Organize your travel

Folding Trunk Organizer (courtesy The Container Store)

I’ll be the first to say that you don’t have to buy a bunch of stuff to “get organized.” 

My organization mantra is the old one, “A place for everything and everything in its place.”  If you can’t figure out where to put it, consider whether you need it at all.

Don’t despair if you’re not at this point; it’s an ongoing process to corral mess. You should see my kitchen right now.

Still, a few nice gew-gaws like matching storage boxes or nice containers can go a long way to making you feel tidier (assuming your stuff actually gets sorted and goes into the pretty boxes!) 

One shop where I find clutter control is in The Container Store.  They have a Travel Sale around May of every year, but you can peruse their travel-related storage offerings anytime at their stores or on their Web site.

I like their “tips” section on things to help keep your gear stowed in your car, Get Your Vehicle on the Road to Organization.  The map case seems rather silly — just stack them neatly in the driver’s side door pocket, for heaven’s sake — but I do recommend a trunk organizer for all the crapola that rolls around back there.

There’s a store section called Travel, with luggage and little refillable bottles and those suitcase envelopes for your clothes to go into (which I don’t understand the need for, but OK….)

Want something a little more hip for organizing your travel gear?  Try Flight 001; they have all sorts of cool packing stuff that makes you feel very jetstreamed, but check the prices before you buy. 

Come on, $38 for shoe bags?

(Note: The Container Store and Flight 001 did not provide products or request this review; I just like them.) 

Technorati tags: travel, family travel, get organized