The Grooming Manual
The Ultimate Man's Dopp Kit
If you don't know, a Dopp kit is a small men's travel bag used to store men's grooming products. They're not only incredibly convenient for travel, but great to pack in your gym bag or in the trunk of your car.
A Little History
Dopp Kit's originate from an early 20th century leather craftsman named Charles Doppelt, who started making his own men's travel cases. The Dopp kit became very popular during the Second World War when Doppelt secured a contract with the US Army to provide his men's travel cases to millions of American GIs. Dopp kits popularity soared and during the mid-twentieth century, whenever a boy reached adulthood, it was common for them to receive a Dopp Kit from his parents.
Packing the Ultimate Men's Dopp Kit
1. The Bag: Finding a cheap nylon travel bag for under $5 at any Target or Wal-Mart will certainly do the job. We recommend a nice leather dopp bag though, not only for class, but they will hold up nearly forever. Any size bag will work but we would recommend laying out everything you intend to store in your Dopp kit before buying it, just to make sure you choose the right one.
2. After securing your bag, you need to fill it up to keep yourself well groomed while traveling or away from home. Most things are common sense, but we also suggest some things you may not have thought of.
- Travel bottle of shampoo or men's body wash
- A bar of your favorite men's soap
- Men's Face Wash
- Men's Face Moisturizer
- Deodorant
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
- Shampoo
- A razor, shave cream, and aftershave
- Men's Lip Balm
- Nail clippers
- $20 bill
- Safety pins
- Aspirin or Tylenol
- Digestive Meds (Antacid and Anti-Diarrhea)
- Extra pair of contact lenses
- Lint Roller
- Band Aids
A tip is to place anything with liquid inside of a plastic bag inside of your Dopp kit to ensure it doesn't explode during the pressure change when flying.
Once you've had a Dopp kit, you'll wonder how you ever lived without one. They're incredibly convenient and you'll probably find tons of scenarios where you realize you've been missing it all these years. A bonus is that wives, girlfriends, and mothers love to keep their man's Dopp Kit always topped off.