Packing for Airplane Travel - Toiletry Items

Yes- I travel for work a lot, so I tend to have a collection of tiny shampoo bottles. I keep a couple when they are empty and fill them with my own products. Perfect size and they don't leak!

These are TSA rules, not the airlines, so it doesn't matter who you fly. Check the TSA site for the latest rules. Carry on liquids/gels must be in containers that are 100 ml (3.4 oz) or smaller. You must be able to fit all of your carry on liquids/gels in one quart size ziplock bag. You can buy regulation size containers at just about any store, Walmart, Target, etc. in the same places where you can buy travel size items. Items do not have to be in the original packing. I always put a bit of saran wrap over the top before I screw the lid back on to prevent leaks.

For packing, roll clothes rather than folding them to save space. Large items go in first at the bottom and gaps can be filled in with socks and underwear. If you won't have laundry service where you are traveling, pack a few plastic bags to hold dirty clothes. Plan outfits to match just a couple of pairs of shoes.

Any liquids or gels in your carry on have to be in containers that are 4 oz or less. They all need to be in a ziplock bag. That includes any Chapstick or lipstick as well. You cannot have a container larger than that size with just a small amount in it. I buy all of my little containers at Target for just a dollar or two a piece. Look is their pharmacy area where they have travel sizes of different products.

I don't carry any of that on the plane though. It all goes into my checked luggage. The only things I carry on are the things that would typically be in my purse. Even though I am checking it I still take the small containers. Even being gone for two weeks I don't usually need more than 4 oz of anything. If I do run out, I pick up a travel size of whatever I need. The only things I take in their original package is things like the styling foam I use bug spray, spray sunscreen, etc. that can't be put into another container. Liquid medications I also take in their original containers.

I always double bag any liquids in ziploc bags. The change in pressure can cause plastic bottles to pop open or even split open. I never fill them completely full so their is room for things to expand.

I have a good cosmetics bag that holds almost all of my things that can lie flat in the suitcase. That saves a lot of space. I also use the compression bags to pack clothing. Fill the bag with clothes, zip it closed, squeeze all the air out and you can pack a whole lot more into a suitcase.

M.

The guideline is 3-1-1 3 ounces, 1 ounce and 1 ounce in a ziploc bag.

No. If your products are in checked baggage, they do not need to be in original packaging.

Have you gone to TSA.gov to get more information? it does not matter WHAT airline you fly with - it matters what TSA says.

http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/3-1-1-liquids-rule

If your products are that huge? Buy them when you get there. I would go to the Container Store and check into their travel system. I saw a presentation last weekend that was pretty cool and if I needed it right then? I would have purchased it.

You can also use ziploc bags and get the air out pack more in a bag. They have the Ziploc travel bags - and you roll the air out instead of using a vacuum cleaner to suck it out.

Make a list of what you need for the trip.
Set it out on your bed.
I put my sets of clothes together and fold them together. Yes, I use the 2 gallon ziploc bags and roll the air out. I had a shampoo burst one time in flight and I NEVER want that to happen again.
I have a Mary Kay roll up bag that holds all my stuff - and I have a spot for it in my luggage.

Safe travels!

I always check my bag with toiletries. Easy peasy.

We are frequent fliers and are not subject to baggage check fees which is about $25 per bag. It's not worth the effort to me to spend more $$$ on containers just to carry a bag on.

It's not worth the worry!!!

If you are adamant about carry on only, skip packing and buy your toiletries when you get to your destination.

Example... My dad came here last week.. He packed zero toiletries because I set up my guest room and bath with everything someone might need and more.

We fly American and Southwest.

They sell TSA approved travel size containers in a kit at Walgreens and Walmart-like stores. I just got some for our cruise. They are inexpensive and even have stickers you can put on them saying what's inside. No, they don't have to be in their original containers.

If you want packing tips, google or pinterest search "packing tips". There are a ton. Good luck.

It might just be easier to buy what you need when you get there.

Whatever containers you choose, be sure to check them for leakage before you travel. I've bought "travel" containers that have leaked profusely >.<

You don't have to have original packaging. If you have prescription meds, you need to keep those in the original bottles that show your name and your doctor's name and the name of the drug.

I don't know what Container Store is, but I just make sure that what I have clearly shows the ounces. I have bought smaller plastic bottles at the drug store and put shampoo and conditioner in them. I put anything liquid in a plastic ziplock and anything that is too big in my checked baggage.

I do tend to go pretty bare bones when I travel, but I have what I need. Anything that isn't liquid goes in a different plastic ziplock bag. That way if something leaks, it doesn't mess up my makeup brushes, etc.

i've mostly ceded this battle and just buy what i need when i arrive. if i'm going to bermuda, where everything costs an arm and a leg, i pack my toiletries in big clear ziplock bags and put them in my checked baggage.
khairete
S.

You can get a package of 4, 4oz. travel bottles at Dollar Tree. Perfect size for a trip. If you must pack some bulky stuff, check it. Have fun!

When we travel to a place and plan on being there for several days I go buy some of my toiletries when I get there. It sure keeps my packing so much easier. In all reality, your hair and skin will be fine even if you just wash it in normal shampoo and when it's dry and crazy pull it back in a ponytail bun.

Go have fun and enjoy it and don't pack stuff you can buy in sample sizes or even small sizes from a local store. Even when I just go to my sisters house or to a friends house out of state I will pack very little extra stuff.

I bought a small see-through plastic zipper package with 4 3-ounce bottles inside. I use them for shampoo, conditioner, lotion and hairspray (one has a pump spray top on it). I think I got it at Bed Bath & Beyond but I've seen theme everywhere. If you need more product, get 2. I like it because the bottles don't slide around as much as they do in a ziploc bag that's too loose, but you can pack more in one bag if you want to. I've never had stuff leak. But you can practice at home - fill them ahead of time, shake them, leave them on their sides, etc.

Things don't have to be in their original containers - after all, a terrorist could easily put stuff in a big shampoo bottle, right? If you pack in a zipper bag so that things lie flat next to each other, a few zipper bags can be stacked on top of each other. It's when you pack things so they're too bulky, then they are hard to pack around in the suitcase. But using socks and underwear to fill up little spaces is a classic packing technique. Put the bulky stuff on the bottom, put small items around them, and make it all as flat as possible. Then lay your folded things on top of that.

The TSA website will have all the specifics.

I do a mix of toiletries in my checked bag and some in my carry on. I like to have hand sanitizer, chapstick, lipstick and moisturizer on hand. Those go into a quart size zip lock bag and I set them out in the bin during the security check along with electronics and shoes. If I'm just doing a quick trip and can fit everything in a carry on, I bring travel size everything and it all has to fit in the quart baggie.

here's a good link :)

http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/gallery/pack-beauty-pr...

Here's an idea for small containers for some toiletries: contact lens cases. If you wear contact lenses, you probably have some extras. If not, then it might not be worth buying them. They're ideal for storing make-up foundation, moisturizers, etc. Use a permanent marker to label what's in them.

You could always go to a drugstore at your destination. That is what I used to do when traveling to Europe.