Minimalist traveler, packing authority, creator of Organizing.TV.
12+ years of carry-on-only travel across 25+ countries.
Hi, I am Tor Rydder, but my real name is Torstein Røttingen.
Tor Rydder is my writer name. In Norwegian, it literally means “Tor is tidying”, and that is exactly what I do for your travel bag.
By the Numbers
As Seen In
Quoted and featured in leading media outlets including MSN, Yahoo, Daily Mail, Woman & Home, Mirror, Ideal Home, House Digest, Homes & Gardens, and The Sun.
Additional citations: The Sun, Woman & Home (2), (3).
My Travel Story
The packing system I teach was not something I designed at a desk. It came from actually doing it, trip after trip, year after year.
Before any of that, two things had to happen.
2011 to 2014: I Got Obsessed With Clothes Fitting Right
Before I discovered travel, I was deep into fashion. Not shopping. Studying.
For three years I learned how pieces fit, how colors combine, and how fabrics behave after a long day of wear.
That obsession paid off later in a way I did not plan. When you already know which cuts suit you and which colors mix, building a 5-piece travel capsule that spins into 10 outfits is not a guess.
It is a calculation.
Most people pack too much because they are not sure which items will look right together. I stopped having that problem around 2013.
(Side note: my student wardrobe at the time was a mess. I figured that one out years later. More at the end.)
2014: The Epiphany on the Road
My original blue backpack. Bought it in 2014, replaced it in 2019 with the grey one I still use today. It is barely holding together 😂
In 2014 I started traveling seriously. Carry-on only, out of necessity at first.
I was moving between hostels and did not want to wait at baggage claim in every city.
What I discovered was mind-blowing.
When you pack only what you actually wear, everything works. You get dressed faster, your clothes stay fresh, and you stop second-guessing outfits.
Every top already works with every bottom. This is where the fashion years paid off.
Airports become a 30-minute walk, not a 3-hour ordeal. You notice the city instead of the luggage.
It changed the way I traveled. As an added bonus, it changed my life.
The Next Decade: Testing the System
Testing the system across climates, countries, and trip types.
Over the next decade I tested and refined the system. Hot climates. Cold climates.
Two-week trips and three-month trips. Multi-city routes with climate changes mid-trip.
Hiking. Weddings. Business. Family visits. Every kind of traveler situation I could run into, I ran into.
The system got sharper each time.
The 10-step Space-Saving Travel Packing Method I teach today is the compressed version of those years on the road.
A Short Note on the Home Wardrobe Bonus
Same folding logic, applied to a home dresser instead of a carry-on.
When travel shut down in 2020, I applied the same folding and capsule logic to my dresser at home. The one that had defeated me at university finally closed.
That is where the Space-Saving Wardrobe Method and the folding side of Organizing.TV came from.
But the travel system is the original. It is what this site is really about.
Watch My Approach
Click a thumbnail to watch on YouTube.
My Channels
Click any screenshot to visit the channel. All analytics from the last 28 days.
Also find me on Lost and Jetlagged (travel vlog channel I run with my brother), Instagram, and Facebook.
What You Will Find Here
- Deep guides on packing smaller, carry-on-only travel, and fitting a real wardrobe into a 40x30x20 cm personal item.
- The Space-Saving Rolls technique, wrinkle-free folding, and my capsule wardrobe approach, all tested across climates.
- Airline baggage rules, carry-on size limits, and a free luggage calculator that checks your bag against every major carrier.
- Laundry systems that extend a small capsule to any trip length, from a 3-day weekend to a 3-month sabbatical.
- Home wardrobe and dresser systems for the days when I am not traveling.
Popular guides to start with:
Work With Me
Space-Saving Travel Packing Method
My signature 10-step packing course. The same system I have used for 12+ years to pack any trip in a carry-on, any climate, any length, any activity.
Learn MoreSpace-Saving Wardrobe Method
Transform your home closet or dresser with my step-by-step video course. The stationary version of the travel system.
Learn MoreSpace-Saving Wardrobe Coaching
One-on-one coaching to redesign your wardrobe space. Personalized system, walk-through calls, ongoing accountability.
Learn MoreFast File Folding Guide
The printable cheatsheet for my file-folding method. See every item in the drawer at a glance. No more messy stacks.
Learn MoreSpace-Saving Rolls Guide
The ultimate cheatsheet for rolling clothes tight. My own take on travel rolling: wrinkle-free rolls, ranger rolls, and day rolls combined into one system.
Learn MoreOutside of Organizing
I live on a small island near Bergen, Norway, and run all my projects as a sole proprietorship under my real name, Torstein Røttingen.
Whether you see Tor Rydder or Torstein, it is always me, helping people get more out of their bag, their wardrobe, and their space, one fold at a time.
Start Here
Ready to pack smaller? Jump into the course below. Free resources and contact info are there too if you are just starting out.