Gordon Smith is the airlines editor for Skift. He’s on the road once or twice a month for newsgathering, work trips, conferences, and more,

This toiletry bag from German travel bag maker Reisenthel is all Skift airlines editor Gordon Smith takes with him when he’s covering news and events around the world. He explains why it’s the only toiletry bag he’ll ever buy.

As airlines editor for Skift, part of his more than 15 years covering the travel industry, Gordon Smith has spent a good part of his decade-plus-long career on the go. Between industry events, work trips, conferences, and other places to be, he’s well acquainted with the art of efficiently packing a suitcase from clothing down to toiletries. 

Smith’s turned to one and only one toiletry bag over the years to take with him on travels, the Reisenthel Unisex Adult Toiletry Bag.

"The Reisenthel toiletry bag is one of my top recommended items," Smith says. "It’s from a German company.”  

“I received this bag after a guided tour of Munich airport, and I thought, actually, you know, this is meeting the threshold because, A, it looks really cool and it's a good size, and B, I was kind of intrigued by just how solid it feels.”

Smith still likes to hold himself accountable with a classic plastic liquids bag on shorter trips, which basically acts as overpacking insurance. But the Reisenthel comes out when he wants to bring full-size favorites.

“This toiletry bag is really robust,” he says. “It's a really good size. And this is my kind of treat bag because if I'm bringing this, then it means I can bring some of my full-size items, and it can get roughed up. I've never had any issues with it.

Plus, it’s a great bag for a quick freshing-up on the go, thanks to a few features that help avoid the annoyances of small counter space or wet surfaces as you travel.

“It's also got a nice handy hook, which just seems so simple and so boring, but I find myself using it a lot more than you might think,” he says. “I’m glad that someone has put a bit of thought into that.”

Plus, “the bottom of it is water-resistant,” Smith adds. “So, even if it's on a wet surface or it's getting wet somewhere, it doesn't get the bottom soggy. So many toiletry bags have a sort of cotton or cotton-esque sort of material right through, and it just soaks things up.

“Especially if… then you're having to put that bag straight into your luggage. You just know it's going to be all messed up by the time you get there.”

It’s also built to last, he says: “I kind of feel like it's going to be in the apocalypse. This wash bag and the cockroaches: Everything else will turn to dust. You know how your granny would speak about, ‘Oh, we bought our fridge in the 1950s and we've never had to replace it because they’re built it to last.’ I kind of feel like this is the same.”

“I haven't really explored more of the Reisenthel range because I don't really feel like I need to. I kind of feel like they've absolutely outdone themselves with this. I’m kind of like, OK, you've peaked too soon. It’s a big thumbs up from me.”