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 fir 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 !