiletries
are not that popular yet. So when you have to buy stuff,
you usually have the issue that you can get almost everything,
like shampoo and all those things, but they come in huge quantities that
are not very practical for traveling. So one thing that my husband
and I regularly do is that we both travel with a 100 ml
silicone container like this. And when we run out of shampoo,
we just buy a big bottle, which is usually around 200 ml. We divide it up between the two
of us, and then we have rarely any waste. Another thing you can do, if your hair
or your body is quite uncomplicated and you're not very picky, is
to just always refill this at the hotels. Many of them now have
those big dispensers. At some point, you have
a wild mix of products in there, but it should still work. Another thing I always like to do
is at every hotel, you usually get a little soap bar. And if it's one that does not
dry out my hand, I usually put them into my soap saver. So in there, I always have a wild mix
of different little soaps, but they work. And I also feel good because
I think it's better for the environment because I think the little soaps at
the end of the day are just thrown away. And if I can stress one thing
at this point, then it really is to please go ahead and test
all the products you want to bring for a while before your trip. For example, for me, shampoo bars -
some work very well, while others leave my hair in a mess
and make my scalp all itchy and it can be very
unpleasant very quickly. So really test your things
for a while before you leave. And now we're fully packed and my toiletry
bag is still half empty. And now that you're a pro at
packing toiletries for carry-on travel, it's time to tackle the rest of your bag. And I recommend you to watch this video
here with my best tips and tricks. So thanks for watching,
and I see you in the next video. Bye.
