Good looks don’t just happen. Even if you spend all your time at the gym and eat whatever gluten-free diet the powers that be recommend, if you’re not quaffed and clean then you’re doing it wrong. At home, staying slick and smelling like leather and sandalwood is easy. Out on the road, you can quickly find yourself stuck with severe halitosis, sporting a spotty shave that leaves you something less than fresh. To avoid this dire scenario, you need to be able to pack all your grooming goods in a single, stylish place. For that, the only solution is a quality dopp kit.
How to Choose a Dopp Kit
First: You may believe that the look of your kit doesn’t matter, but should you suddenly find yourself inviting another member of the convention back to your hotel room, the evening is going to take a turn the second they see a ziplock bag lying by the sink. So spend a few bucks and spiff it up.
Second: Your kit should have enough space to fit everything you need to stay sexy while doing road work. Get the proper size for all you need without wasting space.
Third: Privacy matters. You don’t want a kit that shows the outline of a condom or your specialized lip balm. It should hide your private goods from prying eyes; be they roommates, private rendezvous, or TSA agents.
Fourth: Get something durable. Dopp kits get kicked around and covered in water all the time, which can lead to wear and tear that will leave you with busted cologne or conditioner all over your suitcase. Find something that can take abuse.
Last: Organize, organize, organize. The more hidey-holes and partitions you have, the most smoothly your morning routine will go. A place for everything, and everything in place and protected is the way to go.
Best Dopp Kits
If you’re still not sure what to buy, we’ve located the 15 most useful dopp kits for any guy.
Zero Grid Travel Toiletry Bag
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Saving Grace: A couple of sawbucks is all that is required for this smokey gray work of rip-stop nylon art. It keeps liquids inside or out, compacts or expands as needed, and is beloved by the TSA, which means fewer random bag checks and invasion of privacy.
Dakine Stash
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Winter Carry: Meant for the dapper gent out about town who doesn’t want to spend a mint on his dopp bag, the Stash dismisses weather like a peacoat due to the wool exterior. Beneath the surface, a netted holding area keeps items from shifting and jostling, reducing breaks and spills to nearly nothing.
The North Face Base Camp Travel Canister
Survivor: Dopp kits are typically designed to suit the jet-setter rather than the mountain climber, which is why we were so happy when we found this canister from one of the oldest names in camping gear. Able to be carried in multiple ways or strapped to your pack as additional storage, it’s ready to go as high as you do.
Herschel Supply Co. Chapter Travel Kit
Mix & Match: Completely made of polyester, the Chapter isn’t flashy, but with the wide range of styles and colors, a middle-ground load capacity, and a price that won’t disappoint, it’s good for a first kit, or for life.
Jack Spade Quilted Tech Nylon
Home & Away: Something magical happens when homespun wisdom meets high-tech engineering. Using the tech nylon that helped put Jack Spade on the map, this looks more like something made by a beloved relative. The truth is that by adding the quilted stitching, the nylon actually becomes stronger, turning this into an heirloom piece that’s better than mom could have made.
Briggs & Riley Baseline
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Follow Tradition: Basic, but far from uninteresting, the Baseline is ballistic nylon that can take everything up to a live round before giving out. Plain as a Glock and just as reliable.
DSPTCH Dopp Kit
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Grab Your Gear: A few internal elastic MOLLE rings make this seem much more like a recon satchel for keeping your tactical gear in rank and file. Ballistic mesh and loads of zippers complete the military aesthetic, making it good for jarheads as much as gentlemen. The DSPTCH Dopp Kit is just as good as it is cool
Detroit Grooming Co. Waxed Canvas Bag
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Americana: Aesthetic appeal isn’t just about being buttoned-down, it’s also about showcasing your personality. No matter what you’re like from 9 to 5, this waxed canvas satchel proves that you’re ready for The Big One and even your razor and toenail clippers can survive a category 5 hurricane.
Tumi Alpha 3 Split Travel Kit
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Two Faced: Though made of nylon, the Alpha 3 doesn’t look like your average camping bag. It can certainly head into the great outdoors, but crack it open and the tucked, refined organizational structure that chops each side into several compartments will suit the most compulsive globetrotter.
Filson Twill Travel Kit
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Anywhere: Like finding a pair of casual shoes that can also be worn to a 5-star dinner, the Twill Travel Kit looks like a million bucks, but won’t fall to pieces when the snow flies or the apocalypse comes. Manly and truly Filson from stem to stern, it’s at home anywhere.
J.Crew Montague
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Switching Sides: J. Crew crafted the Montague with multi-pocket military briefcases as a template. The dual zippered pouches allow for accessing only what you need while keeping everything else out of sight for a mixture of compartmentalization and double-0 secrecy.
Allen Edmonds Driver Leather Dopp Kit
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Business Black: Don’t worry too much about the full-grain leather, it’s protected by a set of feet intended to keep it from ever sitting in a puddle. Longer and lower profile than the average kit, it’s ideal for the serious straight razor man.
Killspencer Dopp/Folio 2.0
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Multi-tasker: The Dopp/Folio challenges users to rethink their equipment. Stand it up and you can put in all the 3oz bottles of pilfered shampoo you want. Flatten it out, and it becomes a working case for your files or even an iPad Mini.
Hard Graft Refresh
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Bearable Bucket: Mixing leather and felt, the Refresh breaks from the squared-off dopp kit style to give you a vertical cylinder with a heavy-duty zip top that doesn’t catch or misalign. It’s a handy grab bag for quick access.
Moore & Giles Austin Leather Hanging Dopp Kit
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Unfurled: Never again find yourself digging for blades or hunting for your shave oil. The hanging style of the Austin by Moore & Giles, along with its multiple snap, zip, and fold compartments puts everything right where you expect and stops nasty spills from spreading.
