Storing all of those travel goodies

I keep it simple and avoid becoming a gear hog. My carry-on bag, hardshell, personal bag, toiletries kit and wall adaptor live in the hall closet. They're sort of quarantined and only come out when getting ready to travel. No packing cubes, the like or other paraphernalia. Liquid sort of toiletries I get in the 2.4 to 3oz range, use them for the trip and toss the pitiful remains when I get home. Buy anew for the next trip.

Sounds like you need to do some serious spring cleaning. We have a tall 4 shelf cupboard in our basement utility room that holds all our travel stuff except for the luggage pieces. Two shelves hold day packs, totes and personal bags (for flights or long train trips), and my travel purses. One holds packing cubes, toiletry bags and other organizing items like zip lock bags or electronics kits. The 3rd holds small items that end up in organizers , like small kleenex packs, wet wipes, travel toothpastes and floss( we use the freebies from the dentists after cleanings), hand sanitizers, and the bottles I decant my shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion into. Plus first aid kit, travel medicine kit, laundry sheets, laundry bag.

After every trip, when I put everything back into storage, I throw out any personal care item that has been partially used. Im not repacking an item that may run out after only one or 2 uses on the next trip. I also check and replenish everything in the first aid and medicine kit, so they are ready except for prescription meds. Basically purge unneeded items and restock the 3rd shelf. Then close the door and forget about it until the next trip.

Considering there’s months between long travel trips, I toss the miniature personal care items that have been partially used and start again with fresh stuff. I once opened a pouch of old wipes, never opened, to find them all dried up. It’s not worth it to me.

I have a plastic tub with packing cubes, electrical adapters, folding hangers, etc that I keep on a high shelf between trips.

I have a "travel" drawer where I keep everything that only gets used on trips. Actually, it's spill over to a second travel drawer.

Roller bag with packing cubes inside are stored in my closet. One dresser drawer is dedicated to travel items such as neck wallet, leg wallet, passport holder with passport, travel wallet, gloves, eyeglass holders, travel brush and comb, coin purse and key chain.

Not having the guest bed to layout the suitcase and or travel stuff as you get ready for the next trip?! You have my sympathies. I put things away in between trips but I love being able to have that landing spot when I get back and then later getting ready to do it again.

All my packing cubes get stuffed in the RS Euro bag, smaller odds and ends are kept in various smallish used Amazon delivery boxes in a cabinet in our other spare room that’s sort of a hobby room where all our suitcases are in one of the closets. If we ever really downsize I’m not sure what I’d do. Under the bed, perhaps? Hmm…

3 Suitcases live on a high shelf in my walk-in closet (2 bigger ones are great for storing unused bedding). The Carry-on is empty apart from my tiny travel hairdryer, hairbrush, and the empty refillable silicone tubes and bottles for toiletries. It also holds my RS microcloth towel and facecloth, clothesline and sink stopper, essentials I never travel without and bought for my first RS tour many years ago!). Can just grab what I need if headed out for a weekend somewhere, just have to remember to put them back!

Since I only travel once a year for between 24 and 30 days, most of my travel stuff lives in my closet. It’s fairly organized because there isn’t much room.

*Current Rolling Carry-On holds the favorite packing cubes, bath bag, supply bags and folding tote bag. Most are empty except for things that always travel with me and are not liquid or outdated. Everything is cleaned out after the trip.
*The broken rolling carry-on holds more packing cubes and a couple tote bags, overnight trip stuff.
*Tucked into the closet corner are larger suitcases that almost never get used except on road trips with hubby. Last time was 2019!
*From the hanger bar, hangers hold travel purses and a backpack.
*On the top shelf sits a plastic dresser with three drawers holding odds and ends of travel stuff, plastic bottles and jars, coin purses, zippered bags, money belts, umbrellas and scarves.

I always make a packing list with everything down to the last aspirin and check off things as I pack.
*About a month before a trip I pull out what I need, buy anything that needs to be replaced or added, decant jars and bottles, refill and package drugs. Staging area is the guest bedroom.
*Two weeks out I’ll do a test pack and probably revamp my packing list a time or two. Everything except clothes stays in the suitcase and tote. Clothings and Payday candy bars are packed a couple days before departure. I’m ready to go.

When I get home the routine is reversed, put stuff away, set potions, lotions and drugs on the bathroom counter to use up, throw away anything that will never ever be used again. Now’s a good time to revamp my packing list so I don’t keep packing the black/red shirt that I hate and needs to go to Goodwill.

Hi Doric8,

My 2-wheel & backpack bag are stored on the top shelf of my walk-in closet. (I keep a small bar of soap inside them to keep them fresh-smelling.)

I kept a shoebox from a pair of boots. That has my money belt, adapters, etc. small stuff. That’s stored on the top shelf of my home office. I also have a clear bin with packing cubes, etc. that sits next to it,

I travel often enough - international or domestically to visit my kids, that I only remove my prescription meds and leave the rest of the toiletry kit ready. I can easily refill toothpaste in a tube, and I replenish the other items as needed per my packing list.

Five years ago, I would place my suitcase and a box of items I wanted to take on the guest bed three weeks before a trip. But, my current dog gets sad when she sees my suitcase, even though she adores my daughter & stays with her family. So, I don’t pull out my bag/suitcase until 2-3 days before a trip now.

Jean, I too avoid pulling out my suitcase until as late as possible before departure in order to avoid hurting pets' feelings -- in my case, our two cats. So I am stashing things in shopping bags as I would normally pack them, or piling them on the sofa bed in our guest room. We really do have to consider our furry friends' emotions ! I would much rather have my suitcase out and be putting stuff in it !

I also only do about one big trip a year. I have the "bin of travel" that lives in the guest bedroom closet with my (too many) suitcase choices. Inside the bin I sort things into categories. One packing cube holds all the other packing cubes/ziplocks. Then I have a separate ziplock for supplies to replenish bits and bobs, laundry supplies, on the airplane kit, etc. I keep my toiletries kit stocked and ready to go because I use it on camping trips, but it gets refreshed before each trip. I keep my OTC meds loose in a small plastic bag and on the outside I write in Sharpie pen the name and expiration date of each med in the bag so it's easy to know when they're done.

Packing for a trip, I pull the bin out and use my checklist to pull what is necessary for that outing and throw it in the suitcase I am going to use. Like others, the final packing/staging gets done a little closer to the trip as my cats also know what the suitcase means (also, they like to sleep in the suitcase so I like to minimize the fur that travels with me). When I return from a trip, as I'm unpacking I toss what wasn't used and update my packing list to reflect the change or add a note to take something the next time. About once a year I go through the whole bin and purge. For me it's not ever a "done" project.

I put them inside the (empty) luggage so its all together.

CL, what the cats want to do is to send w you "hairs of remembrance " so that you can think of them while away....... 🐈 😻

What is it with cats and suitcases? Every cat I have had sleeps on the case or inside it, when I forget to shut it. There have been some news stories about cats taking accidental trips because of this.

I am not well organized. Stuff ends up in the second bedroom or hall closet. Then, gets thrashed out for each trip. I like having a variety of cubes, pouches, and bags available for the particulars of each trip.

I've got binS.....under the bed and in a shelving unit. I stack suitcases in the corner of my bedroom. About a month pre-trip I haul out my Mom's old bridge card table (with our address from 1960-68 written on the bottom in marker, hahaha! AND her name!!) It is not really functional for anything else as it's a bit wobbly but you'd expect a 60-year old card table to be not as sturdy, hahaha!!

And now you guys have got me worried so I need to go check the state of my conditioner left over from last Fall.....

I've thrown out a bunch of random used ziplock bags as I pack this time and I need to get rid of a bunch of toiletry bags which are too big but are mostly pretty colors or designs, lol.

I keep my passport/GE card at the front of a small bin staged so I can grab and go if there is ever a local emergency and have to evacuate. I keep random transit passes from various locales in my travel wallet and sort thru before a trip taking only the pertinent ones. I used to keep maps but I just use CityMapper now.

I do need to go thru every now and then to weed things out!

@Pam, I think everyone coming to our Coeur d’Alene weekend in September could receive a free toiletry kit or some other “valuable” item - LOL!

I have an old, quite big , carryall bag that reminds me of the one that Mary Poppins had.
All my travel stuff lives in there.
At the end of a trip, I wash all my packing cubes and store them in my smallest suitcase which then gets stored inside a bigger one.
Bars of soap inside to keep it all fresh.
If toiletries are nearly empty, I use them up after returning home, then wash out the containers.
We have a huge walk in storage closet upstairs so lots of room to store everything.
Every few months I go through all the little bits and pieces to see what I need for the next trip.

I top off the liquids/creams/gels in the toiletry kit when I get home.

The empty packing cubes go in the LARGEst packing cube and get put in a suitcase.

I have a separate set of quick-dry travel underwear and nightgown that stay in a packing cube that goes in an empty suitcase.

Travel toothpaste - my dentist gives me a travel tube every 6 months. If I've used a very small amount, say for a weekend, I will leave it in the toiletries kit. If 1/2 or more, I will leave it in the kit and add a full tube for the next trip if longer. If less than 1/2, I will use it up when I get home again.

I feel like I'm all ready to "go again". I also know that I have enough if I need to "bug out".

And if I actually do run out at home, I can go to the travel supply.

I quit buying baby wipes for my hurricane supply kit when I realized they dry out and don't reconstitute well with just water.

“@Pam, I think everyone coming to our Coeur d’Alene weekend in September could receive a free toiletry kit or some other “valuable” item - LOL!”

Jean!! Great idea! Don’t tell….

Pam--That is hilarious!

Our son's old room is where all the suitcases etc are. It is an absolute disaster and has been for the last couple of years. Our solution has just been to close the door;) I do need to go in there though and do a deep clean/sorting mission. The bed is covered in gadgets/ currency/OTC's and everything else you can imagine. Then there is the big dog crate, with a wooden top, so more surface area that has been overtaken. Plus the bookshelf, that the top is filled with adapters and locks. At least I know where everything is;) Maybe I will start on that today. We just got back from a big trip and there are no overseas trips until August when my husband does his sailing trip. If I clean up the room, then we can start putting his stuff for that on the bed. That is one trip that he absolutely cannot forget anything.

Hmmm, I have to stay home for a package today, so might see what Amazon can deliver today for an organization thing.

When we go into that room, the dogs get all excited as they know that means suitcases are coming out. Then they wait to see if their travel bag gets filled. If it doesn't, then they mope.

Editing to add that I definitely went down the rabbit hole on Amazon! Organizers are being delivered today and tomorrow. I will toss everything into large bags so I can clean, and then sort when the items arrive.

Mik Liz, ooooh, a new level of enabling that we unlocked with out Mardee!!!!!

Maybe to confuse the dogs, since you are deep cleaning in that room anyway... set their travel bag in front of whatever cupboard food and treats live in? Then it's a kinda Hope Springs Eternal situation while they anticipate the next step, which, shush does not come.

And I applaud all of you folk with 6 month dental cleaning where staff contributes small toothpaste tubes to the endeavor!!! My dentist pretty much gave up on that, I think they claimed supply chain issues. I did branch out into chewable tooth paste tabs, finally found a free plastic pill box to carry about 9.... I'm still kinda meh on those

doric8--LOL!!!! I did have to restrain myself a bit, but I love organizing so am excited for this. Here are links to what I ordered.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3N6BSKS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GF9SW42Z?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F93BQTQW?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3N7BT2G?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNHSH34M?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Those drawers are cool!! Will they fit on a shelf on the bookcase?

My favorite on line organization guru (dana k white) would say, now, do not get more drawers, declutter down to the available space (tho you can definitely start the pile of stuff for the sailing trip)

Another organization nerd here. Since i have Several organization folks I follow on line, but Dana k white is my favorite. She even just released a kids story book to help little ones understand that there is not space in their bedroom for Every Cool Thing they acquire

doric8--Yes, those will fit either on the bookcase or on the dresser. I wanted clear so I can easily see what is inside. I did just go in and gathered up all the suitcases we regularly use, and organized the hall closet and put those in there. Then oddball suitcases are in that bedroom closet. Yes, lots of bags, don't judge, lol. I even found two I forgot about! One is an Eagle Creek convertible backpack and the other is a North Face dry convertible backpack. I used the NF one for the Alaskan bush and that was perfect since sometimes things fall into the water from the float planes. I also found OLD bags, so those are going to get donated. Back in the bedroom, I started to make piles. I need to pace myself, lol. I did find a few small organizer bags that I bought from recommendations here, but they were not right for me. So still brand new, Tom Bihn etc. Maybe I will be like Pam and see what the September gathering holds;)

🙂of course, remember that whatever county office deals with children in foster care would be happy to get suitcases and duffles and even toiletries bags for kids experiencing that kind of relocation

I know you know, im repeating myself fir the folk in the back of the room

Speaking of enabling, Doric, I actually have a travel dresser. I bought it at IKEA, and it’s a bright yellow, because I like the color. And then I also bought some of the Scubbs fabric drawer dividers, so that I can keep things more organized inside the dressers. I love these as they’re really lightweight but very functional.

The top drawer is for my chargers, cords, small items, adapters, toiletries, passport, global entry card, and so on.

The next drawer is for pouches, small bags, small packing cubes and any other items in that size range.

And the bottom drawers is for the larger packing cubes, packable backpacks, and small backpacks. Yes, I have more than one bag. Surprised? I think not. 😉

I love my travel dresser. I love putting things in and I love taking things out of it. Because both actions mean I’m either getting close to a trip or just finishing a trip. And both are always a good thing.

OK, I wasn't going to mention where all of our travel stuff is stored between trips until Mardee posted about her travel dresser!

We used to keep our travel things except for suitcases and clothes in various bins and closets and backpacks, just like others have mentioned. Only our packing list was well organized and kept us sane. Then in 2020 I inherited from my rather eccentric mother a huge floor-to-ceiling set of drawers, like something you'd see in a museum except it is a modern one bought at an art fair, made by an artist/woodworker. It's painted in dozens of swirling bright colors and has big drawers near the floor, medium drawers in the middle, and teeny-tiny drawers near the ceiling. This crazy-looking piece of furniture has kept us organized when probably nothing else would have --- it's just fun to use!

The only place it physically fits in our house is in a corner of the living room, so that's where it is. It holds EVERYTHING, even some clothes, our passports, our small bags and travel purses, and a drawer full of maps, travel guidebooks, and printed-up information. Bottles of liquids are in a plastic bin in a big drawer. The 21 highest and littlest drawers (about 1.5" x 3") are all empty, but very cute.

Oh, and there is even a secret drawer.

Nancy, sounds lovely, I would pay an admission fee to visit your living room and gaze upon it!!! On the way out, you could force me to walk thru your gift shop.

Hiding your passport in the secret drawer could almost be the at home equivalent of putting it in the hotel safe and then forgetting the combination 😉 😀

I put all my travel related items except toiletries inside the carryon and store it in the closet.

"Nancy, sounds lovely, I would pay an admission fee to visit your living room and gaze upon it!!! On the way out, you could force me to walk thru your gift shop."

Oh gosh, Doric8, laughing out loud but I agree! We can all go tour Nancy's living room. Do we need to tip after the experience?

I want to go into Nancy's living room to see this as well! It sounds wonderful!

We used to use a combination of my mom's old dresser and our son's. Mom's dresser became the linen hutch though, and our sons, well we keep hoping he will take it to his house, lol.

doric8--Thank you for the reminder for the bags for foster kids. Right now I just toss them in the garage, so will get those donated soon. One package of the cubes I ordered already arrived, the 4 pack. Perfect! More are due to arrive today. The best part about these will be if the dogs get in that room, they won't be able to chew on anything. One of my hats from Iceland became a chew toy a couple years ago.

Pam, I bet we can take an Uber from the airport!!!!
She will probably sell us a lukewarm 10oz bottle of water for 5 bucks !!! Think how much travel she could fund!

Liz, the dogs have exquisite taste.

Aha! Look what Mardee did for you: my mother's dresser

No gift shop, no water bottles, no tips!

That's lovely, Nancy! I'm minutes from I-35 between des moines and the twin cities , so let me know when the first tour is. 😉

Wow-wee Nancy! A Mary Poppins dresser (You know what I mean.). Or, Willie Wonka.
Like the secret drawer. There is space under the dresser for greater utilization.
Truly a fun, special family piece.
Maybe Rick Steves will get into selling luggage storage systems for home base.

Oh Nancy! That is a great piece! (and thanks Mardee for figuring out how to post the photo!)

Doric...well, I guess the Uber trip is out as is the lukewarm water and no donations to Nancy's travel fund, hahaha!

And what a fun thread!

doric8--The organizers came and I love them! My husband was away this week and when I showed him, he was quite impressed! They nest together nicely, so I can rearrange them if I want. They have rubber stoppers on the bottom, so they won't slide off and won't scratch the book case. I am just wondering why it took me so long to think of doing this:)

Gosh, you guys make me want to play with my travel stuff and reorganize, perhaps, and let go of some of my ridiculous "maybe I could use this when I travel". Your systems are great motivators. We moved and downsized about 4 years ago. I can't tell you how many suitcases and travel purses I got rid of at the time. I now, so far, have maintained that when one thing comes in, another goes out... But the little things accumulate. I use my two suitcases for travel bag storage. One has the excess and the other has what I usually use, including toiletry kit and such. My H has three, but mainly due to my influence and there's one I use, too. Sigh. Under my bed I have many of my purses in one large sweater bin and a smaller bin with miscellaneous: wallets, plastic bags, luggage scale, bag markers, and 'oh I might need this interesting container" sometime. From your posts, I know I need to get rid of excess packing cubes in my suitcase and lots of little stuff from the under bed containers. Maybe tonight...

I, often, get teased that packing is one of my hobbies. Haha. There are worse ones!

"I, often, get teased that packing is one of my hobbies. Haha. There are worse ones!"

I was first introduced to the concept of "light" packing by my brother in about 2010. He's the first one I saw who weighed every item and of course recorded it on a spreadsheet, lol. He used to do what we referred to as "recreational packing"....hahahah!

Mikliz and Mardee, your organization approach is so great! I love that yellow dresser, Mardee. Much classier than my old Amazon shipping boxes. But my stuff is behind doors in a wall unit organizer that is book shelves on the top half and doors on the bottom so not too unsightly. Of course this is the extra room that has a 5 foot gun safe in it so I can only do so much, aesthetically speaking.

I had to come back tonight to reread your posts and to again stare in wonderment at Nancy's dresser

The short answer is - Under the stairs in CA, inside a closet here in Uppsala. Does anyone else have a luggage stand?? That's under the stairs as well. I mentioned to my H how sad the pets get when some of you travel, he said that's why I pack surreptitiously inside a closet, he gets sad like those pets when I travel without him! haha.

I really enjoyed reading this thread. It was fun, funny and quirky. I too admired that amazing antique, thanks Nancy! And of COURSE Mardee found the perfect cabinet in an eye popping color to store her gear! Pam - 'Recreational packing', that's one I've never heard!