LilyLace

Every time I pack for a trip two things seem to be a problem for me....I will be thankful for advice on the following:

Curling Irons: Anyone know of a great for travel? I carry my converter and regular one often and have tried the butane ones but still looking for a really gret travel version!

Space Bags: I've just watched an ad on TV for Coleman brand that has a built-in, one way vacuum seal. Has anyone tried these yet? I really want to be able to take my smaller suitcase next trip!

marcy_

There are lots of dual voltage curling irons available. My everyday curling iron that I use at home is a Revlon, and it is dual voltage. Then all you need is little adapter plug (not a converter).

If you want something more compact than the standard curling iron, there are folding models available. Magellans.com has one.

All that being said, I have weaned myself from taking curling irons any more when I travel, and just use a round styling brush with the hairdryers in the hotel rooms.

I haven't used the Space bags, but I've become a believer in plain old ziploc bags, which can perform the same function. You can get the 2 gallon size at Walmart-- much cheaper than the Coleman type, and disposable.

Gretchen

I can't get the space bags to work efficiently. they are really only useful for very bulky items like sweaters I think.

GregPCM

Lily,

We use the space saver bags everytime we travel and they are a big help. You must travel with clothes that don't wrinkle, but other than that they save space, they make packing easy and you can keep the dirty separated from the clean. Have a good trip.

Greg

Underhill

I bought a curling iron to use in France so I don't have to worry about plugs or blowing the electricity in our friends' home.

Marilyn

I'm undecided on space bags. I've used them the last few trips and they do a good job of compressing your clothes. I find the clothes don't wrinkle much either. OTOH, they don't seem all that durable. As soon as there is the tiniest leak, the air gets back in the bag and you lose the compression. Ziplocks are not that durable either, but at least they're cheap. Jury still out here.

mgmargate

The space bags are great,we take 8 w/us 2 adults 2 kids they reduce by 1/3rd our stuff allowing room for purchases.People deriding their use don't know how to use them properly.

sandi

Curling iron comes with me everywhere - it doesn't take up much room (only 8" long) and weighs practically nothing. Mine is a steam iron and I haven't seen/located one in dual voltage. So the converter and adapter plug comes with me also.

As to butane - I did use one of these many years back, but I wouldn't recommend packing butane cannisters in either your checked bags or carryon - Security will probably confiscate.

I tried the Space Bags (those that you press the air out of, not that which needs a vacuum). They were kind of okay for bulky sweaters, but not for regular clothing, and if it's bulky I opt to wear it, especially since the airplane can get chilly. Prefer to have my own clothing next to my body, then an airline blanket. Though on one trip did use zip-lock bags for a few items and they worked fine - but not to pack everything, at least not for me.

I don't travel with so-called wrinkle-free clothing, so I don't bother if I don't have to. Ifind that plastic bags from the dry cleaner work find when packing clothing and rarely do they wrinkle, even the silks, cottons, linens, etc.

It's a matter of preference and what works best for you.

Travelnut

The thing about compressing your clothes so you can fit more into your suitcase means your suitcase is going to be heavier!
I just use jumbo and 1-gal Ziplocks - they will hold a little bit of compression, but mostly I use them to organize the packing, and for any potential airport searches (we carry on). It just helps keep things 'tidy'.

clevelandbrown

I picked up a box of the zip lock bags (Glad brand) at the supermarket and they have worked really well to save space, organize, and separate. We've had these over a year and none has leaked yet.

We put in the clothes, close the zipper half way, and put the bag under a mattress with the zipper side out. Sit on the mattress and close the zipper the rest of the way, and your space is saved. I keep our medicines in one also, so a spill will not damage anything. Its true that they save only space, not weight, but space has always been our problem, not weight.

janis

I use one, or sometimes two, space saver bags every trip - but I take them EMPTY. I use then to transport dirty/excess clothes back at the end of the trip and this gives me more space for new purchases/souviners. Since I use either a 19 or 21 inch suitcase the little bit extra space coming home really helps. (Don't use a space bag to cram in every last bit of stuff on your way over since that will make your bag heavy and not leave any extra space for the trip home)

LilyLace

Thanks for all the great advice!
Underhill: I have been thinking about doing just that, my problem is that I travel to different countries every trip and the little plugs are not the same.

I might just try the bags!

i_am_kane

Marcy, GregPCM, Marilyn, mgmargate - I would like to ask a question about the gallon-size, zip-lock bags. They are small, so what kind of clothing do you pack inside them? I wear a women's size small, but I can't imagine stuffing a gallon-size baggie with much more than intimate wear (underwear).

Even if you use them for "dirty laundry," how many bags do you need for, let's say a 2-week trip?

I must be missing something here.

Travelnut

It is better if you can find the jumbo ones (2-gal?) but it is hard to find them.
I fold my shirts in half longways, fold over the sleeves, then roll them from bottom to neck. I can put 2 rolled up shirts in a gallon bag. Mostly, I use the gal. size for undies, socks, scarves, the Cuddleduds, etc. and use the jumbos for the clothes.

Betsy

I tried the space bags with mixed results. I liked the fact that they really compacted the clothes, but the compacted bags were so rock hard that it was difficult to put other things around them in the suitcase because there was no "give." I've reverted to packing most of my clothes in jumbo Ziplocs and am happy with that . Actually, I take almost everything I pack in Ziplocks of varyious sizes. Love the hint above about sitting on the mattress and will definitely try that next time.

StCirq

The 1-gallon ziplocks work great for me. I find I can get 4-8 "important" items in each - one for underwear, one for tops, one for a couple of sweaters if traveling at a time when I need heavy clothes. Pants and skirts I just pack flat in the bag.
I love the concept of putting them under the mattress. That will save me some of the ridiculous contortions I've gone through in the past, standing on top of an oversized book on top of the ziplock bag trying to mash it and get all the air out.

djkbooks

Janis: you're a genius! I didn't appreciate the space bag wrinkles, but coming home who cares?

As for curling appliances, I always take the same dual voltage I use at home along with the appropriate adapter plug. Hair looks much better and it's much faster to do it with the same apparatus you use every day at home.

Conair has a vast array of dual voltage models. You can see them all at their website, but they're available everywhere - drugstores, Target, WalMart, K-Mart, etc.

Marilyn

LilyLace, as far as the adapters, buy one of those little kits for under $20 that has an adapter for every country in the world. It will come with a little chart telling which ones work in which country, and then you can carry only the ones you need for that trip.

I use 2 gal. ziplocks In 1 I can pack:
6 T-shirts OR
6 tank tops/shells OR
workout pants & bathing suit OR
all my undies
If you want to use this system on pants you need one of the larger space bags.

Like Betsy, I pack most of my stuff in plastic bags of some sort anyway, to keep it organized and in case of security searches. So getting the air out is just one extra option.

Have you tried rolling the space bags (or ziplocks) to get the air out? It's a lot easier than most of the techniques described above!

janis

(modesty font on) djkbooks, thanks for the "genius" label (modesty font off)

But it really isn't genius. Just trial and error. I did try to use the bags once to squeeze in more stuff I didn't really need - but realized my small bag weighed a LOT more and was just too full. I was bound and determined to make use of them because they're not cheap. So I figured out how to solve what is usually my biggest problem - finding boxes/mailing supplies to post things home or finding space for the little treasures I get along the way.

luna

I use ziplock bags (actually, the Western Family brand Jumbo bags) outbound, and can even get slacks into them (no, I'm not a tiny woman either) if I fold the slacks carefully, and the space bag - PackMate brand - for the laundry returning home. The Ziplock brand Large storage bags hold from 4-5 folded tank tops or little cotton knit T's, and the WF Jumbo bags are for shorts, skirts, shirts, and slacks. They do reduce the space used, as well as organize things wonderfully!