LSky

I pack my clothes in ziplocks and the small things go in my ancient Clinque bags.

When I roll my clothes I snap them on to a clean surface and then smooth them out as I roll them.

Swantraveller

Yes, men are entirely okay living out from their travel bags while for us women, we can't help but to pack and unpack (How many times did we end up in a bad mood because we can't find a sock or because the cute top is all crumpled up?). So, yes packing systems isn't just a gimmick. You can look into this:

http://www.adventurouswench.com/travel/s-packing/

parisinspring

I love the packing systems and use them religously - whether staying overnight or going for two weeks. The LLBean are as nice as the Eagle Creek and cost about half the price. If you're going thru customs it makes it easier for the inspector - you don't find you "unmentionables" tossed all about! They really came in handy when I was checking in and my luggage was overweight. I just reached in, grabbed a cube, and carried it on the plane. I've tried the large ziplocks, but as others mentioned, they really slide around and my clothes still got wrinkled. Everything stays neat in the cubes! Love em!

saige

onebag.com is my go to for packing ideas. I am a woman and one bag traveler, for a weekend or a month. I would not buy a packing system at any price. It takes a little practice to pack well, but anyone can do it.

If you need to compress bulky items like socks, stick them in a ziplock bag, seal most of the way and then sit on the bag to squeeze out the air. Flat as a pancake in under a minute. And rolling is far better than folding for keeping clothes wrinkle free.

Happy travels!

europe2011

I, too, just went through this question for my upcoming trip. I found myself at the local luggage store looking at compression bags. I bought some, came home and tried them out. They will be perfect for me. Eagle Creek sells some, but I found that the Spacebags were less expensive and work the same for me. https://www.spacebag.com/12/Default.aspx

FYI: I use the small ones for socks, bras etc... and I always use one for dirty clothes.

tomfuller

The 2.5 gallon and 1 gallon Ziploc bags work well for me.
Roll everything tight. Another tip-If you buy something that won't fit in your suitcase or will put your suitcase in overweight in the US. Stop at the US Post office and mail the heavy item and some dirty clothes in a bag in the medium size Priority Mail box. The box mails for $10.95 which is a lot better than what the airline charges. No sense carrying 12 lb of dirty clothes or books you've already read on the flight home.

quiltingmamma

As I sew, I made a similar folding system when I was traveling to France this year for 3 weeks with only carry on. I also picked up rectangular/square cosmetic bags at my local Value Village for a dollar or two - all much cheaper than the Eagle Creek systems. I used a wheeled back pack with a second attachable day pack and found the cubes and folding system worked really well as I could pack my folder bottoms and tops into 2 folding wraps and they fit perfectly into the section meant for a laptop. My close stayed surprisingly wrinkle free and I knew where everything was stored in the back pack. The wrap and velcro system also kept the clothes very compact and I was surprised how many I could pack. The ziplocks would also work, but consider using some kind of cardboard or foam core to hold your clothes with and keep it in the bag to support the clothes (remember to get out as much air as possible). I like these travel systems, but agree that it depends on what kind of travelling you do.

MissGreen

Most of us on here are going to regular tourist type places - we're not going for a weekend at Balmoral with the queen so I think a few creases or a bit of squished luggage would be a bit of a problem!

madgicsh

Unless all these gizmos float (weigh LESS than nothing) all they do is add weight.

ElaineAust

I use a 3 section zippered pencil case that I purchased as a discontinued line from Smiggle for about $2.
It easily fits 5 bras, knickers and pairs socks and I know where everything is. And the lime green colour means I am unlikely to misplace it.

Kay2

I am a carry-on traveler who often combines work with leisure travel, so squishing all my clothes into plastic bags is not the best choice (and many of the places I stay do not have iron/board). If I use the 22in Travelpro with the suiter accessories in the top, it keeps my suit or other nice clothes practically wrinkle free, but it is large by some airline standards and heavy. I bought 1 18-inch no-name folder on closeout online that I can pack and put in a smaller, lighter rollaboard. I have used it 3 or 4 times and have been pleased with the results--only one wrinkled pair of slacks from my poor packing.

I also picked up a few cubes on sale somewhere to use for socks, undies, etc. I find they are neater, pack better than plastic bags, and do not slip. Once the clothes are all dirty and I don't care if they are organized, then the cubes are just wasted space and weight. So I have mixed feelings on them when space is tight, but like them when I have lots of room to spare.

pwjone1

Saw this when posting a question.

I have used the Pack-It Folders by Eagle Creek for years (slightly earlier model), it's construction is top notch, and with a little practice you can get things to your destinations with relatively fewer wrinkles, and in a relatively more compressed amount of space. Works particularly well for dress shirts, sweaters, etc., when used in a carry-on. The slide in folding board helps fold in the right place, and gives some extra protection. Anything that gets more in that carry-on is worth it.

The cubes are OK, sturdy, well-made, but like a lot of others, I also use zip-locks, and for the checked luggage, you have to keep things reasonable, nothing too exotic, so the TSA screeners can repack them. For check-ins, I usually find that I have to pack a little bit on the empty side, in case I buy something along the way, but more particularly to stay under the weight limits. So mostly I keep the check-ons simple, for weight reasons, maybe a few extra zip-locks, tons of home address labels (for shipping + when the bag gets lost), plus an extra TSA lock or two (these are always getting lost), and a few extra zip-ties for when the zipper handle is damaged.

2010

The suitcase is all packed for tomorrow's departure. I used every size of Ziploc bags (XL/L/Medium/Small/Snack-size) for my clothes (rolled); to hold bottles filled with liquids: hair conditioner, laundry soap & skincare products; to organize jewelry, journalling necessities, and other sundry items. There's nothing loose in my suitcase! Everything is visible. I even packed some extra bags!

My husband did not buy into the 'packing system'. He just placed his rolled garments into his suitcase. He will likely live out of his suitcase as he prefers! We will be able to compare our 'experiences' as we travel to our 5 destinations during our 3+ weeks in Italy!

I will try to report back when we return!

Kay2

Have a great time. Those ziplock bags work great for souvenirs too.

elnap29

Just returned from a 16-day adventure, and was again happy to have used my Eagle Creek packing folders. I only needed one this time (for trousers and blouses/ T-shirts) with one half cube for the undies and socks. Rolling doesn't work for me and none of our lodgings had an iron available anyway. I did take a compression bag for dirty laundry and rolled those items successfully. Zip-locs were useful for organizing make-up and also liquids for TSA. I liked my new little compact Rick Steves toiletry bag - it was the smallest one with a collapsible hook. My carry-on had room to spare and I knew exactly where everything was. Oh, I did take along 2 plastic coat hangers, just in case, so I could hang up a couple items each night.

annw

I go back and forth. Most recent trip I rolled, and got a lot in a little space. However, I have used both the packing cubes (which are extremely light) and the eagle creek folder and liked both systems. I use the compression bags for dirty laundry on return trip. Always carry on.

GBelle

I haven’t tried it, but another option to the packing cubes is to use the zippered cases sheets and curtains are packed in when sold. I saved some when I bought new sheets recently because they reminded me of the packing cubes, except they are plastic and without a mesh side, like I’ve seen on some packing cubes.

I generally use Ziploc or Hefty XL bags, so I may try these on a future trip.

2010

Returned a few days ago from our 23 day/5 destination trip to Italy and thought I would report back on my experience using ziploc bags for packing.

It was interesting to find out that while all our hotels provided wardrobes for hanging clothes, not all rooms had drawer space. In the latter instance, I found myself doing what my husband prefers ... living out of my suitcase!

With all my clothes in XL/L bags and sundry items in M/S bags, it was a snap to unpack my suitcase and place them in drawers. Everything was visible. Everything had its designated bag. During our stay, it was easy to pull out the bag with my tops and the one with my pants; and simply take out the garments I needed for the day. No longer did I have to dig around for things at the bottom or at the back of a drawer!

In preparation for repacking, it really was a simple matter of rolling & placing items in a bag. According to DH, it was entertaining to watch how I sat on the bag to 'squish out' the air and quickly zipped it up!!! This technique was sufficient enough to compress the bag flat for packing. It really was space-saving and kept me organized throughout the trip!

Hint: Take extra bags of all sizes! Not all will survive the entire trip!

So, will I use this 'packing system' again? I certainly will!

anneeby

Here's an article that you may enjoy about packing. It's full of great tips (and it's funny, too). www.AnniesNuggets.com

mpkp

I haven't used the packing cubes yet and have used sip locks over the years and an assortment of free cosmetic pouches for all sorts of things.

However, I have purchased a tote bag as my second carryon to replace the backpack I used for years. It is lighter weight with a flat bottom that will slip over the handles and stay put(I hope) could never do that with the backpack and it just got heavy to carry.

Anyway have decided to do the cubes with this bag because it is formless and difficult with all the mismatched bags I did have. And I found that LL Bean and Magellan's have them for a lot less than Eagle Creek so I have ordered them.