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The recent scare, dubbed "Terror in the Sky" by the media (a broad brush, sensationalist label

CHRISTINE HICKSUSTA Travel

if ever there were one), brought with it changes to how we travel, if intermittently. The policies instituted immediately following the plot's discovery were quickly instituted, upgraded, changed, challenged and downgraded before the tailwind had scarcely settled. I won't belabor that issue. It did remind me of a few tips you might tuck away for your next flight, "terror in the sky," or not.

This will sound stupid, for indeed it was. As a thoroughly novice traveler, back when soft-sided meant carpetbags or neoprene, I traveled with everything every cosmetic I owned, every nail polish, eye shadow, eye liner, lipstick, lip liner, makeup remover, polish remover, makeup remover cloths, polish remover cotton, blush, toner and astringent. I took all my colognes. I packed body lotion, face cream, depilatory and razor, extra razor blades, shampoo, conditioner, gel, mousse and an eclectic variety of sprays. Then there was the contact lens cleaner, conditioner and "eye fizzies." Oh, and of course there were combs, brushes, barrettes, curlers, curling irons, and if there had been a hand-held hair straightener (for back then, we used household irons), it would have been in there too.

It's difficult for me to determine whether I did this out of a Girl Scout need to "Be Prepared," or an obsession for every possible option. I had it both ways. And this was just my carry-on luggage. To be sure, I was much younger, my back wasn't giving me any trouble, and any other way hadn't yet occurred to me.

Now, at some point I went through this bag that was always "ready to go" and threw out nearly everything in it. A 180-degree swing overcame me, and I stripped down to the barest essentials. This, I thought was the best way to go. Carry lots of everything but smaller, and when used up, toss out the container...making more room (if only in an absolute universe) to bring stuff home.

We do at least most of us get smarter with age. Perhaps it should be a surprise that the best system manifested when the back faltered, while finding little, tiny everything became tedious and costly. This was a surprisingly simple answer to schlepping everything, and fits today's travel needs better than ever. What is it?

Buy it there.

What had I been thinking? Of course they sell toothpaste and hair gel in (name the country). Except for mountain villages in Mongolia or Bedouin camps, you can find American-style drugstores that sell them in sizes, flavors and varieties wonderfully unfamiliar. That's part of the fun. I found Vanilla Mint and Cinnamon toothpastes, and experimented with fragrances, body lotions and hair products. Sure, some weren't keepers; that's fun and a solution all in one.

So bring in your checked baggage those items not easily found. But don't schlep the small stuff. Take your list to the local apothecary, and make this a part of your travel experience.

(Christine Hicks-Usta has enjoyed more than 30 years of globetrotting as a member of the travel industry in various capacities. Direct questions to her at Bee Group Newspapers, P.O. Box 150, Buffalo, N.Y. 14231-0150.)