Traveling soaper

We're getting ready for our annual summer road trip "back home." I try to pack all of my crafty supplies together: soaping, clay, beading, painting, whatever. It's a kind of longish visit, so we like to make sure we have our creative based covered.

I'm curious about how other people travel with their soaping (or other craft) supplies. I know some of you don't seem to go anywhere without soapy supplies, even soaping in hotel room! How do you pack them? Do you have any tips or tricks? Any horror stories?

I admit, I was super impressed by the hotel room soaper! But IMO, between lye and FOs, I just wouldn't travel with soaping supplies. Too much risk. And if you are crossing state lines, it may actually be illegal, depending on how much lye you have. That's why I've taken up knitting, because it travels well. I also wouldn't soap in someone else's kitchen, b/c a raw soap spill could strip the finish from cabinets. (ask me how I know).

You could make a big batch of soap clay and have some fun sculpting embeds to use when you return!

To be clear, at my mother's house, I have my own separate kitchen. I am a hobby soaper, so my amounts of any given ingredient are small.

My friend who is learning to soap is handling most of the ingredients, this time, so I don't have as much to take.

As I said, I'm just curious about how other people pack their stuff for travel.

Perhaps you could have a kit, like one of BB's kits, mailed to your mom's house?

But if you definitely want to travel with your own supplies, I'd seal the lids onto the bottles with tape. Then I'd wrap each bottle in saran wrap. I saw a cool travel hack where you get a foam pool noodle and cut it in a spiral and wrap it around bottles, so I'd do something like that around each bottle. Even the plastic ones b/c they can get a crack and leak. Then I'd pack that in a Rubbermaid tub.

Artemis, I have a small travel bag that I use for packing my soaping supplies. In it I pack the following:

Plastic Dish pan - it goes into the bag first, then other stuff sits inside it.

Crock pot (medium sized) - can melt fats when there is no other source of heat. Can use the ceramic insert as the soaping bowl for CP. Can make HP if I desire. Fits nicely in the dish pan. (Bubble wrap on inverted lid for protection while traveling)

*One or two plastic bowls perhaps (but not always), disposable cups from hotels/motels for weighing ingredients and pouring.

*A few utensils for stirring, scooping, measuring, swirling, etc. Including at least one chopstick and a gear-tie for swirls. Inside a gallon zip-lock baggie.

*A knife, a potato peeler (stainless steel, of course) for cutting & beveling - safely wrapped in towels

EDTA, ROE (I have a small bottle of ROE that I bring when I travel - not the big bottle) - in plastic baggies (inside the crock pot)

A small sampling of colorants - usually only three or four if I remember - (sample sizes are good for travel)

Maybe a bottle or two of fragrance, depending on what I have planned. Sample sizes are better for travel than large bottles! - (also inside a plastic baggies inside the crock pot)

*Maybe a mold; maybe not (I can always find a mold if I buy a carton of buttermilk to drink).

*Small bottle of vinegar - plastic. I can always buy more, but since I have always traveled with vinegar, it's just a habit.

*Rubbing alcohol.

2 small spray bottles (EMPTY - they will leak in the car during elevation changes!) for use with alcohol or vinegar. (I have always traveled with a spray bottle for vinegar & vinegar because I use it to clean my windows, etc.)

*One partial bottle of lye if I have one (I honestly doubt it is an issue for crossing state lines.) If not, I know where to buy it with a simple search on my GPS.) I stop along the way at any Tractor Supply Company to buy another bottle or two if need be. Google it if you want to fine one near your travels.

Apron, gloves, etc. (personal protective equipment)

a couple of towels, cloths for insulation and clean-up (cannot depend on sufficient availability while traveling)

A small bottle of dishwashing liquid and a sponge. (inside a zip-lock baggie)

Two silicone pot holders to use as heat trivets or has pot holders. Also useful for padding inside the back around the crockpot.


Not in the bag, but somewhere in the trunk of the car:

Digital scales (absolute must) in original box for safe transport. This doesn't actually fit in my bag, so it is separate. But when I am planning only a short trip, I don't take the big scale; the small one does fit in the bag.

Cardboard box or box top for curing. A cutting sheet (more like a plastic placemat than an actual cutting board); A roll of paper towels.

*I have been known to stop at a Thrift stores or other appropriate stores when I forget any of these items and or need to replace them cheaply.

Usually I don't bring oils, unless I want to use up something I have at home and know I can toss the bottles right away. They take up too much room while traveling. But if I want to use a specialty oil that is hard to find along my route, I will bring a small amount with me. I can always find certain oils on the road, even cocoa butter. But I can rarely find palm or almond oil anymore when I travel and have not seen any RBO in most stores.

A couple of times, I master-batched some oils to bring along, but don't really prefer doing it this way. I'd rather just buy oils on the way and make soap with what is available. I tend to name the soap after the location where I made it when I do this. (Las Vegas Avocado soap was one such soap I made while we stayed in LV for several days.)

Soapmaking while traveling can be challenging and one needs to be adaptable to the environment and resources. But it can be fun as well.

ETA: a roll of electrical tape (you know that black tape) to help seal opened bottles. ALWAYS use a couple of layers around bottles of FOs, and oil before traveling. I tape all bottles of liquids that don't still have the original factory seal intact. Be prepared for oils to cause that seal to melt, however. One reason I don't like to bring my own oils usually.

Earlene, I thought I might see you in this thread! For a long time I have been curious about how you manage it with all of your travels.

Since I have what amounts to a small apartment at our destination, I don't have to take quite all that you do.

For whoever is interested, this time, I got almost everything into one large stearlite box that fits in the front passenger foot space: scale, my few colors, two small molds, SB, small pitcher, spatula, hanger tools, skewer comb I made for the peacock challenge, plus a few clay and painting tools for other crafts. Everything is packed like a puzzle. The FOs all went into a small, hard-sided insulated lunch box. The only oil I took was my palm oil, since I know it's hard to find in the grocery stores there. Lastly, my general tool bag fit in any old place.

I have a friend who is learning to soap. I don't know what we're going to make yet, but I'll share some pics when we're done. If I knew what the new challenge is going to be, that might influence the decision.

artemis said:

Earlene, I thought I might see you in this thread! For a long time I have been curious about how you manage it with all of your travels.

Since I have what amounts to a small apartment at our destination, I don't have to take quite all that you do.

For whoever is interested, this time, I got almost everything into one large stearlite box that fits in the front passenger foot space: scale, my few colors, two small molds, SB, small pitcher, spatula, hanger tools, skewer comb I made for the peacock challenge, plus a few clay and painting tools for other crafts. Everything is packed like a puzzle. The FOs all went into a small, hard-sided insulated lunch box. The only oil I took was my palm oil, since I know it's hard to find in the grocery stores there. Lastly, my general tool bag fit in any old place.

I have a friend who is learning to soap. I don't know what we're going to make yet, but I'll share some pics when we're done. If I knew what the new challenge is going to be, that might influence the decision.

Click to expand...

And it looks like I forgot to list my SB. I bought a cheap one at Walmart once while traveling that I keep in that bag. Looking over your list reminded me.

Have fun on your trip!