Go BIG or Go Home!

  I must admit, I have a weakness for those little tiny "airplane bottles" of whiskey.  They’re so cute!  I believe I have collected all of the world’s brands of Bourbon whiskey that have ever been distributed in a small glass bottle.  I even have the "Baby Booker" bottle, which I stumbled into in France of all places.  Booker Noe is fabulous whiskey and, of course, it’s distilled in Kentucky.  How a tiny glass bottle of it found it’s way to a duty-free shelf in Leon, France is beyond my comprehension, but it’s in my basement now, safely displayed properly behind the bar and as far away from French lips as I could carry it.

Anyway, I’d never drink any of these little gems (My wife did once… but that’s another story.  She says it was an “emergency”) because they’re fairly collectible and besides, there’s not enough whiskey in them to bother. 

I feel the same way about those little sample size bottles of shampoo, mouthwash, hair goop, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.  There is usually more than enough for one “use” but not nearly enough for two or three.  Many travel tip websites out there recommend these and I just don’t see the point.  When you travel a lot, you really want to feel “at home” while you’re on the road, and not like you’re camping or like you’re stuck in a prison with daily rations.  Besides, if you did use these, you’d be making weekly trips to Wal-Mart to replenish your supply and nobody wants that.

So, here’s what I recommend, and your mileage may vary.  I bought two identical shaving kits (or make-up cases, if you’re a woman).  I stocked each of them with identical items, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, hair-gel, razor, and even identical hairbrushes, etc.  I leave one at home by the sink, and I leave the other in my suitcase (I never unpack my suitcase, I just rotate the items inside of it). 

It makes me sad sometimes that I use more razorblades and deodorant from my suitcase travel kit than from my home kit, but that only proves my point.  If you’re a road warrior, why confine yourself to the little things?