The Joy of My Travel Drawer: A Peek Inside My Adventure Essentials!

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I first came across the concept of a “travel drawer” right here on Lifehacker, where Kristin Wong discussed the idea in 2016. I mentally sighed. Allocating an entire drawer solely for items you only utilize during travel? But now I possess one, I adore it, and I’m going to share everything I keep in it and how it has transformed my life.

What is a travel drawer, and what are its benefits?

A travel drawer is a permanent drawer (or analogous area) in your residence where you store all the items you only require for traveling. As Kristin Wong articulated in that pivotal article: “Packing usually involves gathering all the items you plan to take on your trip: your passport, travel adapters, chargers, toiletries, and more. You can save a significant amount of time by keeping everything in one place.”

My travel “drawer” is a rolling plastic container that resides beneath my bed. My passport is kept in another location, but otherwise, I utilize the space exactly as she explained. My cherished hanging toiletry bag? It’s stored there. Adapters that I solely use in hotel rooms? Absolutely. A variety of packing cubes? Indeed. Not only does it streamline packing, but it also simplifies unpacking as well. Upon returning home, I toss my dirty laundry into the washer and return my travel items right back to their drawer. In just five minutes, I’m 80% unpacked.

In theory, you could repurpose your suitcase as the travel drawer, but I find a suitcase to be one of the least convenient spots to keep travel essentials. Because when traveling, you typically don’t want all of your travel items. (Some are meant for flying, others for road trips, certain ones are seasonal…you get the drift.) You’ll take this item, but not that one, and then what becomes of the rest? You merely create a large heap. If you decide on this option, at least organize your travel items in a bag or box within the suitcase.

What items do I keep in my travel drawer

Besides the wasted drawer space, another reason for my initial skepticism was that I didn’t believe I had that many travel-specific items. Yet not only did I discover that I possessed more than I anticipated (once I gathered everything together), I realized that having a designated area for travel items allowed me to curate a considerate selection of items. No more “where will this toiletry case be stored in the bathroom?” or “is it worthwhile to buy this mug if it’s going to get lost among my other mugs?” 

So here, listed below, are the most life-altering travel items I keep in my travel drawer. I’ll also give a nod to my colleague Allie Reinmann’s selection of travel essentials, which you should also check out. 

Packing cubes

I’m not joking when I say packing cubes altered my life. I possess a substantial number of them in this drawer, as I require enough for my whole family. (I travel approximately half a dozen times annually. The rest of my family typically travels just once.) That’s why the travel drawer is mine, although I share it.) I have multiple sizes and types, including standard, compression, and my new favorite, the clean/dirty packing cube. It features a divider that lets you separate dirty clothes on one side and clean on the other, eliminating the need for a distinct laundry bag for your journey home.

A collapsible laundry hamper

For managing laundry while you’re staying at the hotel, having a collapsible hamper is incredibly useful. Toss your dirty clothing in there at the end of the day, rather than cramming them into a drawer or leaving them in a heap on the floor. Any basic pop-up hamper will suffice; you can grab one from the dorm supplies section during any back-to-school promotion.

An organizer for all my chargers

You can arrange your cables and adapters however you prefer. I’m partial to this roll-up organizer. For my phone, I utilize a magnetic charging puck that can connect to any USB-C cable, which saves me from needing to pack a dedicated magnetic charger or lightning cable. 

Sleeping shorts

You know what I frequently forget to bring? Pajamas. Even when they’re on my packing checklist, I’ll ponder over which ones to bring, as I enjoy cozy sweatpants at home, but they take up significant space in the suitcase. On one trip where I again forgot any sleeping attire, I purchased a pair of lightweight, soft sleep shorts. Not only do they pack down small, I’ve designated them my Travel Pajamas (they can be matched with any of the T-shirts I always travel with) and they reside in the travel drawer. I never forget my pajamas now.

A quality toiletry bag filled with your mini toiletries

I favor a hanging toiletry bag, as it doesn’t require unpacking or packing. My go-to is this small one from Travelon. Pro tip: Bring a single shower curtain hook so that you can hang it anywhere, even if the hotel doesn’t have a suitable hook for it.

Inside the toiletry bag, most of the contents are predictable, and I won’t bore you with the details. For instance, I have a collapsible toothbrush and a travel-sized toothpaste tube. (I usually don’t bring shampoo or soap; a hotel or local pharmacy will provide those.) However, there are two specific items I’d like to highlight, as they save a tremendous amount of space, time, and hassle. The first is a small razor that comes in its own compact case. Mine is the Venus Mini, which seems to be out of stock, but here’s an alternative with the same design.

The other, which also fits comfortably in my toiletry bag, is what some listings refer to as a “pocket pharmacy.” It’s a pill organizer, but instead of being organized according to daily medications, it’s simply a little selection of necessities you may or may not need. I keep ibuprofen in there in case I experience sore muscles after a weightlifting event (most of my travel is for weightlifting competitions). I have Claritin in case I come across something that triggers my allergies. I have melatonin tablets if I require help sleeping. The best pocket pharmacies come with tiny stickers for labeling the compartments.

This oddly multifunctional 50-cent tumbler

When I grabbed a 50-cent plastic cup at a Walmart during a trip, I never expected it to become such a key item for me. Not only does it serve as a water glass, it’s also microwave-safe, making it a practical mug for heating up beverages. Additionally, it’s large enough that you can enjoy a decent serving of cereal or oatmeal with a spoon (or a mini travel spork). I purchased four more for our family vacation, and the kids began the habit of saving a small bottle of milk from breakfast and then preparing hot cocoa in the evening. Assign a different color for each family member, and for your sanity, make sure to rinse out the milk immediately after use, alright?