Zip Lock Bags Help!
 

I am always reading about how useful these bags are for space saving and convenience. Does anyone know if these are available in UK as I have never seen them or is there a website where I could buy some from the USA? <BR>I have just read a post saying you can use your vacuum cleaner to suck all the air out of them which must save endless space in your suitcase. They sound like the answer to the overpackers prayer!

You want Space Bags, not zip lock. My mother bought some a few years ago and raves about them. They have a site, www.spacebag.com, but you can do a search for space bag and a lot of sites will come up. They would be great for packing before your trip, but when you head home, how many hotels will have a vacuum for you to use?

I am an over packer. What is a space bag? This has me very courious. I use the two gallon Zip Lock bags for large items and the are wonderful.

So I will look for the space bags site..thanks for the tip Meg...but what are Zip Lock bags? Are they just toiletries bags? or do you get large ones and do they have zips as the name suggests?

I think that Glad makes Zip Locks.They are for leftover food, or vegetables,whatever you want to put away in a container and use a plastic zip closing bag instead of a hard bowl type container..I keep dog food kibble in them.They are great for packing shampoos, hairspray, things that may leak or explode in a suitcase, and the large ones are good for keeping sweaters and scarves in, they have a million uses and the best is things don't get so wrinkled when packed in a plastic bag..at least this is my experience with the zip lock bag:)

We used zip lock bags on our last few trips. Other brands like Glad bags do the same thing. They are often called freezer bags. You just swish the air out(sit on them etc.) and zip them shut. They work great. And, they are cheap. You can buy specially made Space bags. They are much more expensive. I just saw them at Costco. You get about 8 bags for about $20. That's a bargain price for them. You vacuum the air out after you put your cloaths in. The problem is what do you do with them on the road? Everytime you re-pack, you need a vacuum cleaner. Another downside of using bags to save space is that it saves space but not weight. Your bags can get very heavy.

Just in case you are interested in the Space Bags, they do make a version specifically for travel. These are specially designed so that you can roll them to get the air out and then they seal, so you don't need the vacuum cleaner.

I bought travel space bags at Walgreens and I know they weren't much because I am cheap! No vacuum cleaner required; just close them and roll them or step on them. Zip lock bags work but they are not as sturdy and I have had them come apart as I was squeezing out the air. (Maybe I was stomping too hard!) I use the space bags every time I travel.

I am finding your replies fascinating. I am going to spend time on American sites looking at ziplocks and space bags. Have any of you noticed them in London? I will have to ask in selfridges and John lewis to see if they are sold here. Thanks for all the info

We just spent time with our daughter in Ireland. They cannot fine ziplock bags there. So I will send some in our next package.

I have read the posts from our friends in GB and I just checked the Google Search engine and I found that you can buy them on line. I used Glad Zip Lock Bags and got prices etc. Try it. Now I am interested in space bags and what they look like?

Reading the posts, I get the impression that those of you not familiar with zip-lok bags (of various brands) might be picturing something much more significant and substantial than they really are. I think they might be referred to as "grip-seal" bags in the UK. <BR> <BR>They are most often used to hold small amount of leftover food or other items that need airtight storage (like meat going into the freezer), but they are not very heavy plastic like a travel vanity bag would be. They come in many different sizes, from tiny ones, an inch or two square, used by jewelers, to various food sizes found in supermarkets, from sandwich size to a couple of gallons. <BR> <BR>http://www.dancoindustries.com/ziplock.htm

Let me put my two cents in now-I have been using Glad or Hefty freezer bags (zip lock) for a couple of years now-we travel quite often, and they are easy,handy,and have not broken yet..I put all of my toiletries that can leak or pop in them, underwear,stockings/socks,scarves, things that are small in the suitcase, and for things larger than the zip locks bag ,I use the bags from my dry cleaner that they put sweaters in.This has worked for me, since a few years ago, Contintental soaked our luggage, and our clothes were soaked and some ruined..and of course the only white sweater in the bag was next to the Access travel book with the red ink that ran-did you know that red ink never comes out? So that is my input-hope it is helpful~Coh yeah-they are also handy for bringing home worn socks/underwear..just empty them into the laundry bin.

I brought the Ziploc EZ-fill bags on my last trip, they worked great for carrying my toiletries. I ued the half gallon size, they were really durable. <BR> <BR>http://www.scjohnson.com/products/ <BR>

I also used ziplock bags for my toiletries. They were great, especially for shampoo and body wash, which could have burst open in my suitcase. I also brought extras, and used one for a damp towel that I didn't have time to dry.

Yes, zip-locks are good for your toiletries to prevent spills. But, they can also be used as storage bags. Back in my meat packing days they used to call it cry-o-vac. You take all of the air out of the bag and it compresses what you are packing. You can store, for example a sweater in one third of the space it will normally take up. These travel space bags are made for this purpose. But, you can do the same thing with the large zip-locks. Just swish(or roll) the air out and zip them up. Your bulky sweater turns into like a large brick. When you take it out, it pops right out with few/no wrinkles. You can do the same with other cloaths. It also prevents the dye from bleading onto other garments, underwear, socks, towels etc. You can buy a whole bag of 15-20 ziplocks(1 gallon or larger size) for less than $5, less than the price of one travel space saver bag. <BR>I learned this trick on this forum and it works great. You may encouter 2 problems. 1/ Your cloathes "bricks" will be odd shaped and hard to fit in your suitcase neatly. 2/ You will have a lot more weight in the same area.

most purveyors of travel goods hawk space saving bags that one rolls up to squeeze out air. the bags have advantages over ziplocs. they come in much larger sizes (i can't imagine stuffing a bulky sweater or golf jacket into a gallon bag), and, they are sturdier.

I've used the same principle (without the expense) for years. I use the <BR>clear plastic zippered bags that new sheets and pillowcases come in. <BR>They're perfect for packing. I put like things together, carefully fold <BR>what I don't want wrinkled, put them in the bags, SIT ON THE BAGS to get the <BR>air out and zip. It makes packing and unpacking a snap and finding things <BR>was never so easy. <BR>

anniel- <BR>i'm an american in london-and i actually was trying to find zip lock bags-as they are just great for not only travel, but for storing things in the tiny freezers and fridges here (take up less room than plastic containers and are great for keeping the salad fresh). after searching and searching i did find a similar version somewhere-trouble is i can't remember! i got some brought over to me, so i didn't have to buy them-but try sainsbury's-they may have them. good luck!

x and others: <BR>I have several boxes on these zip-lock type storage bags in various sizes. I have right here a box of "Hefty" "Jumbo Multi-Purpose Bags". There are pictures on the box of sweaters, shirts stored in them and of course also food. They measure 14" by 16".(2 1/2 gallon size) The price on the box says $3.20 for 12 bags. Yes, you can put sweaters in them. I , right now, have about 10 sweaters(also shirts) stored in my closet in these bags. It keeps them dust free, moth free and it saves space in my closet and they are packed and ready to go on a trip. They work great. <BR>In my area, the travel space bags are readily available. You can get them at Target etc. for about $9 for 2 bags. At Costco you can get about 8 bags for about $20. I have not bought any of these since I can't see what their advantage would be over the cheaper zip-lock type storage bags. Some of the travel type space bags are large enought to take your down comforter if you want to bring that on your trip :-). <BR>