Flat pack bags

Ann, could you tell what a "flat pack bag" is? I have never seen that term applied to a type of bag.

The flat packs are in the Accessories in Rick's Travel Store, under Packing & Organizing. I always take a size medium underneath everything for the "just in case" article I might buy. It's flat enough that it doesn't take up any room but certainly handy if your souvenirs take up too much room. I've purchased a skirt in Provence that would never have fit in my backpack but squeezed in just fine with the flat pack. I don't use a flat pack unless I need it for the return trip home. I love the organization of Rick's packing cubes! Makes it SO much easier to find things.

Thanks, Darcy. That's what I thought Ann meant. I have used them. They work just fine, but I don't use them for pleasure travel. I just pack lighter to begin with. However, I have used them when we were going to one place to live for several weeks to minimize the luggage we needed to bring. Also, I have had similar success with large, hefty ziplocs.

Thanks for the reviews. I do pack light, but I will be hiking in Ireland in Sept and will need to pack a fleece jacket and other hiking gear (like my good hiking socks that do not pack very small). I was planning on using the flat pack bag for the fleece, socks, warm hat etc that will be needed for hiking.

Ann, fleece works great in flat packs (altho I have not used Rick's brand). Make sure you fold the zippers or anything sharp to the inside.

Oh, those things. They used to be called compression bags, and still are by me. We use them for raincoats and cashmere sweaters. On the return we use them for whatever we can stick in them. The medium size is the one to use for convertible carry-on bags. Each of us take two because they don't weigh much or take up much space until used. Eagle Creek makes them too, and those are sturdier than Steves, but we use both.

I've used them under the product name "space bag". IMO they work well for bulky items that trap a lot of air such as down jackets, loosely woven sweaters, etc. If you pack those, the bags will be really useful. The down side is the bags stop working if you overfill them at all, once they stop working, they don't work again - not sure why. For some reason they lose their seal and wont seal up again, so they're ready to be discarded. I think you can do the same thing with any zip-lock bag, press out all the air then seal them, so I wouldn't spend a lot of money on them.

If travelling on inter europeon airlines that have strict weight limits even for carryons,, remember, yes, you can get alot more stuff in suitcase, but suitcase will then weigh more...

I use the RS brand. Pack fleece and windbreaker in it so it fits in a small pocket in my backpack. I've had no trouble with the seal snd have used it 5so years.

I got some at REI and they really work well. "Packing light" is great but packing small helps make your bag manageable. They are basically heavy duty zip lock bags. I seal the bag almost closed, roll it up like a tube while squeezing out the air and then seal the last inch or so. Things stay dry, clean and have less wrinkles when unpacked. They weigh very little.

I used plastic flat pack bags for several trips, but then one time it got the tiniest hole in it and didn't work. Now I use nylon compression bags (with the straps that tighten down). Not great for things that wrinkle, but good for those woolen and down items that can be so bulky. I got mine at REI, where they have super lightweight ones for backpackers -- look not in the travel packing section, but in the mountaineering department.

I have a RS mesh backpack. If we are going to be hiking on the trip, I just put it in the bottom of the bigger suitcase. It works great for snacks, jackets, etc.

I used them a time or two, then just went with Ziplocs. Same thing for me... They're really only good for down, fleece, and other things that can benefit from compression. No point in using them for t-shirts (compression-wise) unless you really like wrinkles, but I do use them interchangeably with the packing cubes - just depends on my mood ;-) The Ziplocs (Hefty, whatever brand) are 'softer' and more malleable than the dedicated compression bags and come in so many sizes to fit your particular needs. They also slip into pockets in your luggage much easier...'cause they're 'slickery'. Yes, that's a word ;-)