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Whether you’re traveling for business of because you’re in need of a much-deserved vacation, you’re going to have to a toiletry bag to transport all of your grooming and maintenance items. And, no. Zip locks are not the preferred choice. Instead, invest in a convenient dopp kit.

Dopp kits earned their names from Charles Doppelt, a German immigrant leather-worker who invented a leather case for carrying toiletries in 1919. These leather cases were actually issued to GI’s during World War II and became a popular gift for adolescent males. Today, a dopp kit is a casual reference to any leather, cloth or vinyl toiletry bag that men use during their travels.

While it may sound easy to put together your own travel kit, you should put a little time and thought into what you’re packing. Just purchasing a small travel bag and throwing in a razor and shampoo just doesn’t cut it anymore.

To make sure that you have a travel kit containing all of your essential items, we’ve put together a handy little guide for you use as you prepare to hit the road.

The Bag

This is where it all starts. Having a dopp kit that is small enough for travel, but also having the right amount of space to hold all of your belongings, is crucial. There are a lot of options out there from expensive designer bags to bags that are affordable on any budget. To help you get started, here are our 5 selections.

Jack Spade Mill Leather Zipper Top Dopp – $115

Filson Travel Kit – $95

Herschel Supply Co. Chapter Dopp Kit – $24.99

Ralph Lauren Shaving Bag – $395

Topo Designs Dopp Kit – $25

The Essential Grooming Items

Now that you have your bag, it’s time to fill with the following essential items.

• Shaving supplies: razor, brush, and cream
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Shampoo
• Comb
• Your hair product of choice

Tip: Save some space, time and problems with the TSA by picking up a prepared travel kit. For example, Aesop offers a travel set that includes shampoo, conditioner, body cleanser and body balm. As for shaving, check out travel options from the Art of Shaving.

The Luxury Items

These are items that you can bring along if you enjoy the finer things in life.

• Moisturizer
• Hand lotion
• Chapstick
• Aftershave
• Mouthwash
• Cologne

Tip: Just as with your essential items, you can consolidate these items by bringing along an all-in-one product, such as Nivea For Men’s Maximum Hydration or Air Repair Rescue Balm.

The Utility Items

These are items that you may want to bring depending on any medical conditions or if you want to get your MacGyver on.

• Sewing kit
• Fingernail clippers
• Aspirin or ibuprofen
• Band-aids or First Aid kit
• Styptic pencil
• Safety pins
• Contact lenses

Tip: If you’re flying and have your kit in your carry on bag, you probably won’t be able to broad with items like fingernail clippers. If you have to bring along an item that could be considered a weapon, pack the dopp kit in your your checked-bag.

Now that you have your dopp kit packed and ready to go, it’s time to see the world. And, not only will do so with a stylish travel bag, you’ll have everything you need to pull off a well-groomed appearance.

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Albert Costill

Just a typical guy that wants an ice-cold PBR with some pizza and wings to go with football on a Sunday. Since venturing into the blogosphere many years ago to discuss his favorite tunes, Al has now moved onto publications by Alpha Brand Media such as AMOG and SoJones to blab about anything and everything else that matters.

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