Updated February 20, 2021
Create a travel comfort pack to house those small items that come in handy to enhance personal hygiene and comfort while on the move.
For example, there have been times when a travel pack of three-ply tissues has been the most important item in my day bag. Without going into too much detail, those times have usually involved an upset stomach and a public toilet. While on the subject of public toilets, in many countries soap isn’t provided so travelling with soap leaves makes sense for those occasions when cleaning with water needs a helping hand. Throw a bottle of hand sanitizer into the mix, along with a few other items such as lip balm and facial wipes, and a sizeable collection of useful travel products begins to take shape.
Create a travel comfort pack
You likely have a small pouch or zippered cosmetics case that could serve as a container for your travel comfort pack. It needs to be large enough to carry what you need, and small enough to fit inside your day bag or in-flight personal bag. The idea is to have your comfort items organized, protected, and readily accessible and not have them left to roam within the cavernous expanse of a bag.
My comfort pack is a small packing cube 6.5 by 4.5 by 2.5 inches (16.5 by 11.5 by 6 centimetres). Empty, it weighs just one ounce (29 grams). The clamshell lid with dual zipper pulls allows for easy access. The webbing handle means it is easily carried or hung on a hook in a public washroom. There’s no need to place it on a surface of questionable cleanliness.
The comfort pack resides in my day bag with a small first-aid kit, on an almost permanent basis. Both readily transfer to my pocket shopping bag (ChicoBag Vita) when pressed into service as a beach bag, or to carry to a bike pannier on cycling trips. This way, I just need to remember to transfer two pouches instead of several individual items.
If you don’t have a suitable packing organizer that could serve as a travel comfort pack, check out the online marketplace Etsy for possibilities.
Contents of a travel comfort pack
Here are some ideas on what to include in a travel comfort pack.
- 50-leaf pack of pocket hand wash leaves (Sea to Summit)
- 6 towel tablets (TowTabs/Wysi Wipes/dollar store towel tabs)
- travel pack of 3-ply tissues to double as emergency toilet paper
- hand sanitizer
- biodegradable sanitizing wipes (EO)
- moisturizing lotion (Nature’s Aid Moisturizing Skin Gel)
- lip balm (Nature’s Aid)
- wooden toothpicks and interdental toothpicks (Gum)
- panty liners (Natracare)
- cotton buds (Organyc)
- cotton balls (Organyc)
- tiny jar of Boroleum for air travel and dry environments.
Do you have a similar travel aid? If so, what does it contain?
If you found this post useful, you might be interested in the following related posts:
- No soap? No problem travelling with soap leaves
- Travel with tablet towels: a multipurpose essential every traveller should pack
- Organizing a 3-1-1 bag for toiletries and cosmetics
- Are you travelling with expired toiletries?
- Save money for where it counts: cruise dollar store aisles for travel products
- Get inspired. Shop Etsy for unique travel products
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I really am enjoying your site. I am going to S. Africa with your friend Anne in September. She, of course put me on to your site.
I was wondering which toiletry bag you use/recommend? I just ordered one through EBags but did consider one from LL Bean but any other suggestions will help.
I already got the Motherlode Weekender and a Travelon Daypack.
Thanks for all your great information.
Hello Jean. Thank you for dropping by. I like the Baggallini Hanging Cosmetic Bag, mostly because of the windows on all compartments. It’s large enough to accommodate lots of toiletries and related items lined up beside each other, with the depth of the packed kit only as deep as the diameter of the largest container. With the bottom detachable compartment removed, it mirrors the dimensions of the Motherlode and fits perfectly when laid flat on top of everything else. Unfortunately, its empty weight is a little heavier than I’d like so when I need to pack for a budget carrier, I just take my 3D clear organizer cube (Tom Bihn). It has a hook and doubles as a 3-1-1 bag. All the best in packing for your trip to South Africa. Just shout if I can be of any assistance.
Anne Betts recently posted…Blue cruise on a Turkish gulet