# How much do you unpack at hotels? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032 "2016-04-12T18:53:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032/41 "2016-04-14T02:27:20Z")
Regarding the unpacking to prevent wrinkles: don’t the clothes get wrinkled anyway as soon as you pack them? How does transferring them to a drawer make any difference? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032/42 "2016-04-14T03:13:29Z")
My answer “depends on length of trip” because that in turn affects what was packed to start with. But as a rule, take out and hang shirts and dress pants (properly folded, hanging overnight will “relax” them enough to be presentable). Use the bag, on a rack, as one big drawer. Use the hotel laundry bag to put in used laundry. Use the “smaller-carryon” as case for toiletries, electronics, etc., on top of a surface. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032/43 "2016-04-14T03:36:40Z")
Depends on how much Travis Bickle wants to buy. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032/44 "2016-04-14T03:47:53Z")
It depends both on what my trip is about and how long I’m staying. For example, I volunteer at car races. It can be a very dirty job. If the event is just two days, I really only unpack bathroom stuff. If the event is longer, and especially if I’m sharing the hotel room, I unpack everything. As stuff gets dirty, it goes back into the luggage. That way I know what I have left that is clean and wearable. Camping, whether in a trailer or tent, is different. The clothes basically stay in bags. I bring an empty one to transfer dirty clothes into. Trips where I might hotel - camp - hotel are an adventure in packing. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032/45 "2016-04-14T22:05:33Z")
I never use the dresser but I always hang everything that needs hanging. I usually am in a double so I used the second bed for staging of the rest, though it usually stays in the suitcase (socks, underwear, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032/46 "2016-04-15T18:07:32Z")
If I’m staying one-two nights it all stays in the suitcase. If I’m there longer it all gets put in the dresser & closet. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032/47 "2016-04-15T18:22:47Z")
Staying for say, five days at Disneyworld- 90% unpack. Staying overnite- just unpack the shirts and stuff that might get wrinkled. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032/48 "2016-04-15T20:47:18Z")
Depends why I’m there. If I’m on vacation, most of what I’d bring would be casual clothes, so it’s not really a big deal. I’d pull out stuff that really needed to hang up but leave the rest in my suitcase. For bidness attire, everything comes out. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032/49 "2016-04-16T05:03:31Z")
Suits, blazers, jackets and collared shirts get put in the closet. Everything else stays in the bags. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032/50 "2016-04-18T02:50:59Z")
I’ll hang stuff but don’t use the drawers. Most of my stays are short so unpacking doesn’t really pay a lot of times anyway. I used to use the second bed for my suitcase / clothes but now typically put my rolling carry-on on top of the dresser & live out of that; less chance of bringing home any extra critters that way. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032/51 "2016-04-24T23:11:49Z")
I haven’t been in a hotel/motel/inn/whatever this century, and not very often before that, but when I did I never used the dressers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-unpack-at-hotels/752032.md?page=2)