Citizen Staff and Wire Services
Published: Saturday, September 02, 2006
Air travellers are flocking to Ottawa's Lush cosmetics stores to buy solid shampoos and body lotions. Clear tote bags -- that allow security officers to quickly see that you have no liquids -- are flying off the shelves. And some passengers are even opting to ship their bags rather than wait at overcrowded airport carrousels.
This is the latest reality in air travel, a result of the recent terrorism scare. Now that many items that were once allowed to be carried aboard are relegated to checked luggage, passengers are gradually finding creative solutions to the new rules.
But even the experts are a little thrown off. Packing guru Doug Dyment, creator of the website OneBag.com, usually skimps on toiletries in his effort to travel light and only brings the essentials in a single carry-on bag. But what about his two must-haves -- Woolite (in packet size) and an imported shaving oil?
"The situation is worse for those with the more pressing need for on-board products," Dyment said last week. "I'm hoping that the rules will be relaxed slightly to allow very small containers of some things."
While restrictions still vary from airport to airport, Linda Greenberg of Ottawa's Capital City Luggage says her customers are reporting that most airports are already relaxing the new rules. "We're almost back to normal."
If or until regulations loosen up across the board or cease altogether, leave the imported shaving oil at home or pack it properly in checked luggage -- and follow the advice of packing experts and frequent fliers.
Buy solid versions of products usually sold in liquid form. "Sales of our solid products are way up," says Stephen Murray, manager of the Lush cosmetics store on William Street in Ottawa's Byward Market. Lush (www.lush.com and also with an outlet in St. Laurent mall) sells bar forms of shampoo, conditioner, deodorant and moisturizing body butter. "Sixty-five per cent of our store is solid," says Murray. "Since the most recent incident, we don't even stock any liquids any more at our airport stores" (in Toronto and Orlando).
Locally-made Brighid's Bard Basic Survival Bar (about $5.50 at www.brighidsbard.com or such stores as Arbour, Rainbow Natural Foods or Les Fougeres in Chelsea) is a solid shampoo, body soap and laundry soap in one.
Some perfume makers also sell bar-soap versions of their scents. Shaving soap works up a good lather, and fans of crystal deodorants (try the Glebe Apothecary or Arbour Environmental Shoppe) swear by their effectiveness. Powdered shampoo and toothpaste could also be options.
Keep in mind, though, that no one guarantees that solid or powdered items will clear security. Those items will be left up to officers' discretion.
Stroll the aisles of your local drugstore for products that you can still carry on:
- Pre-moistened towelettes clear security without problems. They include hand sanitizers, facial cleansers, sunscreen and insect repellent.
- Instead of toothpaste use Oral B Brush-Ups, which are minty, finger puppet-like teeth wipes. Or chew on Arm & Hammer's sugar-free baking soda gum. Eco-Dent (it has an online store ) makes travel-sized packs of tooth powder: a one-day pack is sufficient for two brushings. The company says its product provides air travellers with relief from bad breath and terrorism flight rules.
- Listerine Pocket Packs, Altoids and tongue scrapers freshen breath, as do toothpicks in cinnamon and other flavours.
Check the rules about medications:
- As long as the name on your prescription medicine matches the one on your ticket, you can carry it on. But prescriptions and essential other non-prescription medicines must not exceed 120 mL (four ounces) per container. Liquids or gels required for diabetics are permitted but must not exceed 148 mL (five ounces) per container. Bring medication in its original packaging, including the label with your name on it. Make sure that your pharmacist puts the label on the product itself, not the box it comes in.
- Given that you likely won't need a 30-day supply of your medications on vacation, ask your pharmacist to pack them in smaller quantities in smaller bottles.
- Be aware that some items -- including teething rings, shoe inserts and vitamins -- contain gel and are prohibited.
- Pack liquid and gel products in resealable freezer bags or clear tote bags. They'll prevent leaks and will also aid inspectors who may search your checked luggage. "Sales of our clear transparent totes were up instantly," says Linda Greenberg of Capital City Luggage. "People do use them to make sure there are no spills in their checked luggage, but I found most are using them for carry-on, so they can get through security quickly because it's easy to see what they've packed."
- Transfer two or three days' worth of shampoo, lotion, and so on into leak-proof bottles, such as the Nalgene containers sold by outdoor stores like Trailhead, Bushtukah and Mountain Equipment Co-op. You can also order them from Magellan's (1-800-962-4943, www.magellans.com) and other companies. Sterilized liquids should stay in their original bottles.
- To cart home that bottle of Jamaican rum or Tuscan olive oil, wrap the bottle in bubble wrap, put it in a resealable bag and nestle it in clothes in the centre of your luggage. If you pack a few bottles, take their heft into consideration: they could push you over the airline's weight limit.
- You can also purchase a foam- or corrugated-cardboard-lined carrier box and check it with your luggage. Besides providing cushioning, the boxes regulate temperature. Wine that sits in 30-degree heat on the tarmac could overheat, popping the cork, says Grant Raeside, executive director of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance in California. Boxes usually cost about $1 per bottle at most wineries and wine shops. Pricier versions also are available through Wine Packs.com (1-800-372-3126).
- Tuck perfume bottles in shoes.
- Consider shipping your luggage. Zeke Adkins, co-founder of Luggage Forward, a two-year-old service, says the firm has seen a sharp rise in inquiries and bookings since August's alleged plot to blow up airplanes was thwarted. Adkins says airlines lost 3.5 million pieces of luggage in 2005, a situation that will only get worse with more checked luggage, not to mention flight delays and cancellations. "We're not trying to exploit the situation. At any time, it never makes sense to bring luggage to the airport. The environment at an airport is not a pleasant experience." You can book a flight for your bag online at luggageforward.com. The company ships to more than 217 countries, including Canada. Though convenient, the service is not cheap. In one online check, the price quoted to ship a medium bag round trip from Canada to France was more than $1,000.
To make extra room in your suitcase for the things you used to carry on, get creative:
- Wear your bulkiest clothes and shoes on the plane.
- Shift items around. If you usually put your shoes in checked luggage, tote them instead in your carry-on bag.
- Roll, rather than fold, as many items as you can. Or pack clothing in compression bags, such as those by Eagle Creek (1-800-874-1048, www.eaglecreek.com), which push excess air out a one-way valve.
- Get more general packing tips at Free Travel Tips.com and Smart Packing.com
- Find Tranport Canada's list of items prohibited in carry-on baggage.
Under new prohibitions, it lists gels and gel-like substances -- such as gel-based sports supplements, hair styling gels, gel candles, baby teethers with gel inside, children's toys with gel inside, gelatine-based food products, gel capsules, gel deodorants, bath gels, hand sanitizers, lip glosses, lip gels, facial gels, aloe vera gels, shaving gels, gel toothpastes, gel topical creams, gel shoe inserts and gel packs.
- Air Canada's website also lists what you can and cannot carry on
This site also outlines special carry-on restrictions for passengers travelling to, from or via the United Kingdom; passengers on these flights are restricted to just one small carry-on bag.
- WestJet also lists its own summary, which goes into more detail about baby formula and prescription medications. See www.westjet.com and click on the red "Important WestJet Travel Advisory" link.
- If you're flying to or from Britain, you should consult the British Department of Transport's website
- To check U.S. regulations, see Transportation Security Administration
© The Ottawa Citizen 2006