Do You Have a Standard Travel Bag Or Do You Pack One Each Time?

With the holidays just around the corner, travel plans will be a big part of everyone’s November and December plans.  I’ve been working on my own packing lists (as well as those for a few trips planned in the spring), and I realized that I could probably create a standard toiletry kit and 3-1-1 bag and supplement when necessary.

Which do you tend to do – have a standard bag that you can just grab and throw into the suitcase, or do you start from scratch for each trip?

Now obviously, some trips may require supplemental items or a few more pairs of contacts, but overall I think a standard toiletry bag could work.

• The basic toiletry kit would contain a toothbrush, a hair brush, deodorant, Q-Tips, nail clippers, hair ties, and a pill case. For each trip I would probably add a small travel-sized body soap, one dry Olay cloth for each night, one set of vitamins for each night, a concealer stick, and my glasses that I need to use at home when I’m not traveling.
• The basic 3-1-1 Ziploc bag would contain cleansing conditioner, body lotion, night cream, argan balm, toothpaste, tinted sunscreen, and one set of daily contacts per day plus one extra. For longer or specific trips, I might add items such as a face scrub or mask, extra sunscreen, or a Tide stain stick.
• The basic makeup kit would probably include a blush stick, an eyeliner, and a makeup sponge with enough room to add eyeshadow and lipstick if the trip might require them.

I think that having these kits ready to go might make the packing go a whole lot smoother and I would be less likely to forget anything!