Top Tricks to Stay Organized While Traveling

From packing before a trip to unpacking after you’ve settled back home, there’s a lot you need when traveling for extended periods of time. It all starts with the planning process—consider where you’re going, what you’re going for, and how long you’ll be staying. Once all of these details are sorted out, you can begin organizing your belongings for your trip. 

Initial Packing Tips

The key to staying organized begins before you even pull your suitcase out of the closet. 

Here are a few tips:

1. Use your closet island to lay out what you’re bringing. 

Having the space you need to properly lay out what you’re bringing on your trip makes it harder to forget items or bring the wrong number of outfits.

2. When planning what to bring, take the time to pair outfits. 

For every shirt, you’ll have a pair of pants that match when you go to pack. 

3. Suitcase short on space? Try rolling your clothes into burritos. 

This sounds silly, but you can pack more into your suitcase when you fold your clothes strategically. Plus, you’ll avoid indents from makeup bags or shoes or harsh creases from folding them.

Carry-on Packing Tips

Now that your suitcase is packed, let’s make sure your carry-on is in good shape. If you’ve flown before, you know liquids should already be packed away in your suitcase. Your carry-on is perfect for plane snacks, a book or crossword puzzle, your headphones, and an emergency pair of clothes just in case. 

The best way to keep your carry-on organized is to pack it based on the items you’ll be reaching for most often. For instance, if you skipped breakfast the morning of your flight, you won’t want to dig past your books and spare clothes to reach your snacks. If you are dying to finish your book, keep it at the top of your bag so you can stay organized the whole flight

You’ve arrived | unpacking tips

Once your plane lands safely and you’ve settled into your accommodations away from home, what’s the best way to stay organized? Is it living out of your suitcase? Storing all of your belongings in the dresser? 

The best way to keep everything organized is to unpack. While keeping your clothes folded, transfer your items to drawers. Casual pants, shirts, pajamas, and undergarments can be kept in their own separate drawers. Garments you’re looking to keep nicer and wrinkle-free during your stay can be hung in the closet. 

What to do with dirty clothes? 

There are a few ways to keep unused and dirty clothes all in one place without scattering them around your room or mixing them in with clean clothes. 

1. Try dropping dirty clothes into an unused drawer in the dresser. This will keep them all in one place and help you avoid mixing them with clean clothes. 
2. Fold or roll them back up and pack them away in your suitcase. 
3. Bring a laundry bag and place them inside—a laundry bag is great because you can push all the air out so it doesn’t take up much room.  

Packing Up To Leave

When it’s time to leave, you’ll follow many of the same guidelines as when you first packed your bag. Dirty clothes can be packed away first. Since all the dirty clothes will get thrown into the washer when you get home, it’s the easiest place to start.

Keep in mind, you may be leaving with more than you came with. If that’s the case, and you haven’t already tried rolling your clothes, give it a shot! It could give you more room for souvenirs and knick-knacks. 

You’re back home | unpacking tips

Once you’re back home in your own space, before you drop your bags by the door to do some dishes or relax, it’s time to unpack. We promise unpacking can be a breeze with the right process. 

Just like when you’re preparing for your trip, an island counter space in your closet can come in handy for unpacking.

• Prop your suitcase up on your island and begin to unpack and sort—you should have a put-away pile and a dirty laundry pile. 
• Put your dirty clothes in a laundry basket or hamper to take down to the laundry room—when you place your suitcase on your island, you can transfer dirty clothes directly from your suitcase to the hamper, no bending required.  
• A closet island makes sorting clean clothes into piles and putting them away easy, both on laundry day and after a trip. 

Packing and unpacking don’t have to be the most stressful parts of your trip when you know how to stay organized. If you’re ready to make preparing for trips a breeze, reach out and schedule a free consultation, and let’s talk about your custom home storage needs!