Donna

There was a discussion some months ago about where to find those plastic bags, such as "Pack-Mate". Has anyone actually tried these? Does clothing emerge eternally crushed and wrinkled, or in fairly acceptable wearing condition?

Sherry

Donna: On our last trip to Paris, I purchased some of those bags. One of the television shopping networks had them offered. The type I have requires you to lay them on a flat service and basically push all of the air out. We used them for things like cotton underwear and socks and a couple of my husbands sweaters because they were fairly wrinkle proof. They do compress the clothes. The thing I did not like is that what you have is esentially a hard block of clothing. We took only carry on 21 inch rolling bags. I thought it was difficult to get this plastic rock to conform very well to the contours of the case. The wrinkles seemed to fall out of the sweaters o.k. On the way home we didn't use them and I didn't see that they gave us more space which is why I bought them. The large one was great for storing an extra down comforter in my linen closet, though. Don't know what condition it will be in when it comes out. My husband liked them better than I.

Lynne

I have used them, and liked them, not just because they compress the clothes but also because they help keep things organized. I also use ziplock bags, gallon and 2-gallon sizes, to pack and press the air out of them, too. They work almost as well and give more packing flexibility. I pack just about everying in ziplocks. It makes it easier to live out of the suitcase or to unpack at a hotel - just put the whole bag into the drawer.

Charlie

We have them and find them,for the most part,a waste.Wrinkles are the main issue of course they're ok for socks or underwear but do you take enough of those to make a space savings? Since we've already purchased them we take them along empty and use them to pack dirty/soiled cloths(wrinkles?who cares) for the return trip and we gain space to pack the treasures that we picked up along the way.

Paige

I bought some and am not very pleased with them. I prefer extra large ziplocks. They do basically the same thing (suck the air out or sit on them as you zip them), are cheaper, more flexible and lighter weight. I think it's easier to pack in ziplocks and squish them down without mangling your clothes, too.

hmh

We just returned from traveling on two bus tours to S,P, M and through France. We were gone 31 days. I used the large 2 gallon zip-locks for my tops, wich are polo type shirts or collorless "shells w/sleeves" in poly/cotton. I rolled each one, after folding them in thirds. Four fit perfectly into a bag, with room to fold the top down and squish out the air. Taking the top out the night before, smoothing it and hanging it meant that I did not use the iron (which my husband dutifully carried in his luggage the entire trip) at all. For my poly/cotton twill-type pants, I folded them in half and laid them in the suitcase across the width and with the overnight hanging, they were fine. The zip-lock bags make it easy to unpack, to see what you have, and to repack used ones. I also roll my underwear and use the zip-locks. The zip-locks are inexpensive, may not be as wonderful as the "packmate bags" but are very useful. I also put cosmetic bags inside them, just in case something pops open and leaks through the bag. Socks, etc. I pack inside the shoes or in plastic ziplocks. On most trips, the wrinkled look is in and sitting in a bus or riding in a car will wrinkle clothes just as much as packing. If you are on a tour, as we were, you will find out that either people wear the same things several days in a row and then change or rotate, as I do. I even washed a golf sweater of my husband's, hung it to dry, and it did not need ironing.

julie

I tried the zip-lock bag method last trip to Europe. It was so cool we actually took pictures of the inside of my luggage. <BR> <BR>I fit much more into my luggage..this was good and bad..since I could fit more stuff I brought more stuff;too much stuff and the luggage was soooo heavy.

Annette

I purchased some by the name of spacebag at Walgreens. They have a web-site at www.spacebag.com. I was very happy with them. They are really great for winter travel because they greatly compress bulky sweaters and any heavy items. You do end up with more packing room when you use them.

Linda

I like them, mostly for the return trip. They do seem to make more room, but clothes come out wrinkled. For the return trip, though, it makes no difference, and I have more room for souvenirs.

Eva

I bought these too thinking that I'd get more space since (like Sherry) I was only taking a 21" carry-on. I wasn't that impressed either. What I will do is invest in more wrinkle proof clothing that are sold everywhere. They're not that trendy, but they'll do. This way you can just cram everything in there and it doesn't matter. Oh and wrinkle release spray is nice too. The spray and smooth technique works nicely on most things.

Donna

Thanks to everyone for the speedy responses! I'm guessing they're not too useful on the way over, but I think they may be very handy on the way back.

Annalynn

I've also used the much cheaper ziploc bags and have found it to be a remarkable success. I buy the slidelock bags and then sit on them so all the air goes out, and slide the lock along several times. Apparently the ziploc makers are well aware that people use their bags for clothes because the last time I bought them the big size was even labelled "Sweater" size. <BR> <BR>I pack all my clothes this way. Not only does it to a somewhat decent job keeping wrinkles out, but it is soooo much easier to unpack and repack your bags while travelling.