How do you pack clothes--by special folding or cubes or...?

I use vacum bags and compress bags.The vacum bags are a bit tricky. They flaten a lot , but after a while air comes in.I tried to put less stuff in it, but it seemed to have the same result. I don't know if it's because I got different brand now. Last year I used some bags I bought from Walmart, they were $5 for 3 of them. The ones I got recently were from bed bath and beyond made by the original company (can't remeber the name of it.).
With the compress bags you can put a lot of stuff in it, but they tend to get bulky as you said.I have never tried the packing cubes, though. I think those packing cubes would work better on items that don't compress, like cosmetics.

I use RS's packing cubes. I just rolled up my clothes and placed them in the cubes. It was very easy to grab the items I needed and kept everything organized. I had pants & shirts in the large one. underclothes and socks in one of the small ones and then some misc. items in the other small one.

For item I want wrinkle free -- shirts, pants -- I use one packing envelope( ?). Not exactly sure what it is called. Has the stiff plastic back with the four velcro flaps to compress and secure the items. For everything else -- socks, underwear -- it is zip lock bags.

Depends on the type of travel. For pleasure, I use cubes. I have clothing that doesn't wrinkle. I roll everything and place them in cubes. (I even have some wrinkle-free dress shirts that are fine rolled.) For the occassional business trip, I'll take one or two in an envelope and the rest in the cubes. I have both the old version of the RS cubes and Eagle creek. I prefer the Eagle Creek.

I find cubes make it easier to find things and for going through airport security.

Ziploc Bags could also be used if you wanted to save money.

I find that rolling everything like a cigar works great and things fit that would never fit otherwise.
I haven't had to sit on my suitcase to zip it since I started rolling up everything!

Eagle Creek packing cubes work for me everytime. I don't use them for everything, but for most of my clothing. Undergarments go in a packing cube, as does t-shirts, socks, etc. I use 3-4 for each trip. Different colors help me to find just what I need, and I use different sizes, small, med and large.

I used 3 for my last trip. Used a High Sierra internal frame pack for a one week trip to Rome. The packing cubes were wonderful. Nothing "exploded" out, cuz I had to keep them zipped in the cubes. Since the cubes are soft, they conformed to the sides of my backpack. I also put them in length wise, so I stacked them front to back, not top to bottom, this worked better in this narrower space.

I also use a small cube to organize my power cords and power adaptor. Ipod charger, camera charger all go in one cube.

Love my cubes for packing!

Jamie -

I use the hand roll (no cubes) - wrinkles get smoothed out first and a tight roll keeps the wrinkles away. I have even packed nice pants and blouses this way. The only thing I roll and put in ziplock bags are small items - tanks, bathing suits, undergarments, socks,etc. That way they don't get in the way when you are looking for something in your bag. Even my 15yr old daughter can roll up her clothes tight enough to use only a carry on and believe me - teenage girls always overpack - lol

My last few business trips I've been experimenting with laying stuff out, folding it around a center mass (compression bag with socks and underwear) and putting the whole thing in the bag.

I want to give it a good try but I'm leaning toward returning to my roll it up and put a rubber band on it. Rolling seems to keep things compact (more important to me than no wrinkles) and I don't have to take everything out of my bag to get one item.

I'm using a compression bag for loose stuff, but will probably start using a large zip-lock bag instead when my compression bags run out.

I have never found compression to be necessary. I try to stay under the Lufthansa 8 kg (17.6 #) weight limit (even on other airlines), and I find that, including heavier, non-clothes items, I get near the weight limit before the carry-on bag is filled. On the other hand, I find organizer bags to be helpful when living out of my bag for two weeks. I have one for underwear (2 extra sets that I wash every night), one for clean clothes, one for dirty clothes, one for misc, and a small pencil case for toiletryies. When I reach my destination, I take the organizer bags out of my big bag and put them on shelves. Then when I want something I only have to get into the bag I know it's in, and when I'm ready to leave, I just put the organizer bags back in the big bag and I'm ready.

As long as you don't try to take to much, you don't need compression bags.

A business trip (I've taken a few) is more difficult because of the requirement for a lot of clean formal clothes, but for leisure trip, go light.

I am using cubes for the first time. Do I roll undershirts separately or put three together then roll them and also knit shirts do you roll them or leave them flat when putting into the cube. Thanks for any help.

Jamie, here's a related link that was posted a while ago.

http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm?topic=10163

Thanks for all the responses and the links. I think that I'll try a combination of packing cubes and plastic bags for the next time I need to travel. I've used compression bags in the past incorrectly because I took too much. I think those are good for 1-2 bulky items that compress easily (like fleece) and that's it.

Oh, and I may try the rolling methods that Michelle and Jennifer mentioned. Kit, I've seen information on hand rolling here: http://www.onebag.com/pack.html#bundle

I've never used any special 'packages' for my packing. Rolling helps along with folding to fit the areas necessary. If you're brining extra shoes, you can stuff your socks into the shoes to fill that space.

If it doesn't fit in the R.S. convertible carry-on, then it probably isn't necessary to come with.

I bought The Packing Book by Judith Gilford. She advocates the "bundle packing method" which seems to work for me.

Thank you for the question, I am glad I found it as it mirrors mine! We're going to Ireland – our first international trip – late winter/early spring, so need slightly bulkier clothes.

I recently did a perfunctory run-thru with the onebag.com bundle method in my current klunky carry-on bag (we'll be buying RS convertible carryons) and while I was pleased at how efficient it was it did seem like there wasn't a lot of room left for non-clothing items, especially an extra "nicer" pair of shoes. Like one person said, saving space has a bit of an edge over saving wrinkles (though I want to avoid the crumpled look too!).

I looked at Eagle Creek's folding "envelopes" and think they might just add more volume. Does anyone agree/disagree?

Perhaps a good idea is to try a combo of methods? It seems as though more people prefer the roll method for space saving...

I'll keep practicing with the different methods and combos thereof til I get one that works for us!

For leisure travel, I mainly roll my clothes and put them in Eagle Creek packing cubes.

For business trips, I usually use one Eagle Creek envelope for both pants and button-down shirts - anything prone to wrinkling; the rest of the stuff, I roll and put in cubes.

To answer a previous poster - the EC envelope ends up taking a tad more space than cubes would, I think, mainly because its shape makes it bit harder to fit into difn't configurations. But it also does compress things slightly, and it keeps the clothes relatively wrinkle-free if that's important to you.

Kristen, Please let us know how the "bundle method" in a RS convertable bag works for you. I've looked at it, experimented with it, but I have serious concerns about it working in a soft bag without a particularly firm "bottom" wall. I can see it working in a hard case, or even a multi-compartment bag like a Tri-Zip or Air Boss. Even onebag.com points out that if the bundle can move around it will allow the clothes to get messed up. I've heard from several experienced folks on this site taht a garment folder from EC will do the job better. But, I would really what you find!

I like to use compression(vacumn)bags but I have learned to use the med sized ones as the large ones allowed me to take tons of clothes in a small bag but the weight was an issue. I also like to have one bags with clothes that I don't wear for the first half of the trip (I usually go for at least a month)I pack a new set of everything with some good smelling dryer sheets and it is so nice to have something different to wear for a change- even if it just a shirt etc.. The bags are also great for containing my dirty clothes until I get a chance to was or until I get home.

Rick was a proponent of stuff bags back in the day and that's how I started. Then I discovered the Eagle Creek packing cubes and love them. They add little bulk but provide just a touch of compression. I have different sizes and colours: tops, bottoms, undies. Also great if you have two people's clothes in one bag for a weekend trip, etc. I also have double sided cubes -- the best is the one with a waterproof side. I have used these for business travel, going to the pool with my daughter, and weekend trips in the car or sailing. My stuff is perfectly organized and I can pull everything out but never have to refold! I also used the large EC folder and it is great for business travel when you have a larger case and need to be unwrinkled. Another tip from sailing is using lots of ziplocs but leaving them just a little open -- still organized but you are not packing air which is light but can be bulky! haha

I start by laying out the minimal clothes needed for my trip, relying upon layers for changes in weather conditions and clothes that are versatile (khaki pants, comfortable but nice shoes, and the like). Half your packing job is deciding what NOT to take, such as bulky sweaters, 4 pairs of shoes, things you can buy once you arrive (soap, shampoo...) etc. Also, I typically don't travel with a computer. Too heavy and bulky; if I need to check email I use an internet cafe or the hotel's complimentary computer.

Then I start packing.

Shoes in the suitase hold socks, underwear, other small wrinkle-so-what items. Roll clothes tightly (underwear, t-shirts, socks, etc). The vacuum bags that RS and others sell are truly amazing and minimize wrinkling.

Keep things that you need for airport security in handy compartments/pockets. Passport, air tickets, liquids (remember the 3-1-1 rule) already packed in the proper bag.

You really can travel on a 5 day clothes supply.

Have fun!