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Two Useful New-ish Products

Thanks to alert friends who know I travel a lot, I've encountered two useful products:

GoTubbs: From the same folks who make GoToobs, these are small pots with snap-on/squeeze-off covers. I use them for medicinal skin cream I need to carry around with me. They are not recommended for liquids, but the packaging doesn't carry the no-alcohol, no-oil, etc., restrictions you have on Go-Toobs. There are different sizes available. I use the small one (0.9 cu. in., 0.4 oz.), which is about the size of a lip-gloss container. It is very lightweight. Having ruined the lining of a purse via a leaking bottle of hand lotion, I put the GoTubb in a small ZipLock bag; I had no leaks over the course of a multi-month trip. These are available online, but mine came from The Container Store, which shelves them near the Nalgene bottles.

Silicon Bottle Handle: I can't find an online link for this (a gift), but I think I saw them hanging on a peg at The Container Store. If not, my guess is that it came from an outdoor-gear store. The brand name seems to be "Tag" (tagltd.com--product not found on website). It's a lightweight piece of black silicone shaped quite like a figure-8 except that the smaller lobe is a teardrop. That lobe is stretched over the top of a standard non-reusable water bottle and rests just under the cap. The round lobe might work on bottles with larger necks. The unused lobe can then be clipped to a ring on the outside of a purse, backpack, etc., with a connecting device like a carabiner. This is what I'll be using if I can't find a replacement purse with an exterior water-bottle pocket when my current purse wears out.

Posted by
2339 posts

I've found a number of uses for GoTubbs, and the good news is they have lasted for years. GoToobs are a fail for me: too bulky, lids are too fragile, and liquids stored in them dry out between trips.

Posted by
3961 posts

I am very interested in the GoTubbs small size. Not only does it look user friendly, it is perfect for skin cream or ointment. In the past I've used a small 4 oz. container with screw top that always was a challenge to close completely without leaking. Light weight is a plus. I see that Bed Bath and Beyond carries GoTubbs. Thanks for sharing this!

Posted by
26840 posts

Cindy's is better than mine because hers has an integrated carabiner.

Posted by
11247 posts

I love the GoTubbs for all sorts of thing s and I have not had one fail! GoTubes, however, have been a nightmare so I have thrown away several of these expensive bottles. The cheap ones for the drugstore or Target work better!

Posted by
164 posts

If you have a Muji in your area, they have lots and lots of various sized travel containers, and inexpensive as well (less expensive than what I saw at the local outdoor store). I took several on my trip this past summer, for shampoo, hair conditioner, sunscreen, face cream, and none leaked. You can also order from Muji online.

Posted by
5508 posts

I have a whole collection of containers and gadgets I keep for travel, but it is always good to discover more. I will be looking into the bottle handle. I use contact lens cases for vaseline and other liquid/creams that I don't use much of on a trip. I've saved the very small as well as the normal size altoids containers. I use them for many things, usually putting a rubber band around for security and in case I need a band for any reason. At Christmas time, there are holiday M & Ms, that come in a tube about 4 inches long and about an inch in diameter. It's handy for a number of odds and ends, including a pen and a sharpie, but I really like it for wrapping both some duct and masking tap around the outside for use in an emergency. My daughter uses hers for make up brushes and assorted "tools". My kids were often given cheap water bottles with company logos that have a lid and an accordion pleat straw. I usually pull the straw out and tuck it inside. On the way to my destination, I'll put socks, or snacks or anything that fits. During my travels, just about the only souvenirs I buy are little magnets, ornaments, etc. The water bottle is good for safe keeping especially if something is a little fragile. I also have used it in my hotel, and if I actually encounter ice, I'll enjoy some ice water before or after dinner.

Posted by
15560 posts

I've had really good results with both Go-Toobs and GoTubbs. I bought mine at REI. As long as I check the Toobs to make sure they are completely closed, I've never had a leak. I use them for shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel. On non-stop flights to Europe, I don't have liquid restrictions, so I take my faves from home, in just-enough quantities for the time I'm away. I especially like the Tubbs because they are really easy to open and close. I use them for pills (vitamins, Tums, pain pills) and also for cosmetic creams.

For bottles, I use something like this. The ones I get here are for 1/2 liter bottles and have a drawstring close at the top so the bottle won't slip out. I like it better than the clip-ons because you don't have to unclip it each time you want a sip. The ones I get here are simpler (undoubted made in SE Asia) and cheaper, with a sewn-on strap that isn't adjustable. Love them, unfortunately I keep losing them (one left behind after several beers at a pub, another in the seat pocket of a plane) and I'm down to my last one until they go show up again in the stores next spring along with the hot weather.

Posted by
89 posts

Like all the suggestions for small containers. To add to jules m's list, at Trader Joe's I got chocolate nibs in a tall, thin metal container. I keep antacids in there, in my small "emergency" bag, but lots of uses possible.

Posted by
2299 posts

Like Jules, I also use contact lens containers for small amounts of creams - I cut them in two so they're easier to stuff in the 3-1-1 bag. The optometrist is happy to hand over as many as I'd like - especially since I prefer the "cheap" ones that are easy to cut apart (like these). I also use the GoTubbs, though the size I have is a bit too big for my travel needs (I use them for taking snacks to work instead). I too have had problems with the GoToobs.

Posted by
5508 posts

OMG Never thought of cutting the contact containers in half!

Posted by
26840 posts

I'm not a contact-lens wearer but have used lens containers for creams in the past. I got the tip from Budget Travel magazine many years go. I've tried both the lens containers with snap-on covers and the ones with screw-on covers--both purchased at the drug store, but they definitely were not leak-proof. The GoTubbs are a huge upgrade.

Posted by
1194 posts

I have found that good contact lens cases are leak proof. They have screw caps not press fit caps.

Posted by
5508 posts

I am a very occasional contact lens wearer. One time I didn't wear the contacts for 3 -4 weeks. Opened the case to find dried out lenses, so they either are not completely leak proof or somehow air gets in and it evaporates??? In any case, I've never had leakage from the lens case when used for creams, etc., maybe because they are pretty thick. I've put in vaseline, night cream, day cream, foundation, and the more "liquidity" serum products with good luck. I've used the cheap Walmart ones with screw tops at about $2 for 2 or 3.

Posted by
5508 posts

I got this as a gift, I'm not sure if its a new product, but its the first time I've seen it. https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=sholdit+infinity+scarf+with+pocket&tag=mh0b-20&index=aps&hvadid=78134097480185&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_7llciykd0p_e It's an infinity scarf with a zippered pocket. Beyond the obvious of using it for ID, credit card, cash, I've thought of some other uses. Sometimes on a plane or transit, I'd like have my phone/ipod handy. It also converts to a pouch that a wrist-let can attach to. I can see how that might be handy.

Posted by
26840 posts

Jules, I have a friend who really likes that product. She uses it in the winter to smuggle healthy snacks into sports arenas when she attends day-long events, thereby avoiding the bad, over-priced food typically available for purchase.

Posted by
5508 posts

@acraven, great idea! or also for sneaking a box of theater candy into the movies!

Posted by
3961 posts

@acraven & @Jules: BRILLIANT!! 😂 I think Amazon just ran out of infinity scarves!

Posted by
1150 posts

Contacts will dry out in a case if left for a long period, but in my experience the hard cases with screw on covers are essentially leak proof. I keep two very small USB flash drives in such a case. I accidentally left them in some pants that were run through the wash. When I realized my mistake and recovered the case, the contents were totally dry and the flash drives worked fine. My experience sold me on the utility of these things.

Posted by
115 posts

I just ordered one of the infinity scarves with the pocket. Thank you for posting about this. I wear scarves all the time but I never would have thought to look for this and I think it will be eminently useful on our upcoming trip. Travel Forum for the win!