xrae

What are your favorite travel-size bottles for shampoo, hair spray, etc.? Any specific brands or websites to recommend? I'm mostly interested in small pump bottles for hair spray. The 50¢ bottles I picked up at Wal-Mart leak like crazy (go figure).

Thank you!

elnap29

Best ones I've found are at REI, available in-store; not sure about online.

TxTravelPro

I always watch for good bottles that I have bought products in.
For example, I got a bunch of small-ish- bottles at Bath and Body works. Right now is the semi-annual sale and you could snag bottles WITH good stuff in them for the cost of a bottle at REI.
I travel almost every week and I tell you... no matter what bottle I have, I ALWAYS put stuff in ziplocs and I use a standard IKEA bag to hold my clothes.
Last time I traveled, something leaked all over my bag and all my paranoia paid off big time. My bag was saturated inside/out but nothing penetrated all my plastic bags.

TxTravelPro

Oops, just noticed you specified pump.
I have been loyal to travel size Paul Mitchell pumps for a few years now and they have never let me down.
I fill them with Febreeze, spray starch, etc... never a problem.
I always seem to get them free at Ulta, too.

nytraveler

Perhaps your bottles are too full. When you fly they decrease the air pressure in planes and liquids expand. If the bottle are completely full when you start - or pumps - they're likely to leak then. (The husband of a friend of mine spent most of a trip to SA wearing Pepto-Bismol pink spotted clothes because the bottle was in his bag when they trained up to Machu Pichu.)

And I always keep all of mine in a plastic lined
toiletry bag - just in case.

happytrailstoyou

I have also found REI bottles to be reliable. For shampoo and creams, I use the ones with the flip-up dispenser. However, when flying, I remove the flip-up tops and replace them with regular tops. Otherwise shampoo and creams squirt all over my toiletry case.

Intrepid1

Try using small plastic water bottles which have the "sip top."

happytrailstoyou

Those sip top bottles are good, but aren't they too big for shampoo, etc.?

xrae

Thanks for the suggestions -- I was near an REI store in Atlanta this weekend and didn't even think to check. I will also check B&BW. Haven't been to the mall in a while anyway. That gives me a good reason. And I'll check travel-size selection at Target, too, to see if they have any Paul Mitchell.

schmerl

I use a variety of travel size plastic bottles. After I fill the bottle with whatever...I put a small piece of plastic wrap over the top before I screw on the lid. I've never had a problem.

SAnParis

Sharon Luggage also carries good travel gear as well as the afore-mentioned REI.

J62

I squeeze the air out of any bottles I pack. At reduced cabin pressure, the air in the bottle will try to expand, and will force goo (usually shampoo) out of the bottle. Squeeze the bottle reduces amount of air, and also gives the bottle room to expand.

All bottles are always put in ziploc bag as precaution. Nothing worse than goo over the inside of a suitcase.

FainaAgain

I always check the bottles for leaks before using them.

Fill a bottle with water half full, put the lid on, put upside down on a paper towel, let sit overnight.

In the morning, if the towel is wet, toss the bottle, if dry, use it.

virginia

leaks happen. my solution is to seal everything into food saver bags. the kind you make a heat seal on the open end after filling. no fail! plus all the tiny things like tweezers don't get lost.
we normally stay in villas and i started this with food products for our cooler.

Armani_Rugpilot

For leaking at bottles, I using Teflon tape from hardware store to save from throw away of bottle. Not best plan to waste new bottle when Teflon tape fixit good straight away.

Do seek truth in all your travels and you will never be wasting, worrying or all wet.

AR

jubilada

I have never had a nalgene bottle leak in twenty years or more. but I don't think they make pumps.

happytrailstoyou

When I fly with travel bottles, I replace dispenser caps with regular caps so that product cannot leak out through the dispenser opening.

Also, I carry products such as moisturizer in wide-mouth, two-ounce containers that I purchased at the Container Store. (I believe this is similar to the solution described by Kat777.)

HTTY

DebitNM

I think that in the 5 years since this thread was started, bottles have gotten a lot better. More choices, etc and sturdier construction and using recycled, safe for the environment [and person] materials.