Top Features To Look For In A Dopp Kit
Dopp kits have been used to carry toiletries for over a hundred years. Popularized by leatherworker Charles Doppelt around 1919, this kind of compact bag is now an iconic standard for travelers worldwide. Not only is the dopp kit bag iconic but it is ubiquitous. It seems like every bag or travel gear company sells one, so there is a tsunami of bags to choose from.
With that in mind we thought we'd take a minute and help you prioritize possible features and why you might want them. Whether you are a frequent or infrequent traveler you equally need a solid option to keep your grooming and body care needs near at hand and ready for any adventure.
Here are five top features to look for when you are shopping for a Dopp Kit (aka: toiletry bag):
- Craftsmanship
- Ease of Use
- Durability
- Practicality
- Size
Craftsmanship
As we said, there are literally a million Dopp Kit bags to choose from on the market. But they are not all created equal. Look for rugged construction, higher grade materials, and whether or not the company that makes it has an extended warranty. Our Dopp Kit, which we affectionately call the Beard Tamer, is sewn by hand in Virginia, USA, and comes with a lifetime warranty. That means: your human lifetime! Many companies only have a year or two guarantee for their products. That means they build it to fail. We don't do that. We build things for travelers to keep and use for decades!
Ease of Use
How you use your toiletry bag when traveling is a very personal thing. It also might change depending on whether you are staying in a hotel or going deep into the backwoods for an overlanding and camping trip. Having a way to hang your Dopp Kit is definitely a top tier feature. Also, finding a bag that sits open easily for ease of access is a real plus.
Our Dopp Kit does both. With a mil-spec webbing handle and double zipper top open design, you can use it vertically or horizontally. It works perfectly both ways. The generous opening allows you to see and grab items quickly without unzipping a battery of pockets.
Durability
Don't be fooled. Just because a Dopp Kit is made of leather doesn't mean it's going to last you a lifetime. We make our Beard Tamer of tactical X-Pac and Cordura materials, hi-viz waterproof packcloth interior, with heavy duty YKK zippers and mil-spec webbing. It's designed and built for the long haul and the rough road. Take it on business trips, take it overlanding, take it camping, take it globetrekking, it can handle it all without breaking a sweat, for many, many years to come.
Practicality
We've seen Dopp Kits that have alot of organization. There are pockets and dividers galore. But often this layout presupposes what you carry and the internal material used (even mesh) can harbor moisture or be subject to leaks from your bath and body care containers. Also, if you put away your tooth brush damp and it's enfolded within the pockets of your Dopp Kit you can create an environment for mildew to develop. If a bottle leaks, suddenly the inside can get stained.
To solve these kind of scenarios we designed our Beard Tamer Dopp Kit with high density, hi-visibility packcloth on the inside. The hi-viz orange color brightens the inside for better viewing of contents and because the tough packcloth is waterproof you can easily wipe away moisture.
Our Dopp Kit also features a large Velcro panel on the outside for your own custom ID Panel. No one will mistake your toiletry bag for theirs again if your name is literally written on it!
Size
Many toiletry bags are either too big or too small. The goldilocks principle of 'just right' is our rule of thumb. You may be a minimalist or you may want to bring along a serious sample of your body care and grooming supplies, either way, size and shape of your Dopp Kit is going to make a difference.
Our Beard Tamer toiletry bag features a spacious waterproof interior that can fit all the basics - and if you want to carry full size bottles simply lay them down, zip up the bag and carry upright with the attached mil-spec webbing handle.
If you are looking for additional storage use the laser cut MOLLE opening on the front and back of the bag to add PALS / MOLLE compatible pouches or carabiners. We love modular customizable features!
Summary
Because we design and manufacture rugged adventure bags we are definitely opinionated for what features to look for in a Dopp Kit. But we are also adventure lovers like you so we don't just make products for adventure travel - we use them too! Check out our Beard Tamer toiletry bag or - we dare you to find a Dopp Kit that measures up. ;)
