Today I am writing about the little travel-sized bottle that I use to carry shampoo.
I am a traveler. I love everything about traveling including the inconveniences and occasional privations. I complain little, actually need far less than average, and tend to thrive in the moment, no matter what the situation is, and I actually live for those "emergencies" when my skills, knowledge or willingness to act becomes an asset. That being said, I have put a lot of thought over the years on streamlining my travel techniques and my kit.
Case in point, I've even whittled down my "toiletry" kit from a conventionally sized compartmented bag with lots of "mini" products that mimics my medicine cabinet at home, down to just a small nylon mesh pouch with all the essentials which could fit in my pocket if necessary. Mostly I've found ways to make every object and every product do double or triple duty.
My choice of travel bottle for my shampoo/conditioner/soap is a good example. It is a seemingly very simple object, but choosing the right one (size, color, design, contents) can give one many "value added" advantages on the road.
First the bottle itself should be sized small enough in volume to be TSA compliant (3 oz) and an oblong shape which is easy to grip (that is, rather than spherical or too wide in any dimension that would make it difficult to hold onto when wet). A smooth, non-jagged shape (no sharp corners or edges) is also desireable. I find that 3 oz is just sufficient for about 3 showers/bathings/cleanings and perhaps a 4th by adding water and shaking it to rinse off the residue. Therefore, doing the math, maybe it's enough for a long weekend trip, or over a week out in the field (camping). Most of the time, I may not even have to use my own shampoo/soap products since hotels routinely provide complimentary sample size bottles.
Next a bottle with a decent sized opening facilitates cleaning and refilling the container. What's "decent sized"? Let's say, big enough to stick a finger, brush or funnel in. And I've found the ability to go "hands free" a desireable feature. Usually this means just placing the bottle down on a shelf or the edge of the tub, but if there is no flat edge or shelf handy? what if you're in a portable or rudimentary shower or out in the woods somewhere? I've found that a hole, grommet, or loop shape moulded into the bottle itself makes it convenient for attaching a nice waterproof lanyard, the ol' "soap on a rope" trick. The bottle hangs conveniently around the neck, no slipping out of the hands, no mislaying it in a shower of unfamiliar configuration with soap in the eyes. Additionally, since it hangs cap down, the product is pools by gravity toward the bottom where it is ready to be dispensed.
The bottle itself should be soft, pliable yet durable plastic, like PVC. This allows the contents to easily be squirted out and it should last for many refillings without cracking or splitting. It also allows for any air space to be squeezed out prior to altitude changes or airflights so you don't have messy explosions. Additionally, the bottle should be a clear (or cloudy transparent) plastic which allows ready visual confirmation of how much product is dispensed and how much is left. It may also help TSA inspectors identify the product.
Possibly the most critical component is the cap. It should be made of a flexible non-shattering plastic. It should screw on tightly and not leak spontaneously even when jostled around or subject to pressure changes. The cap must be operable (openable and closeable) with one hand. The hinge of this cap must be hardy i.e. it should not be prone to break/detach from plastic fatigue after repeated use. Ideally, it will have a secondary nipple and valve like aperture which prevents overspill and leakage when soap is dispensed. A standard diameter and threading may also eventually be a desireable feature so that if the cap hinge (the weak point in this entire system) wears out, you can easily replace it with a similar cap from another bottle (like I found a certain sunscreen cap fits on my bottle).
What I choose to fill my bottle with, after much trial and error, is one of those new 3 in 1 products, like Pert Plus for Men, and/or Irish Spring Hair and Body (with Conditioner). These are shampoo, conditioner and body wash combined conveniently, I think, in one product. It saves time, it saves space, and most importantly, it works. My second choice is the biodegradeable camper's soap available at most surplus and outdoors stores (which is liquid all-purpose soap, for shampooing/bathing, for washing clothes and dishes). Beside being environmentally friendly, it has the advantage of being effective with sea water, which may be all there is in some survival situations. The downside is, camper's soap is a terrible substitute for shampoo. It barely lathers and has no conditioner whatsoever. I have used these same camping soaps and the 3-1 products as dishwashing soap, in-sink hand laundry soap, foaming bubble bath, and emergency lubricant for slipping off stuck circlets.
Finally, I shall just mention that all of this (all these features) should be available for a reasonable price. Come on, this is not rocket science we're talking about. It's just a small waterproof bottle... period. There are some merchants/manufacturers that are selling small empty travel bottles for $5, $8... as much as $16 (!!!) each, and many of them don't even have half the desireable criteria that I have mentioned. I suppose if you are wealthy and money is no object, or if some big company or agency is footing the bill, then heck by all means, go ahead and buy these grossly over-priced products. But for the normal consumer, I just ask you to stop and think. Like, a TSA-compliant brand-named bottle of shampoo (filled with actual shampoo mind you) costs... what? 99 cents at Target? or FREE from a hotel? So why?! why would you even consider paying even $5 for an empty bottle unless there was some great added value in features. Really, I just shake my head in disbelief at what some people charge and what some people are willing to pay.
My current "best" solution happens to be a bottle of.... LOL... High School Musical logo Hand Sanitizer made by a company called Dr. Fresh that I found at the dollar store. It's basically a clear 3oz PVC bottle with a loop moulded into one end, and a nice one-hand flip-up cap. Almost perfect design. Additionally the bottle is filled with hand sanitizer, which is always handy in these days of "swine flu" hysteria, and, that's not all! It comes with a little aluminum carabiner clip which has myriad uses. Best of all, it costs, yes.... $1. I looked it up online and Dr. Fresh actually sells these for .67 cents per unit to these dollar stores. So let's do the math... an empty silicone Humangear GoToob from Amazon for $10 or a HSM PVC bottle filled with hand sanitizer and a bonus carabiner for $1.... hmmm.
