My Dopp Kit

 

Zoroaster said that possessions are our baggage on the journey through life and we should therefore be wary of carrying too much. (In the "can't make this stuff up" category, I found just now trying to verify this that there now exists a "Zoroaster" brand of luggage.) How much more true this is when applied to literal baggage and literal journeys.

I myself am towards the "travel light" end of the spectrum (though not so far out as some). This requires more than the mere intention of traveling light but is a skill that can and must be learned. I have taken trips of a week in temperate climes with only a single carry-on bag and a briefcase. In this I am influenced by my history of dabbling in ultralight backpacking, perhaps a subject for a future post. 

On the other hand, when traveling I often like to live with a little more luxury than in my day-to-day life. In this I am significantly influenced by Paul Kyriazi's James Bond Lifestyle seminar. This is reflected both in my choice of accommodations and activities and in the selection of gear that I take along.

In this particular post, I look at the comments of my shaving kit. In these 108 cubic inches, I can aim for a level of luxury perhaps not practical for my everyday life. (And by the way, nothing feels luxurious when you are staggering along with too much luggage.) The most luxurious option is not always the most expensive (shaving cream, for example).

And in both respects, when I travel, I think of the items I choose to carry as my team. And I want my team to be an elite team. Every element is chosen for peak performance. I've made many adjustments to the team over the years. This is where the team stands as of today.

Osgood Marley Dopp Kit: While there are several crafters of high-quality leather goods offering a wide variety of fine kits, my choice  was determined by compactness: this kit is a mere 3x4x9 inches. 

Homemade ultralight first-aid kit: sewn by yours truly from velcro and silicone-impregnated nylon back when I was doing ultralight backpacking. I haven't been backpacking in several years, but there are a few items of ultralight gear that I continue to find useful in daily life.

Panasonic Men's Card-type Compact ES518P-S Silver (Japan Model): chosen both for slick design and ultra-compact design. Another plus is uses standard AAA batteries.

Adoric Life digital thermometer

The Art of Shaving cross-knurl safety razor

The Art of Shaving classic horn 3-blade razor: Yes, I actually do travel with two razors sometimes, because I find them useful for different purposes.

antique toothbrush bottle: took me the longest time to track this down on eBay

Fendrihan handmade fine-tooth metal comb: because I'm tired of teeth breaking off of plastic combs

Hudson Trail Outfitters LED flashlight, Photon LED flashlight: another holdover from my LWB days. Because a hotel room with closed drapes is the darkest place on the surface of the earth. In line with my backpacking philosophy, these provide minimal illumination to relieve absolute darkness at minimal weight.

HQY heavy-duty nail clippers

Brilliant Beauty brand precision tweezers

Astra double-edge razor blades

In addition to the foregoing there are the usual miniature shaving cream, toothpaste, cotton swabs etc. In every case I have found my favorite brand to be something available at the local grocery.