What is your favorite "travel size" shaving cream or soap for air travel? With all the trouble flying these days, I am cautious with what I put in checked baggage versus carry-on. What is your favorite carry-on shave soap? Do you just put some of your favorite "cream" in a little container and call it good or, do you have some 'factory" option that meets TSA requirements? TIA, Sid
Soap is a solid, so there are no restrictions on the size of soap you are allowed to bring. As far as shaving creams go, any of the tube sized shaving creams also fall below the minimum size requirement, though you will need to store them in a clear quart sized bag with the other liquids. For the tub sized creams, like Trumper's or one of the other 3 T's, I use the lip balm sized containers with the screw tops. They sell them in 4 packs in the 'travel size' section at most stores. I bought mine at Walmart.
Thanks for that recommendation. A little tub would be good for my carry-on and lost luggage or missed connection concerns. I guess I should check for some smaller soaps as well next time I'm on shave resell site for an order.
A shave stick like La Toja or Speick would be a good travel choice; compact size, solid, and fun to use.
I have been curious about the Speick shave products so, I'll certainly throw one of those in my next order! La Toja is a new one to me but, with as much good press as I see on this site, I think I will throw one of those in as well.
La Toya sticks contain alum, so you might notice a bit of powdery residue post shave, but it also stops nicks from bleeding, so it makes for a nice all in one type of product.
I keep a stick of Arko in the dopp bag for my travels. I’d heard that it lathers well. Whether it be hard to soft water. So far that has been my experience.
Doubles as a urinal puck too. I've heard the smell eventually fades. I should have bought a 12 pack years ago to see if that is true. I could never get past the industrial Lemon Pledge scent. La Toya at least smells kind of like Drakkar Noir.
As of the last time I looked, TSA viewed croaps as liquid, so they would be subject to the same restrictions as creams. That may have changed, though. I avoid the whole question by putting my shaving gear in checked luggage.
The individual TSA agent also has a lot of discretion as well when doing a security check. Most are reasonable but, if you fly much, you will run across the one having a bad day with his wife or kids and the "normal rules" don't really apply anymore. A few are just plain and simply terrible people like you see in any large government entity that shouldn't be facing the public, or even on the payroll IMHO. Which works great IF your bags arrive at your destination. A lot of people on Christmas travel might have a thing or two to add about MIA-checked luggage!
Which means that one way or another you're risking your gear as soon as you need to fly. You just have to choose which risk to take. I only take inexpensive, current production shaving gear on a flight. If I can drive there in a day, I do that and skip the airlines and TSA completely. I've never totally lost a checked bag. One did take an extra day to catch up with me, but I can skip a day's shave or get a disposable from my hotel. My personal bag, with me in the passenger compartment, always contains one change of clothes just in case. And if I'm flying with my wife, each of us packs a change of clothes in the other's bag.
I have had the displeasure of missed connections without compensation and no access to a hotel reasonably close to the airport. Regarding bags, I haven't had one totally lost but, MIA for multiple days. After a really bad day of travel and overworked difficult airport employees, it is nice to have something other than a hotel toothbrush and cheap razor if I get that far. It is even more beneficial if I'm stuck at the airport to nap in an uncomfortable chair. While I don't want to lose a ~$25 EJ DE89 or something similar to TSA, in the overall expense of air travel, that is a really small cost overall compared to parking, meals, drinks, etc. Sometimes a nice routine in the middle of chaos is worth more than the risk and extra hassles to me. A quality disposable has worked for me in the past but, these days costs are becoming outrageous and the process of a Safety Razor shave is good for my "headspace". Finding blades in the shops though can be problematic but, most have a few items like you would see at a hotel for a few bucks.
Thanks, everyone! I just want to let everyone know I have a La Toja and Speick stick headed my way. One was listed as 50g and the other as 1.75oz. Not sure how they will work for the carry-on limits with other items since they are both 50g~1.75oz but, I need to start somewhere and these two worked out well to toss in with an existing order. I still need to think about some alternatives I can put in a little tub of some sort. Still looking at some of the cream and gel-oriented options. Here at least, if all else fails the little travel cans of something like Edge gel are easily available for a good price at a wide variety of places which is probably most appropriate for an airport bathroom and overnight in the waiting area or a touch-up on an international flight.
