Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you know that if you are going to travel with only a carry-on bag, you’re restricted on the amount of liquids you can take with you.
Well, since I consider myself the Queen of the Carry-On Bag, I thought I’d help show you how easy it is pack those liquids correctly.
People tell me that I am crazy. Can’t believe that I can travel for 10 days, even 2 weeks, following these strict guidelines. But I am here to tell you that regardless of my mental state (the jury’s still out folks) with a little prior planning and some helpful tips- you can do it too!
The 3-1-1 rule basically states ALL liquids in your carry-on bag must be in three ounce (or smaller) see-through containers in a single, clear, quart-sized ziploc bag.
Sounds like no easy feat, but trust me-it can be done!
Wanna know how? Let’s get started then, shall we?
1. The first thing I’ll tell you not to do is purchase one of those silly ubiquitous kits with nothing more than four, 3oz bottles in a plastic case. There is no way I’d be able to survive with only FOUR containers. Skip this kit and build your own using a regular quart-sized ziploc bag.
2. Figure out what liquids might qualify for a medical exception. If you have any kind of liquid medication or even contact lens solution that you can get a doctor’s note or perscription to prove a medical necessity for, they can be brought in larger quanities and are not required to be in your one quart bag. However, you must declare them to the security personnel before your luggage gets scanned.
3. Replace popluar liquids with non-liquids. Be creative here. There are many products that you can eliminate. Hu-lo ladies – I am talking to you! One example is perfume. They make perfume solids now that wouldn’t need to be part of your one quart bag. Many companies know this and are jumping on the travel-friendly bandwagon. You can refer to my other post for more ideas on how to ditch liquids from your carry-on.
4. Get the most out of the liquids that you do use by bringing products that can do double-duty. I love multi-tasking products! Hair condidtioner can also double as shaving cream. You can get more ideas in my Doing Double-Duty post.
5. Share the load. This works especially well if your travel companion happens to be of the male persuasion. Think about it. Men tend to need less liquids than women do, especially mine who happens to be folliculely-challenged, ie no shampoo, conditioner or hair gel needed! If there are a few things you can’t fit in your quart-sized bag, ask your travel partner if they can fit a few things in theirs.
6. Ask yourself if you really need it? C’mon – do you really need shower gel? Can’t you live with bar soap (a solid, and therfore isn’t subject to the 3-1-1 restriction) for just a week? Do you really need three different shades of lip gloss? Pick the most neutral color that goes with everything and just deal with it! Paring down is the only way you are gonna make this work!
7. Don’t always use the whole 3 ounces. It is doubtful that you will need 3 ounces of hair gel or eye-wrinkle cream for a week-long getaway. You may need only 1 ounce, maybe even less. Take much smaller quantities of your liquids and that way you can fit more products in your bag.
8. Save samples and travel-sized products. Not only can you use the products to take with you, but those really tiny containers come in handy for future 3-1-1 packing. These are what I use in my quart-sized bag. As long as they are clear, they fit the bill. An added bonus – it’s good for the environment to recycle those containers!
9. Just buy it there. Rather than trying to jam something into your quart-sized bag, liquids that you’ll need large quantities of are best left to be purchased at your destination. Sunscreen for a beach vacation is a perfect example. If there will be a few people sharing and it will be used often -it makes good sense to wait. And so what if you have some leftover at the end of your trip? Pay-it-forward. Leave it for the next traveler who may not have packed theirs either.
Still having trouble fitting your liquids in a quart-sized bag or overwhelmed with packing only a carry-on bag? Click here to see how I can help!