looking for the BEST toiletry bag or system of packing - HELP

[Grumpy's Gal]

I need to pack and tiny bag for my makeup, toothbrush etc.

Then I need another bag to take for "family" -- maybe like bandaids and pepto -- things we may not need but might.

So two separate bags.

I'm looking for the best, most convenient way to pack.

Who has a toiletry bag that you LOVE?

I'm losing my mind today thinking about this.....please tell me you have one you LOVE and where you got it.

 

[blessedby3]

I dont use a toiletry bag anymore. We have 6 in our family and that adds up to lots of "stuff". Everyone has a deodorant, toothbrush, favorite body spray, etc. We all need shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, shave stuff, etc.
I have found it to be much easier to use gallon zip locs and put the stuff in those and throw them in a carry on type suitcase. Everything is protected in case of a spill, and its all in one place. I leave my make up in my make up bag, but everything else goes in those zip locs and into the carry on luggage together.

 

[java]

I dont use a toiletry bag anymore. We have 6 in our family and that adds up to lots of "stuff". Everyone has a deodorant, toothbrush, favorite body spray, etc. We all need shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, shave stuff, etc.
I have found it to be much easier to use gallon zip locs and put the stuff in those and throw them in a carry on type suitcase. Everything is protected in case of a spill, and its all in one place. I leave my make up in my make up bag, but everything else goes in those zip locs and into the carry on luggage together.

Us too! Family of 6 using the ziploc. Another tip is to pack an over the door clear shoe organizer throw it over the bathroom door- and unpack into that so the sink stays uncluttered.

 

[lilstint]

A few years ago DD gave me a Baggallini Hanging Cosmetic
Bag for Christmas.

I pack everything for the entire family (toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair products, drugs etc.) in it and just hang it on the bathroom door hook.

It's really been great for our Disney trips.

 

[TaraPA]

If you're looking for budget - definitely go the Ziplock route! We do this too quite often.

For the Girls trips (or just for my stuff LOL) I absolutely LOVE the Vera Bradley Hanging Organizer. Not budget related though, unless you can get to an outlet. Each compartment is plastic lined & zippered so spills stay put, and it rolls up & ties. It can be hung almost anywhere. They make a smaller version too, I just saw that on their website.

 

[scrapquitler]

I need to pack and tiny bag for my makeup, toothbrush etc.

Then I need another bag to take for "family" -- maybe like bandaids and pepto -- things we may not need but might.

So two separate bags.

I'm looking for the best, most convenient way to pack.

Who has a toiletry bag that you LOVE?

I'm losing my mind today thinking about this.....please tell me you have one you LOVE and where you got it.

Ziploc bags are your friend

I use ziplocs for most everything because I can be sure that things are sealed, I can take just the amount I need (esp. for bandaids, tablets, qtips, etc) and I can easily see what thing I'm grabbing without having to open everything.

For the Shampoos and things like that, if you are planning to take them in a carryon for the airplane, you MUST put them in a quart size ziploc bag, one per person. Each item must be no bigger than the size mandated by TSA (I can't remember the exact size, I think it's around 2.3 oz or something like that).

If they are not in a carryon, I still place the liquidy things in a ziploc bag for each individual item, that way I minimize mess if something leaks along the way. In the case of packing for the whole family, I'd put the ziplocs together in some sort of a bag or a small plastic bin with a snap on cover.

 

[Judique]

I need to pack and tiny bag for my makeup, toothbrush etc.

Then I need another bag to take for "family" -- maybe like bandaids and pepto -- things we may not need but might.

So two separate bags.

I'm looking for the best, most convenient way to pack.

Who has a toiletry bag that you LOVE?

I'm losing my mind today thinking about this.....please tell me you have one you LOVE and where you got it.

LL Bean, Vera Bradley and probably not possible to find as mine is several years old - Mary Kay.

 

[highwayg]

Check out the LL bean personal organizer! I love mine. Used it last year for disney for 4 of us and it is GREAT! So many pockets and it has a hook and folds out so you can hang it up and still get to all your stuff.

 

[englishteacha]

The LL Bean personal organizer is great. It's a hanging toiletry bag. They have a very small one to a giant family sized one. Mine is medium-ish (it's an older version so the size is different). We camp and often DH and I have to use separate restrooms, so he has his own toiletry kit since we can't share stuff. I keep bandaids, neosporin and such in one pocket of my toiletry kit, and I keep tylenol and tums and such in my purse all the time anyway.

 

[cjackearl]

Ziploc bags all the way! I actually use a lands end toiletry organizer for my things, and other family members have their individual toiletry organizers, but for anything we share, ziplocs. I like being able to see what's inside. I keep sunscreens in one, first aid in another, medication in a third. I can grab the first aid bag to throw in my park bag, or the bag of sunscreen into my pool bag easy peasy.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

another ziplock fan here. We drive so I put everything 'bathroom-y' into a separate small-ish bag (think carry on duffle bag). Things like shampoo are in a ziplock. For us its easier than having to dig through the individual bags to find shampoo/ toothbrushes/ hair brushes etc - it's all in one place.

 

[Marionnette]

I need to pack and tiny bag for my makeup, toothbrush etc.

Then I need another bag to take for "family" -- maybe like bandaids and pepto -- things we may not need but might.

So two separate bags.

I'm looking for the best, most convenient way to pack.

Who has a toiletry bag that you LOVE?

I'm losing my mind today thinking about this.....please tell me you have one you LOVE and where you got it.

Over time, those Ziploc bags will cost you more than a good travel bag. If you don't travel much, then go ahead and use them. But if you travel a lot (even if it's an overnight trip to Grandma's), a nice travel bag is worth the investment.

I bought one at Target a few years ago and I really love it. It opens flat to reveal two zippered compartments - one mesh and one plastic. There is also a hanger ticked inside. The outside has one zippered mesh pocket with elastic loops to hold small bottles of lotion, body wash or whatnot. There is also a snapped pocket on the opposite side. I paid around $20 for it 6 years ago and it is still holding up after multiple trips.

Mine was manufactured by Modella but this one on the Target website is very similar:
http://www.target.com/p/Allegro-Prep-Idol-Weekender/-/A-13697651#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink

 

[lucyem]

We have a carryon sized toiletry bag. The whole thing is lined in thick plastic.

I throw all toiletries in there, though all divided up in smaller bags or zip locks for ease of use. One bag holds all toothbrushes and toothpaste, one holds bandaids/moleskin etc, one holds emergency meds.

Then I have a baggallini toiletry bag I also put in the big bag that holds all my stuff. It hangs up. Since I am the one with all the stuff, the baggallini keeps me all organized and off the counters.

 

[pixiewings71]

I have a bag similar to the one Marionette posted. I put my shampoos, soaps, bodywashes inside small Ziplocs (and I use them repeatedly) and then put them in the travel bag. Each of my girls has their own small bag that they use to take toiletries as well.

 

[Muffin]

I use ziploc bags too.

After unpacking, I keep them with my travel stuff and reuse them for other trips. There's really no reason to throw them away unless you have a spill. And if you really want to be frugal, you could even wash a bag out if something spilled.

I'm assuming you're talking about toiletry items in checked luggage, because you don't have much of a choice when you carry on.

This is what I do in my checked luggage. I pack a separate ziploc bag for different areas. The sink bag has toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, contact stuff, etc. The shower bag has shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc. The nightstand bag has lotion, lip balm, etc. First aid items go in a separate bag. The beach bag has sunscreen, chapstick with SPF, etc.

Then all I have to do when unpacking is drop the bag in whichever area it gets used in.

 

[fitgirl36]

The LL Bean personal organizer is great. It's a hanging toiletry bag. They have a very small one to a giant family sized one. Mine is medium-ish (it's an older version so the size is different). We camp and often DH and I have to use separate restrooms, so he has his own toiletry kit since we can't share stuff. I keep bandaids, neosporin and such in one pocket of my toiletry kit, and I keep tylenol and tums and such in my purse all the time anyway.

Yes! the LL Bean hanging toiletry bag is my favorite!!

 

[ceecee]

I got a great one on QVC but don't remember what it's called. I have one from Lands End as well and we've been using them for 30 years!

 

[MomToOne]

I've had LOTS of toiletry bags over time. But over the years I've come to the conclusion I don't like the ones that have multiple compartments. I prefer one that has just one huge compartment. I think the one I have currently I just got someplace like Target. Multiple compartments just limit the size and shape of the items I can stuff in them.

For medical supplies like bandaids, etc. I just keep those in a ziploc. I throw it into the bedside table drawer in the hotel room once we get there, so I know where it is but it is out of the general traffic flow when it isn't needed. When I get home, I throw the whole ziploc into my "travelling" stash, and just pull it out again for the next trip.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

thanks everyone for your input! Looks like I need to get a toiletry bag AND a box of ziplocs!