USVI-On-Line

Hey everyone!

I'm heading down to STJ in 1 month and 1 week (also heading to Vegas on Friday)!

I would like to avoid checking luggage this year (maybe).

I am emotionally attached to some of my lotions-&-potions that are not available in travel sizes.

Can I transfer, say, my hair cream into a 3 oz bottle and bring it in my carry-on? It won't be labelled at all!! Will I be causing trouble?

I know there's a ton of stuff I can purchase on-island but I have very ill-behaved hair and NEED this product to keep me from looking like Cousin It.

It varies widely from airport to airport as well as the TSA person checking.

If it were me, I would transfer the stuff into say a bottle of J&J Baby shampoo or something like that. The label is on it as well as the size.

Make sure you have it in a quart sized zip lock or you will be pitching it! I was very upset that I had to pitch my base and lipgloss when returning from a business meeting that I had overlooked in my purse! Cost me a fortune to replace it! You can buy the travel sized bottles of anything and just put in them what you really need. The airport people are not too nice at the bigger airports in my experience even if you are nice to them!

LysaC wrote:Hey everyone!

I'm heading down to STJ in 1 month and 1 week (also heading to Vegas on Friday)!

I would like to avoid checking luggage this year (maybe).

I am emotionally attached to some of my lotions-&-potions that are not available in travel sizes.

Can I transfer, say, my hair cream into a 3 oz bottle and bring it in my carry-on? It won't be labelled at all!! Will I be causing trouble?


I know there's a ton of stuff I can purchase on-island but I have very ill-behaved hair and NEED this product to keep me from looking like Cousin It.

I travel last week leaving from Washington DC Reagan & they required the 3 oz to be in same bottle no transfer over to those clear bottles you can get. Ex if it baby shampoo it can't be a white cream baby shampoo is yellowish if I remember right. When leaving Orlando Fl same thing saw it first hand a person had those clear bottles with his 3 oz in them & they were taken away from him. Noticed it take a bit longer from those using it to get through security. This is what I saw at both airports. I know not many favorites are in sample bottles you think the manuafctors would get smart & sell more. MHO

Maybe I'm missing something......but wouldn't it just be easier to check a bag with all the important stuff you need, rather than risking getting it taken away at security?
This Dec. will be our 11th trip in 8 years, and have always checked our bags.....touch wood...and have never had a problem

Just my 2 cents worth!

My boss just returned from a quick trip to Aruba, only carry on luggage. His wife did the same thing, transfered her product into small bottles. They opened each one and then threw them all away.
Why risk it? Pack what you need in a checked bag and relax while you travel.

Thank you all for your replies. I pretty much knew I couldn't put random liquids in unlabelled bottles but thought I'd ask anyway.

I actually have no problem checking bags...it just seems ideal to only have carry-ons. I guess it's just a dream......hmmmmmm.

Yup, John flew Monday and saw people losing their stuff that was packed into those travel bottles.

Maybe you could find a non-clear sample sized labelled bottle to put your magic hair potion into?

This is a non-issue for me, because as long as I travel with John, luggage, much luggage, will be checked. I think he took just about his entire closet with him on his current trip.

I remember the days when I didn't care.

I used make plans for a weekend away and bring a change of clothes, my cigarettes and some snacks.

Now my stock of lotions and potions keeps growing. I need a few things for my hair, a few things for the face, a few things for the dry skin, etc etc.

How did I ever go camping for a long the weekend with nothing but a pond to rinse off in?

Ugh.

Try www.sephora.com... they have an entire section of the website devoted to travel sizes, even high-end brands. Believe me, I know -- being high maintenance myself and yet determined to go carry-on! I know, I know, some people think it's easier to check a bag, but I hate carting around (and waiting for) heavy luggage, so I pack my stuff in my husband's carry-on and make him carry it.

All you "check the bag" people must never have flown UsAirways out of Philadelphia. The worst feeling in the world is watching your checked bag head down the belt behind check-in and go out of sight...

I have flown all over creation and never lost a bag. I did have one show up a day late, but that was it and it was on my honeymoon so I didn't really need it

We cross pack. We each take one suitcase with a mix of both of our clothes and then one carry on each with a change of clothes (destination appropriate) a toothbrush and medications.

A lot of the villas & condos (as well as obviously the resorts) provide shampoo & conditioner & lotion etc. Check with whoever you're renting from before you leave. You might not have to pack these toiletries at all!

And while I do understand how 'attached' we can get to our favorite brands etc, another of the many reasons I'm 'attached' to St. John is that it is the only place on earth that I actually have "big hair."

Usually my hair is flat as can be, but I step off the plan and voila! I have beautiful thick wavy hair and it just gets better the longer I'm there. It's like a miracle almost. I know it sounds funny but I think it's the combination of warm humid weather, using rainwater for showering--all water comes from the cisterns, and swimming/snorkeling in the salt water all day.

Whatever it is, it sure works for me!