suze

I don't have anything like travel pillow, travel umbrella, don't need adapters because I never travel with anything electric (no hair dryer, no flat iron, no cell phone, no laptop) no noise-cancelling head phones (although I wouldn't mind a pair of those!)

Therese

Noise-cancelling headphones have changed my life. Noisy plane, noisy travel companions, unintelligible in-flight movies---all a thing of the past. I keep them on while I'm sleeping, without any sort of input, just to cancel out ambient noise.

The thing I'm most likely to use plug adapters for is my camera battery charger. And of course my daughter's iPod if she's along for the trip.

Scarlett

Since the last trip we took was Huge...we moved from the US to Argentina..I decided to keep all the things I really need for a trip, in the big suitcase that we would take with us...we now use the transformers here that we would use in Europe etc so this is no longer needed.. we bought new hair dryer, shaver etc for this voltage. If I go to the US, I have my old ones

Passports , valuables are kept in a safe in our apt..and in my roller carry-on size bag, I have a small kit that is just lotions potions and makeup..

So it looks like I can be ready in a flash to take off...if only Pup could travel so easily ((&amp)

scdreamer

Inside one of my closet doors I have hung a transparent over-the-door shoe holder. I keep all the little odds and ends in the shoe pockets - sample sized shampoos, portable umbrellas, clothesline & pins, small roll of duct-tape, travel sewing kit, maps and guides, etc.

I keep my passport and any other travel documents (e-tickets, reservation invoices, etc.) in a file cabinet ...

[Therese - do you REALLY keep your passport your purse all the time? Why? I would be worried about somehow losing it and having to go through the hassle of replacing it! But maybe you are one of the lucky ones who could be whisked away at the drop of a hat to some exotic locale! ]

Fodorite018

I do have a travel drawer Not a lot in it though...adapters, money belts, travel pillow...thats about it. Never thought to put our passports in there. Those are in the fire safe.

I do have a bookshelf though in a closet. And then plastic accordian style folders in there, by destination or activity (like hiking).

Therese

Yes, I really do keep my passport in my purse. I use it as ID whenever I travel (both domestically and abroad) and it's always in exactly the same place. When I get a new purse I designate a new place for it.

I keep photocopies at home, and in my wallet. Replacing it would be thrash, but then so would replacing all the other stuff in my bag.

I do like the idea that I could, at any moment, just drive to the airport and get on the next place to someplace cool.

SusieQQ

Yes I have multiple travel drawers with...plug adaptors, travel alarm clock, emergency ponchos, various hats, neck pouch, travel iron, electric travel fan, tiny umbrella, various small purses, pocket size tissues, small bottles to hold shampoo, conditioner and detergent, inexpensive washcloths,sewing kit, small clothespins and clothes line with suction cup ends,bug repellant, sunblock, foreign currency, bottle opener, wine opener,tape player with earphones, luggage locks,rubber bands, yellow ribbon for my suitcase, vaccination records, water heating coil, passport copy, flashlights, hand wipes...I don't take all on each trip obviously..

yk

I just leave the stuff in the suitcase.

I usually travel with the same rollaboard anyway. I leave behind:

inflatable neck pillow and eyeshade
slippers
voltage adapter
scented travel candle

The rest of the stuff is scattered all over the house
travel alarm clock and passport on my desk
travel wallet and foreign currency on my bureau
lightweight umbrella at the shoe rack next to our front door
travel-sized toiletries in the bathroom

No wonder I spend so much time packing for each trip!

Susan33

Gee, I cannot imagine having just one drawer for travel stuff. We have lots of stuff for all seasons of the year. Since our son moved out, we use his room, closet and dresser for travel iems. We hang special travel clothing in the closet, and we use tubs to store travel items. The dresser contains luggage tugs, currency that isn't very valuable, underwear that is used for travel only, a just in case walking cane, special purses, money belts, bra stashes, scarves, cheap jewelry, adaptors, hair dryer, curling iron, etc. The bed is currently covered with travel stuff from the last trip that needs to be sorted before Thanksgiving and repacked because we leave again after turkey day. Since we live in a high fire danger area, the passports and valuable currency, Euros and USA cash, are stored at the bank in a safe deposit box.

My husband collects maps and guidebooks and stores those in his "den" along with various cameras and video equipment. I have a filing cabinet that I store files of information from past trips and future trips. I have stacks of information that I have printed from Fodor's for future trips. We are also on the lists of many tour companies, so I have brochures that come in handy when planning a trip. We also have a section near the TV where we store travel DVD's. There is also a special enclosed cupboard in the garage to store suitcases. Did I mention that retirement and travel are wonderful.

Travelnut

Sacc and others, I have learned to segregate my supplies into large baggies before I toss them into the Rubbermaid bin - one bag for shampoos, one for lotions, one for toothbrush, toothpaste, one for medicines/first aid, one for.... that way, I can pull the baggies out and line them up on the bed and see what I've got there.

I keep our bathkits and a med kit filled all the time, and a partial cosmetic kit (just toss in a couple more things when I pack).

For more packing madness, see the "Travel Check List" thread:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34648432

Barb_in_Ga

I use the gallon or quart size zipper top bags and label them with black marking pen as follows:

FIRST AID--in here I have a few band-aids, a small tube of antibiotic ointment,eye drops, meds for diarrhea or upset stomach, moleskin for blisters, antihistamine, a few cold lozenges, ibuprofen or aleve for muscle aches

CLOTHING CARE--small sewing kit with scissors, needles, thread, a couple of buttons, safety pins, spot remover packs, a small container of liquid laundry soap, a travel size Febreze spray

MAKE-UP here I have small sizes of each necessity plus samples of cologne,

DENTAL travel size toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, and spare toothbrushes

TOILETRIES here I have disposable razors, small can of shaving cream, shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, styling mousse, talcum powder, hand lotion, cotton ear buds, cotton balls

This method works better for me than putting all the above in one container for 2 reasons: first, I can easily see what I have on the trip without necessarily unpacking every item onto the hotel bathroom counter, and second, I may want to have small quantities of these things available, but I certainly won't use them all every trip, and being able to grab the ziploc bag and see what I have is fast and convenient.

Other things, like travel pillow, mask, earplugs, mini umbrella, etc are kept in my most-used suitcase.

I use to use opaque make-up and toiletries bags, but far prefer the see-through ziplocs. I replenish the used items as I unpack, and add new things as needed for specific destinations--suntan lotion, bug spray, and this helps me feel in control of my packing.

Robespierre

I'm still trying to figure out how this works:

<b>4. European currency flat iron for hair</b>

Do you &pound; your hair into shape?

To answer the original question: no. I have a carry-on suitcase that has all my travel stuff in it at all times - except my passport, which is kept in a fireproof box in the front hall closet. When I need to go somewhere, I grab it, (and the passport if I'm leaving the country) and throw it in the car. When I was going to Taiwan several times a year, all I needed was the passport, because a Chinese friend kept my clothes in a drawer in <i>his</i> home.

Lady

I didn't know I was the only one with a travel drawer!

The stuff I need for any trip, domestic or international, stays in my suitcase (except for clothing). I have a shower kit with shampoo,conditioner, razor, sewing kit, dual voltage hair dryer, brush, travel alarm etc.

Then I have a drawer that has things specifically for international travel like money belt, adapters, neck pillow, travel iron, disposable wash cloths, clothes line etc. Passports are in a separate place and a journal is always nearby. I can pack everything but clothing in ten minutes. Clothing takes about 4 hours!!LOL

Marycang

We're like TRAVELNUT, we have an extra bedroom where we keep all the travel stuff, suitcases, travel iron, hair dryer, Steamer, etc.
I keep the passports in a fireproof file filed under &quot;P&quot;. and my husband is impressed that I don't have them filed under &quot;T&quot; for Things We Need When We Travel. ( I used to have them filed there when my husband did'nt know.)

Grcxx3

Therese - ironically, even tho the extra currency is scattered around....I actually know where it all is!!!

The GBP are sitting in my husband's &quot;drawer&quot;...handy for his frequent business trips to London.

Extra Euros are in our travel wallet for transiting thru Europe on our way home each summer.

The Turkish Lira, UAE dirhams, and Egyptian pounds are in my &quot;drawer&quot; ....readily accessible to exchange for any friends traveling that way (frequent destinations from here).

The money from Russia, India, NZ, China, South Africa, Czech Republic, Georgia, and Tanzania are all sitting in my scrapbook area so I can add some of the bills and coins to the boys' or family albums.

Organized chaos!!!!!!

gard

Hi

I have a second wallet....my travel wallet contains all my travel insurance cards, my frequent flyer cards, foreign currency, my travel &quot;business card&quot; etc. So the only thing I have to do is to move the credit/debit card over to the wallet and then I'm good to go

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

where2

Getting jealous of all of you who have extra rooms in your house to put your travel stuff in. . .

For all of you with old coins laying around - for years I have glued small magnets on the back of some of our extra coins and use them as magnets on the fridge. They remind us of our travels - plus now that Europe is on the Euro, it is kind of cool to see the old currency no longer in use.

ekscrunchy

You can also glue earring-post backs onto good-looking coins like the old two-metal lira. I have a few pairs of &quot;lira earrings.&quot;

Whee does one buy magnets..in a hardware store?

BTilke

We have a travel tomato.

It's a huge ceramic majolica style tomato with lid given to us as a wedding gift. At first, we didn't know what to do with the thing, but now it holds passports, hotel and travel confirmation print-outs, various Eurostar and Thalys tickets for upcoming trips, Brussels and Paris metro tickets, and a couple of Vienna mass transit ticket strips. Plus various plug adapters.

monicapileggi

One of the bedrooms in my house is my office-guest bedroom-travel drawer. When I start getting ready for a trip I put my suitcase on the day bed and things are scattered all over the room. I store a lot of my things that I take with me in a treasure chest. It's decorated with world maps and exotic plants. When I first bought it, everything fit inside. Now I have hat boxes sitting next to it stacked up with the overflow of things.

Monica