How do you pack...ROLL or FOLD

[Cthy651]

I have started rolling, takes up less room, and allows me to pack even more, than I know I am actually going to use.;)

[sharpie13]

Roll, roll, stumble, fall, swagger, fall, roll, roll.... :p

 

After trying many things I use a combination of rolling and then placing the articles in packing cubes.

[BecciBoo]

How do you find is the best way to get the most in your suitcase ? Rolling your clothes or folding them?

 

We suck!!:eek:;) All our clothes go into the vacuum bags, they are super and protect our clothes should something leak on them or break;););) Plus they do not get as wrinkled and you can use Henry on the ships to resuck them. Try em you'll like em. Tarjay has them. Oops, I see someone else already mentioned them by brand, Space Bags

[newbiecruiser09]

If you are flying, just watch out that you don't go over your airline's weight limit--something that has been known to happen when you really pack stuff in tightly.

[Toddcan]

I must be doing it all wrong. I have tried both ways, and tend to stick to folding. I got horrible wrinkles with rolling.

 

My techinique: If I pack 5 T-Shirts, I lay them on the bed, all 5 on top of each other, and then I roll all 5 into 1 roll. Am I supposed to roll then individually?

 

Sounds like a good topic for a Youtube video

[Reijo]

I actually do neither. I do a "bundling" packing and it works like a charm. We were gone for almost four weeks .....9 flights, 1 cruise, multiple periods of packing and unpacking and I used this method over and over and it never failed me. Basically you start with your longer clothes such as long dresses & slacks going to shorter ones. Even my husbands suits made it with no problems. Here are a few links: http://www.onebag.com/pack.html, http://www.packinglight.net/plight/text_1.asp?tx_id=90 and http://lifehacker.com/software/travel/pack-like-a-pro-with-the-bundled-wrapping-method-301435.php. Take a look at all three to get an overall idea. It REALLY works great, you won't be disappointed.

[temple1]

I actually do neither. I do a "bundling" packing and it works like a charm. We were gone for almost four weeks .....9 flights, 1 cruise, multiple periods of packing and unpacking and I used this method over and over and it never failed me. Basically you start with your longer clothes such as long dresses & slacks going to shorter ones. Even my husbands suits made it with no problems. Here are a few links: http://www.onebag.com/pack.html, http://www.packinglight.net/plight/text_1.asp?tx_id=90 and http://lifehacker.com/software/travel/pack-like-a-pro-with-the-bundled-wrapping-method-301435.php. Take a look at all three to get an overall idea. It REALLY works great, you won't be disappointed.

 

 

Okay - I didn't know what it was called. That is pretty much how I pack. Bundling!

 

DH's suit made it just fine and it is really great for slacks. Make sure you have the crease straight and very flat on the bottom of the suitcase.

[cruisingcowboy]

I've tried folding, rolling and hanging in a garment bag. All still wrinkled.

 

Then I heard about Pack-It Folders from Eagle Creek from someone in my last cruise's roll call. I used several of these on that cruise and they worked very well. Not only do they help minimize wrinkles by keeping things very precisely folded, the space your clothes take up is reduced once you close the folder straps over your stack of clothes. I won't go back to other methods.

 

You can get these at the Container Store or on-line at many travel accessory sites. You can find YouTube videos that demonstrate the techniques of this method.

 

I've used these Eagle Creek folders for years and they work great but now I can get so much in that I have to watch for the 50lb limit.

[billscruiser]

When we fly I have to worry so much about weight that folding works fine for most things. I usually have one suitcase dedicated to "hang ups". I fold three or four shirts together, fold sleeves in, then fold in half (on hangers). Then next batch, blouses, slacks whatever, I fold the same but facing other direction so all the hangers are not facing same direction and taking up excess room. I pack the heavier items on bottom, like suit coats, etc. and lighter on top. I stick shoes, bagged underwear, hair accessories, etc. on the sides so I don't waste room. When our luggage arrives, I open, take the hangers out, shake and hang in closet. Makes unpacking a breeze and never have wrinkle problems or the need for extra hangers. For cruises we usually drive and weight isn't a problem, but time wasted unpacking, instead of chilling out is important too.:D

 

Who's Henry???:confused:

Kathryn

[temple1]

, but time wasted unpacking, instead of chilling out is important too.:D

 

Who's Henry???:confused:

Kathryn

 

I agree on spending a lot of time unpacking. grrrr

 

Henry is the vacuum cleaner you see in the hallways.

[GoodAsGold]

I went to a packing seminar at AAA and learned some great tips from the author Anne McAlpin. Bought her book. Two of the best tips were how to pack pants and to have a board or piece of cardboard to divide the heavier items underneath and you can just take out the cardboard with clothes on top if you want to get to what's underneath. Also, use ziplog bags for smaller items like underwear. Again, easier to remove the whole bag than digging through everything.

 

Also, go to the dry cleaners and get some of plastic bags to put things in that are prone to wrinkle. I fold. ;)

 

 

 

How do you find is the best way to get the most in your suitcase ? Rolling your clothes or folding them?

[Reijo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reijo View Post

I actually do neither. I do a "bundling" packing and it works like a charm. We were gone for almost four weeks .....9 flights, 1 cruise, multiple periods of packing and unpacking and I used this method over and over and it never failed me. Basically you start with your longer clothes such as long dresses & slacks going to shorter ones. Even my husbands suits made it with no problems. Here are a few links: http://www.onebag.com/pack.html, http://www.packinglight.net/plight/text_1.asp?tx_id=90 and http://lifehacker.com/software/trave...hod-301435.php. Take a look at all three to get an overall idea. It REALLY works great, you won't be disappointed.

 

Okay - I didn't know what it was called. That is pretty much how I pack. Bundling!

 

DH's suit made it just fine and it is really great for slacks. Make sure you have the crease straight and very flat on the bottom of the suitcase.

 

 

 

 

 

You're right. Creases need to be straight. Also forgot to mention that I use dry cleaner bags to put many things into as well.

[HighlandCruzer]

I'm the worst suitcase packer ever... lol

 

No matter how hard I try my clothes still come out looking horribly wrinkled. After opening the suitcase and my boyfriend has a good laugh at my expense we simply call the concierge and arrange to have all the clothes pressed and repacked by a professional (i.e., not us :) ). When I get on the ship it's amazing how well they come out as they have taken the time to use tissue paper in between the layers and arrange things oh so carefully.

 

Coming back home, I simply cram them in there and sit on it while my boyfriend works hard to zip it up and lock it. We then have a drink to celebrate our hard earned battle over the suitcase. :D

[HighlandCruzer]

I must be doing it all wrong. I have tried both ways, and tend to stick to folding. I got horrible wrinkles with rolling.

 

My techinique: If I pack 5 T-Shirts, I lay them on the bed, all 5 on top of each other, and then I roll all 5 into 1 roll. Am I supposed to roll then individually?

 

Sounds like a good topic for a Youtube video

 

Learn to perfectly fold a shirt in seconds!

 

[GlasgowGuy]

Another roller here. We roll everything as tight as possible and put them into dry cleaning bags. Socks and small items go inside shoes and we fill all the little gaps around the cases with bubble wrap to stop anything moving. The bubble wrap can then be used to protect the bottles of Whisky you buy in the duty free shops :)

[DanielleRB]

I am definitely a roller! I do it in tight rows so the rolled items don't move around, but then put the heavier sweatshirt type items across the top like padding. I don't do this to over pack the cases (well unless I use the technique to pack my carry on for a business trip), but instead do it so that there is plenty of room when I want to throw it in on the way home because I hate packing back up to go home! lol

 

I find rolling limits wrinkling, but I do this process carefully, making sure the seams of the clothes are aligned and square - so even if there is a crease, it looks like "new shirt" creasing...I swear by it.

 

Actually, I packed my husband and kids cases yesterday for our upcoming trip, so this is all "fresh subject matter"!:rolleyes:

[donaldsc]

I stuff everything into compression bags that I bought at REI. It is amazing how tightly you can compress stuff. Agreed that my shirts come out a bit wrinkled (actually a lot wrinkled) but they take no space when they are packed.

 

Seriously, everything that I have except shirts and trousers do get put into the compression bags. When you cinch down on the straps, it is amazing how much the space that the stuff takes is reduced.

 

Picking out what I take is really easy for me. I throw a whole lot of stuff on the bed, my wife tells me that everything I picked was wrong, and she puts it all back and decides what I should have taken.

 

DON

[cruiserbryce]

we roll

[Shak]

I am an Eagle Creek folder and cube fan. Having said that I also am a roller too. I roll shorts bathing, suits, and t-shirts to fill the cavity created by the handle hardware in my suitcase. I roll item like polo’s in cubes as well. I use both 15 inch and 18 inch folders. I use the 15 inch for shirts and the 18 inch for pants and some dress shirts. Besides not having any problems with wrinkling, this packing method makes organization and packing a breeze for me. When I get to the ship I keep most of the items in the folders and cubes and place the cubes in a drawer and the folders on a shelf in the closet. I hang most my dress cloths. By keeping clothing in the folders and cubes this I have most things packed already so it takes only minutes to place them in the suitcase and pack the rest at the end of the cruise. I will wash most things in the sink and place them back in the folder or cube in the morning after washing the night before.

Shak

[bruce-r]

Fold then bag up in 2 1/2 gallon zip lock bags and squeeze out all the air.

[Cruise Junky]

A roller here. I use the packing cubes and find I get far more in by rolling.

[Sailaways_]

Rolling and ziploc bags with the air squeezed out for socks, bathing suits, etc. Saves soooo much space and no wrinkles!

[philnpen]

How do you find is the best way to get the most in your suitcase ? Rolling your clothes or folding them?

 

DW rolls, I fold. She claims hers aren't as wrinkled. I say my golf shirts, T-shirts, and shorts don't care if they're wrinkled. Formal night clothes get the portable steamer treatment whether rolled or folded.

[smoosh21]

How do you find is the best way to get the most in your suitcase ? Rolling your clothes or folding them?

 

I fold, then roll. My t-shirts are already folded in a drawer, I just pull them out and roll them up. My pants are folded over a hanger, so I take them off, leave them folded over then roll them up. This has always seemed to work for me.

[klfhngr]

I used to be an expert in rolling... ;)