airports vs. angel and how I survive :P

Ok so for all of you who love to read my silly and sometimes long winded stories, here's the first in the series. Inspired entirely by Alex Collins <3

So here is a quote to what was already written to save me retyping it because I'm feeling slightly lazy tonight lol
http://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=392010
Now, to go on with the story. . .
I was traveling between the US and Canada on the trip that proved why I pack the way I do. I was stopped and searched on a red level alert day because I had suspicious looking metal items in my bags. Yes, hair pins. . . apparently they appear to be bomb making bits in an x-ray machine, go figure. So rather than just bust open the kit, see they were hair pins and say thanks or while examining my passport notice what my visa papers say is my reason for living in Toronto. . . they searched me like a Jihad terrorist! If it were not for the Glad Press and Seal on my palettes and the small clear bags and bottles I pack everything in I'd have surely missed my flight :( And for those of you who have met me you'll laugh because I think it was electric blue hair extensions and my punk rock boots that must have made me look like a problem :D
So yes I contemplated shipping the kit prior to that but for some of you who work a lot,
you'll know that's just not usually an option. If I had that kind of downtime I'd prolly write me blogs right? So once I sort out posting things here in picture form I promise to add some pics of my kit when it's packed for flight travel :) And now having started this blog lol this was quite easy and fun and I'm off to post one about haircuts and the sisters you teach to give them :)
Later Days ^^
~angel~

EDIT!
As promised, here is the proper listing of how I do it :)
Ok here is an expanded and proper list of things I do when I travel. . . This has gotten me thru both customs and airports with much success :)

Liquids - Anything I can retrieve upon arrival easily is left at home. This includes things like
removers, cleaning products, etc. Anything I must have or can't buy on site
goes in a small quart sized ziplock (freezer type so it's extra sturdy). I picked up
small clear travel sized containers at the dollar store just for this reason, they fit well into these bags and during the right travel alert levels this is the acceptable way to
carry the minimal amount of liquids in your carry on as well. Clear bags so the items
can be seen and removed easily at security. Make sure to label these items if you
aren't the OCD type I am lol as this helps you up front if asked and later when you
need to use them :)

Aerosols - Anything aerosol is also left it can be helped. If I must take something aerosol it is
in a small travel size or it is stowed in my main bag safely stashed in my clothes
and fingers crossed nothing bad has ever come from this. I stocked up on the gift sizes
of my favourite aerosol products (Worked Up & Hold Me Tight to name 2) and these
also fit the criteria or acceptable sizes if the travel alert day is in your favour. These
just travel better for me also and I'm glad of their existence :)

Palettes - All of the palettes I have are covered inside with Glad Press and Seal wrap, sounds
silly but has saved me so many potential disasters you have no idea. This has
become one of those little tips I learned from a fellow artist and I feel compelled to pay
forward to other artists. It keeps possibly loose products in it's place and will keep
any accidentally broken product in line until you can sort it out :)

Essentials - Anything I absolutely can't do without just in case the luggage is lost is tucked
into my rather large carry on bag. These are items I can't replace in short notice if
they are lost. It pains me to have to tuck my shears into my main suitcase when I
travel but they pose more problem than traveling with firearms so it's either lose them
at security to an angry TSA agent or cross my fingers that they will arrive safely in my
luggage at the end of the day. . . touch wood no mishaps! So in this list I include my
brushes, essential hot tools, and essential hair tools, anything else I can replace or is
already in my carry on.

The Bag - So here's where it gets tricky, I have a few of these. I have two Heys cases, a TNA
bowler type bag, an off brand gym bag. . . It's hard to choose sometimes which
one is The One so I repack this at least 2 times lol If I am taking my laptop, this counts
as 1 carry on so I must pack wisely! Generally speaking the smaller shoulder Heys is
not enough room so it's the larger rolling Heys if I'm doing double duty and must take
both hair and make up. If it's just hair tho I typically just take the TNA bag and call it
a day.

Ground Shipping - I can say this for ground shipping, it will save you the hassle of packing
for travel if you have the downtime enough to ship your kit. I can also say this, it will
need to be packed as tho it was going to be used as a rugby ball and possibly kicked
about. Pack the kit inside and out with cushioning as tho it was heirloom china! You
laugh but I promise you this is no jokes, in the unload process your lighter weight box will
be at the possible top of the load and is prone to fall from a significant height. It is
also going to go thru a possible 4-6 stops in this load and unload process so you really can't
be too careful, it is your bread and butter after all! I have never shipped my kit
and likely won't ever either, I'd rather deal with TSA and Customs than to have to worry
what UPS or Fed Ex are doing to my kit :(


So I guess in summary, invest in Glad Press and Seal wrap and ziplock freezer bags lol I can't impress on you enough how much they have saved me :) Invest in a decent carry on sized bag, wheeled if possible to save your back :) Invest in a good shoulder bag, you'll need it for snacks and the iPod/book entertainment (or shield from irritating neighbors) ^^
It's always going to change on you at the last minute with alert levels so make sure you can toss any liquid or aerosol items easily into checked baggage if you have to! And above all CHEERS! to you, you're a 'Have Brushes Will Travel' ARTIST! It's a pain to pack but I promise you at the end of the day, you'll be glad you're there and have made it to this place in your career :) Travel Safe and Happy ^^

~angel~