Since then, I've learned to pack much more efficiently, even though I'm still a girl and not as compact as many travellers...I love my girly things and electronics and there are just some things you can't sacrifice when on the road for extended periods of time. When I first went to Japan 3 years ago, my whole life was on my back in less than 17 kg (that's almost cut in half!). Now I have an apartment full of stuff there spread out in 3 locations, just waiting for me to come back, and the luggage on the way back is going to be packed to the limit (mainly full of quinoa, toothpaste, and deodorant).
But living abroad and travelling are different things and when I'm travelling, I have my whole world on my back and want to make it as light as possible. So the next time I went abroad to Europe in 2007, I changed a few things. The thing which probably made the biggest difference was solid liquids, and since then, my back (and knees!) has really thanked me. I even managed 2 weeks around Spain with only a school sized backpack.
The only solid shampoo and conditioner I've used is from Lush. I'm sure there are others out there, but considering it's the one I was first introduced to and I have no problem with it, I've stuck with it. Lush is also in 51 countries around the world, so no matter where you are, you're bound to be able to hit one up soon if you run out. There are around 8 different shampoo bars, giving you lots of choice for your needs, 2 conditioner bars, and 1 all in one. You can even buy a convenient carrying case for them. While I love the idea of Lush, the smells aren't always something I want a whiff of everytime the wind blows. I tried a few different bars before I settled on "Ultimate Shine" as my favourite, both in terms of smell and how well it does the job. Retailing for around $12 Canadian, it may seem a lot, but keep in mind, even with every day use, these bars last me at least 3-4 months. The conditioner (featured on the right in the picture), is called "Jungle". It costs a little less, but honestly, once this bar is gone, I probably won't be purchasing another one, as it doesn't really seem to condition the way a liquid does and makes me smell like a hippie (more than I want to anyway). If you're a guy (or a girl who's not picky), of course you can just make do with a bar of soap for all your cleaning needs.
The other solid liquid which has saved my life is solid perfume. This not only lightens the load, it also relieves the stress of packing expensive glass bottles of perfume (I've never done this, but know of people who have with disastrous results). These are a little easier to come by, but once again Lush carries them. The only one I've tried by them is "Vanillary" and I really liked it. The $10 tube lasted over a year of weekend getaways and 3 major trips (ie. a few weeks in length). Currently, my travel perfume is The Body Shop's "Love Etc." Another option for perfume are miniature samples. As a Sephora junkie, I have a ton of these lying around thanks to the free samples from all my orders. It's also a great way to get samples of anything else you might need, such as face creams. But, if you go into any Sephora store and linger in the perfume area long enough, they're bound to offer you a few samples to try. I haven't done this yet, but the tops of these bottles look easy enough to take off and fill with your own perfume at home once they're empty. One of these little bottles will definitely last a week or more. Stay tuned for more travel hacks coming soon!
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