The Traveler’s Conundrum: Unpack or Not Unpack?

Which is better, to take your things out of your suitcase when traveling, or just leave them all stuffed inside? For frequent travelers, it’s a constant consideration: Is it worth unpacking your suitcase while on the road, only to pack it up again? Or maybe it’s not a question that’s considered, but a deeply ingrained habit akin to always checking a bag, or preferring the window over the aisle seat or setting aside certain outfits for certain travel days. I started thinking about unpacking this fall, in the middle of a two-month trip through Turkey and Georgia.

A dedicated live-out-of-my-suitcase traveler, I found myself anticipating, no, craving, the moment when I’d arrive in Tbilisi, where my husband and I would be staying for a couple of weeks. I couldn’t wait to unpack. (My husband, meanwhile, stuck to his tradition and happily kept his clothes in the suitcase and neighboring piles on the floor. ) “Unpacking, literally, is a way for people to get control of their surroundings,” said Dr.

Jean Kim, a psychiatrist and a professor at George Washington University who has written on travel and mental health. “When you’re traveling, the suitcase is a piece of you — it’s your life going along with you. ” A highly informal poll conducted in my social networks revealed that not only do people take very different approaches to unpacking, but they feel very strongly about their choices. “Clear eyes, full heart, never unpack,” said the Los Angeles-based food and travel writer Jesse Friedman.

“Last year, on the advice of my mom (of course), I started immediately unpacking everything,” said Melissa Blaustein, the founder of Allied For Startups, a start-up policy association, who often visits two or three countries in as few as five days. “It’s made my hotels feel more like home and travel easier. ” Regardless of whether unpacking practices are instinctive or carefully considered, is there a way to approach it when on the road — particularly for extended stints — that’s better or worse? I talked to some experts to answer this conundrum.

Wherever you land on the unpacking spectrum, packing thoughtfully makes for an easier, more streamlined travel experience. Dan Pierson, founder of Bolt Travel, a membership-based travel company, focuses on organization and consolidation. “All of my clothing lives in a dry bag where it’s rolled up, military style, to prevent wrinkling. I’m able to drop that bag in and out of my backpack,” he said.