Why I Love My Travel Box (and What I Put in It)
I first heard about the “travel box” right here on Lifehacker, where Christine Wong wrote about the idea in 2016. I mentally rolled my eyes. Set aside an entire drawer just for things you only use when traveling? But now I have it, I love it, and I’ll tell you all about what I keep in it and how it has changed my life.
What is a travel box and why do you need one?
A travel box is a permanent box (or similar place) in your home where you store all the items you only use when traveling. As Christine Wong wrote in that fateful article: “Packing usually means gathering all the junk you plan to take on your trip: passport, travel adapters, chargers, toiletries, and so on. You can save a lot of time by storing all that junk in one place.”
My travel “box” is a plastic wheeled bag that lives under my bed. My passport lives elsewhere, but other than that I use it exactly as she described. My favorite hanging cosmetic bag? It’s there. Adapters that I only use in hotel rooms? Certainly. Choosing packing cubes? You know that. This not only makes packing easier, but also unpacking . I come home, throw my dirty clothes in the wash, and put my travel items back in the drawer. Five minutes and I’m 80% unpacked.
In theory, you could use your suitcase as a travel box, but I find that a suitcase is one of the least convenient places to store travel items. Because when you travel, you usually don’t need all your travel supplies. (Some are for flights, some are for travel, some are seasonal… you get the idea.) You take this item with you, but not that one, and then what happens to the rest? You just have a big pile. If you go this route, at least keep your travel items in a bag or box inside your suitcase.
What do I keep in my travel box?
Aside from wasting a drawer, another reason I was skeptical at first was that I didn’t realize I had so much travel-ready stuff. But it turns out I have more than I thought (once I put them together), I found that having a dedicated place for travel items allowed me to put together a thoughtful collection of travel items. No more questions about “where in the bathroom will this toiletry case live?” or “Is it worth buying this mug if it gets lost among all my other mugs?”
So, below are the most game-changing travel items I keep in my travel drawer. I’ll also include my colleague Ellie Reinmann’s list of essentials that you should check out too.
Packing cubes
I’m not kidding when I say that packing cubes changed my life . I have a large collection of them in this drawer because I need enough for my entire family. (I travel probably half a dozen times a year. The rest of the family usually only once. That’s why the travel box is mine, but I share it.) I have different sizes and different types, including regular, compression, and my new ones. favorite, clean/dirty packing cube . There’s a divider that allows you to put dirty clothes one way and clean clothes the other, so you don’t need a separate laundry bag for the trip home.
Pull-out laundry basket
However, for washing clothes while you are at the hotel, it is very convenient to have a pull-out basket. In the evening, throw dirty clothes out there instead of stuffing them in a drawer or leaving them in a pile on the floor. Any basic pop-up cart will do; grab one from the dorm supplies section during any back-to-school sale.
Organizer for all my chargers
You can organize your cables and adapters the way you like. I’m partial to this folding organizer . For my phone, I have a magnetic charging puck that can connect to any USB-C cable, eliminating the need for me to carry a special magnetic charger or Lightning cable.
Sleep shorts
You know what I always forget to take with me? Pajamas. Even when they’re on my packing list, I debate which ones to pack because I love a nice, cozy pair of sweatpants at home, but sweatpants take up a lot of space in my suitcase. On one trip, when I forgot my sleepwear again, I bought a pair of thin, soft sleep shorts. Not only do they pack compactly, I dedicated my travel pajamas to them (they can be paired with any t-shirt I always pack) and they live in the travel box. I never forget my pajamas anymore.
A good cosmetic bag with all the necessary mini-cosmetics.
I love the hanging toiletry bag because it doesn’t require packing or unpacking. My favorite is this little one from Travelon . Pro tip: Bring one shower curtain hook so you can hang it anywhere, even if your hotel doesn’t have room to fit a small built-in hook.
Inside the makeup bag, most of the contents are predictable and I won’t bore you with them. For example, I have a folding toothbrush and a mini tube of toothpaste. (I don’t usually bring shampoo or soap; your hotel or local pharmacy will provide it.) But there are two specific items I’d like to point out because they save a lot of space, time, and hassle. The first is a small razor that comes in its own compact case. I have a Venus Mini, which seems to have been discontinued, but here is an off-brand one in the same form factor .
Another that also fits in my small makeup bag is what some product catalogs call a “pocket apothecary.” It’s a box of pills, but instead of organizing it according to what medications you take each day of the week, it’s just a small selection of things you may or may not need. I have ibuprofen there in case my muscles are sore after weightlifting competitions (most of my travel is for weightlifting competitions). I have Claritin in case I have allergies. I have melatonin tablets in case I need help sleeping. The best pocket pharmacies have small stickers to label all the compartments.
This Surprisingly Versatile Tumbler for 50 Cents
When I bought a plastic cup for 50 cents at Walmart while traveling, I had no idea it would become such a staple for me. Not only is it convenient as a water glass, but it’s also microwave-safe, so you can use it as a mug if you want to warm up a hot drink. And it’s big enough that you can eat a decent portion of cereal or oatmeal with a spoon (or a small travel spoon ). I bought four more for family vacations, and the kids got into the habit of saving a bottle of milk for breakfast and making themselves hot cocoa in the evening. Buy a different color for each family member and do yourself a favor: wash off the milk immediately after using it, okay?