The Perfect Dopp Kit

Nail Care Contents

If traveling for a week or less, and low weight is a high priority, you could omit this from your kit. However, they are handy if you break or “catch” a nail and for most people are really an every day carry item. They are readily available at pharmacies and many grocery stores, many are low price and are correspondingly low in quality too. The key differences are they rust; have dull cutting blades; and break – making their life span short. Here are our suggestions you may like to try, according to your needs:

Our best low budget option in a fingernail and toenail combination pack is from Tweezerman.

A very good mid budget choice is the fingernail and toenail offerings by Seki Edge.

Perhaps the best low profile nail cutters are by Gosol, with built in nail file and black slimline case, they are available in two sizes: fingernail for $20 and toenail for $22. 

If you’re looking for more style, we particularly like Erbe’s clipper and file kit in a leather case for $30, available from Zamberg in Black or Brown.

Should you find standard nail clipper’s too small to handle then try the larger style by J.A. Henckels available in fingernail and toenail sizes from Zwilling.

This can be omitted in preference to a Nail File (see below) however, if you are likely to be getting your hands dirty, take one with you. They are great for getting grime from underneath your nails and ingrained on your hands, but who’d of thought this would be such a personal thing. Some like soft bristles, others medium and some really want bristles so stiff they might just as well use a wire brush! Most surprisingly of all, what some people will describe as being soft bristled others would describe it as stiff bristled! So, with no apologies for how stiff or soft you find them, these are our suggestions:

Our best traveler’s choice, with medium to stiff bristles, is the small, inexpensive and light “Easy Hold” pack of 4 plastic brushes. For a more rugged look with medium to stiff bristles, try the manly “CR Laurence Grime Scrub Brush”. Another manly choice, also with medium to stiff bristles is the “Eppco Heavy Duty Brush.” If you like or think you’ll like this, buy at least several because the postage is high but doesn’t change much (if at all) with higher quantities. For soft to medium bristles, good looks and our best eco friendly pick try the “Bürstenhaus Redecker Beechwood Brush”.

This should be an every day carry item for all men but, if not, always pack one to extract foreign matter from underneath your nails or to file rough edges. Nail files are readily available in pharmacies and many grocery stores but while the price may be good the quality cannot always be assured. We suggest trying the simple and classic styled stainless steel one with the hook shaped nail cleaner tip.

However we really do like the Foldable Pocket Nail File by Gosol for $4, and it is available in a range of colors including: Brown, Black, Red, Yellow, White, or Blue.

We also like Gosol’s Retractable Nail File for $8, no doubt because it resembles a “flick” knife, and is available in Black or White.

Alternatively, for a more stylish approach try Erbe’s clipper and file kit in a leather case for $30, available from Zamberg in Black or Brown.

Usually available in the majority of pharmacies, this is not essential unless you are away for 3 or more days. If space is not an issue then take a normal 4-step buffer, we like the pack of 20 from Nails Gaga. If space is limited then try the small and quick 5-Second Nail Buffer for $1 from Flowery’s. 

If you’re not too concerned about using a buffer again then consider using disposable buffers such as Star Nail’s Mini White Blocks (126 pieces) or the better quality & slightly larger DHS Products Mini White Blocks (24 pieces).

For a little more luxury add some OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil To Go and/or Badger Cuticle Care Balm to your Dopp Kit.

These are readily available in pharmacies and most grocery stores. You may not need to pack any if away for less than 3 days. Most cuticle pushers are made from metal but these can scratch the surface of the nail unless made to a reasonable level of quality. Our suggested choice is the rubber grip one from Satin Edge - it’s a little more expensive than most, but still within an affordable range with a good level of quality.

If you prefer a disposable wooden cuticle pusher (known as an Orange Stick), as we do, there are a few to choose from. Our best pick is the pack of 100 inexpensive orange sticks from the Salon Supply shop. These are 7” long and are best cut or snapped in half for ease when traveling. Alternatively, and the best eco friendly choice, is the BambooMN pack of 100 4.25” bamboo orange sticks.

You might wish to consider ready made kits to encompass all your needs, making it easier to just add one container to your Dopp Kit, rather than a collection of small loose items moving around in your bag. These are readily available but the quality cannot always be guaranteed, despite the price you may pay. If you want good quality, and are prepared to splash the cash, we believe Zamberg provide the best choice. They have a magnificent range of men’s manicure kits, priced from $20 and up to $450!