Space Bags - Friend of Foe?

[meyerhaus]

I have not heard very much on this forum about packing with those travel Space Bags that can be bought from Sears, L.L. Bean, etc. Has anyone used them? Are they worth it?

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[coiran]

They may allow you to pack so much in your bag that you go overweight for the airline!

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[AuntieBon]

I'm assuming you are taking about the travel bags. I used them last year mostly to allow for inspection of my bags without strangers pawing my clothes. They worked pretty well and with a little dewrinkling spray the clothes looked great.

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[Pam in CA]

I used space bags last year on my Coral cruise/land tour. They made it a lot easier to repack and send stuff on to the ship.

My most recent cruise on the Regal, I used them to repack my dirty clothes at the end of the cruise. They separated out the dirty stuff and took up less room, leaving more for the things I bought. I could just lift 'em out and empty the bag into my laundry basket.

My comment is that they're great, but they do allow you to pack a lot more, making your suitcase heavier and then you wind up having clothes you perhaps should have left at home. http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

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[GloriaF]

There was another thread about using 2 gal ziploc bags for the same purpose -- much cheaper. Just kneel on the packed bag to get the air out and seal (no vacuum cleaner needed). I use smaller ziplocs at home to keep my swimsuit pieces together and the straps neat. And put lingerie in them when traveling -- I hate the thought of someone touching my personal items.

Gloria

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[Toto2Kansas]

Space Bags are wonderful if weight is not an issue. But we have always found the 2 1/2 Gallon freezer bags better as you can pack a couple outfits in each bag. Some of those space bags pack so tight that I know someone who had to open them up at the airport for inspection as they could not tell what was in them.
Although the Ziplock bags don't last for years, the freezer bags that are 2 1/2 gallon can be used several times before they are discarded. So they aren't much of an investment.

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[verwirrt]

Yep, I swear by the ziplocs. Just pack them as normal. When full kneel on them to put some weight on the contents, then squeeze out excess air and seal. Cuts down on wrinkles too! But as I mentioned in another thread it only works for wrinkles in the clothes! http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif When I'm done with an outfit on the cruise it goes directly in the bag. When the bag is full it gets sealed. On the last sea day when it's time to repack everything, just toss the ziplocs in the suitcase. Less time packing, more time enjoying your cruise! Hope this helps.

Sharon

[srphnx]

Gotta ask, where are you guys getting two-gallon zip locks, I have tried three places and seen only the usual 1 gallon model.

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[verwirrt]

Hi Steve,

Have found them at Albertson's but I will admit, not every store carries them. It might be seasonal, they may stock them in summer (which for you, I guess is always!) when people would be freezing veggies and fruit from the garden!?

Sharon

[verwirrt]

Oh, Steve,

One more day and it's off to Alaska for you! http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

Enjoy!

[Toto2Kansas]

Here in the midwest we can buy them at a few of the grocery stores and that is about it. The 2 1/2 gallon freezer bags are the perfect size for almost anything.
And as mentioned above, it sure does make packing and re-packing easier. And I also find that there are very few wrinkles to iron out, not sure why but it keeps the clothes nicer.

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[meyerhaus]

THANKS! What a great idea to save some money. I will find those bags around Cincy somewhere.

Do you actually roll them and then close them?

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[verwirrt]

Jon,

No need to roll. Just 'smooth out' the excess air and seal. The bag will 'sieze in' and become flat. Make sure you put some weight on the bag in the process. (see above post)

[SueKayL]

I live in Michigan...the only place I found the huge ziplocs were at Walmart...

got them for the last cruise and they worked great!

use them more for ease of inspection and the packing and repacking hassle...

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[dorotha]

I've found them at Target, but haven't looked recently--I guess I'd better start--only 38 more days till Alaska n the Sapphi http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gifre!

[Travelingal]

Something else that works. . . .I use the clear sweater bags you can find in the dollar stores. You get two zippered bags for $1. Last night I rolled 9 of hubby's t-shirts and they all fit into one bag nicely. I also use the suit and dress bags from the dollar store. Because they are so light, they don't add any additional bulk and make for an organized suitcase. I use the ziplocs for all my toiletries and shoes.

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[Pam in CA]

Speaking of bags, something else I do is to put dress cleaning bags or lightweight large garbage bags between dresses when packing. They keep the dresses from wrinkling and I use them as laundry bags once I'm onboard.

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[verwirrt]

Speaking of wrinkles, I always pack a small bottle of Downy wrinkle release. I will NOT iron ANYTHING while on a cruise. http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif The wrinkle release works great, just spray on and smooth out.

[KellyJean]

I have found the larger freezer bags at Wal-Mart. I have found the regular 2 1/2 gallon size zipper bags at Ingles grocery stores if that chain is in your area. I did find the 2 1/2 gallon zipper bags at Wal-Mart once in the clearance stuff.

Kelly

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[meyerhaus]

Great ideas! Much more affordable than Space Bags! Keep em comin'!

BTW, what is the deal with the dry cleaning bags and wrinkles. Do they really keep the wrinkles out?

JON

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[sue d. miller]

The dry cleaning bags work great also. The plastic is so slippery, stuff doesnt wrinkle. the zip locks are great cause not only can you see what is in them, but if your bags are checked by security, they know whats in there, and if squeezed, the know if something hard is in there. http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

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[MauiLuvr]

I bought a set of 2 large and 2 small space bags at Bed, Bath and Beyond about 2 years ago and I really like them. The kind I have do NOT require a vacuum cleaner to seal--you just seal them, then roll or "lean" on them to squeeze the air out, and you're set!

I also use the Ziploc bags, but I have never found any larger than a gallon. I use those for smaller things. I keep a "snorkel shirt" in my beach or snorkel bag and keep it in a ziploc bag in there so it doesn't get wet or sandy before I want to use/wear it.

When I started to pack to leave the Golden this past weekend, I had Ziploc bags laying all around me and I couldn't IMAGINE what I'd used them all for. But, when I finished packing, I'd used all but one of them. THey come in very handy for everything from wet swimsuits to suntan lotion (to keep it from leaking on your clothes) to using them as a space bag.

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