Looking for experiences with "Space Bags"

[Anal Annie]

OK, so I am currently conducting my own "independent testing" on some "travel space bags" to see how wrinkley stuff gets. I bought the kind that don't use a vacuum cleaner bcuz I didn't know if the others would work with the vacuums in the DVC studios or not?! The stuff I am experimenting with is a little too thick to roll up much. So I suspect the ones that use a vacuum may be easier and more efficient to use but just wondered who's used them for your DVC trips and which kind you use!? I've seen posts that go both ways about the vacuum cleaner ones working or not with the DVC vacuums... (Do they only need the hose to work?) :confused3

[superminnie]

i just bought some space bags and took them back. I got both kinds vacuum and roll up ones for my upcoming trip to the world, but several of them leaked. I would get all the air out and the next morning they would be all puffy again. I tried resealing them and they still leaked, could have just been me though :confused3

[Tara]

i just bought some space bags and took them back. I got both kinds vacuum and roll up ones for my upcoming trip to the world, but several of them leaked. I would get all the air out and the next morning they would be all puffy again. I tried resealing them and they still leaked, could have just been me though :confused3

I've heard this from friends who used space bags, too.

[dwelty]

We use space bags all the time for our trips to the world. We use the vaccume kind, and store a little hand held vac with attachements in our owners locker. IT works great, we can fit our family of 4's clothes for a week in one big suitcase. Our biggest problem is the weight. Using Spacebags you can fit alot in one suitecase and it is easy to go over. We have had no problems with leakage and we have used the same bags several times.

[Deb & Bill]

The DVC vacuums don't have hoses. So you can't use them with the Space bags.

Be careful using space bags. They may save space, but they don't save weight and you could get overloaded and wind up paying for a heavy bag.

[Anal Annie]

The DVC vacuums don't have hoses. So you can't use them with the Space bags.

Be careful using space bags. They may save space, but they don't save weight and you could get overloaded and wind up paying for a heavy bag.

:confused3 Hummm. That's why I started this thread and why I bought the roll-up kind to test. I had started another thread a day or two ago to ask some questions to John about the OL and someone posted over there that they DO use the vacuum type bags with the DVC vacs. :confused3 I know I could go over weight easily if I was using them for checked luggage...I am thinking that if I can talk DH into an OL then we might be able to use them to get by with carry-ons! (I'm scheming any which way I can to get an OL!:rotfl:)

Meanwhile, I sorta thought they would hold more than what they do. Of course on the front of the box they picture this like 2' high pile of clothes. I tried out the "carry-on" size which is supposed to hold 2 blouses, 1 sweater & 1 jacket. So I experimented with a light sweater of DH's, one of his long sleeved cotton shirt, 1 long sleeve cotton sirt of mine & 1 of my t-shirts. I orig. had a couple other pieces in the pile too since it said it could hold a jacket but they wouldn't fit. So I am undecided yet about them...

[Dom262]

i just bought some space bags and took them back. I got both kinds vacuum and roll up ones for my upcoming trip to the world, but several of them leaked. I would get all the air out and the next morning they would be all puffy again. I tried resealing them and they still leaked, could have just been me though :confused3

We have tried them several times and each time they ALL leaked. Don't waste your money.

[donald...really]

I posted on your other thread, but I will post again here...

We use the roll up kind in our OL and they work great for us. We have a bunch of the smaller size for our t-shirts, underwear, and shorts, and a bunch of the larger size for our jackets, sweaters, jeans, and sweatshirts. We stuff them, roll them, seal them, and store them for months at a time. They haven't leaked yet. We couldn't be happier. But the clothes do come out wrinkled which I know is a deal breaker for you...

[robinb]

I had the roll-up kind and they worked OK and usually didn't leak. I stopped using them, though. They really didn't help all that much. I would also suggest against stuffing a carry-on. It could be difficult to lift a very heavy suitcase over your head and into the overhead bin.

[Dean]

They will save space but as mentioned, add weight so you do need to be careful. Overall they actually seem to cause less wrinkles if done correctly and that's with the rollup kind and given we've never been very successful preventing wrinkling when packing, it certainly doesn't make thing worse. I'd expect even less of an issue with the vacuum type. They also work well for dirty laundry which always seems to take up more space. With timeshares we rarely have much dirty laundry to bring home though. We have them but generally only use them for things like cruises though with the recent changes in luggage for air fare, likely will use them more than in the past.

[Anal Annie]

They will save space but as mentioned, add weight so you do need to be careful. Overall they actually seem to cause less wrinkles if done correctly and that's with the rollup kind and given we've never been very successful preventing wrinkling when packing, it certainly doesn't make thing worse. I'd expect even less of an issue with the vacuum type. They also work well for dirty laundry which always seems to take up more space. With timeshares we rarely have much dirty laundry to bring home though. We have them but generally only use them for things like cruises though with the recent changes in luggage for air fare, likely will use them more than in the past.

:headache: These extra fees to check bags are REALLY putting a cramp in my style...I always used to pack a 26" duffle that mashed flat to use as a hamper for our return trip home! I mean, really...who wants to FOLD their dirty laundry so that it fits back into their suitcase?:confused3 Nobody I know wants to bother being THAT neat. That's why I'm trying to figure out what else we can do and why I'm looking into the space bags.

I unloaded my first "test bag" and re-packed it this evening. The first set of "test clothes" were in the bag for 2 days. I had not ironed them first but had taken them right out of the dryer to fold them up prior to putting them in the bag. They are pretty wrinkley. I mean they sorta look like they were slept in or something. My 2nd test bag now has 2 pair of jean shorts and 5 t-shirt size tops. It is approx. 3" high and about 11" x 10". I had to re-fold things differently than I normally do to get them into it tho and it required a bit of gyrations & contortions & odd facial expressions I'm sure on my part to get the air squeezed out of the bag. :upsidedow IT was a little bit like work to get them in. They really don't roll so much when they're full.

I really should work in a lab somewhere!:rolleyes1:rotfl2: I am just TOO anal...:rolleyes:

[Deb & Bill]

:headache: These extra fees to check bags are REALLY putting a cramp in my style...I always used to pack a 26" duffle that mashed flat to use as a hamper for our return trip home! I mean, really...who wants to FOLD their dirty laundry so that it fits back into their suitcase?:confused3 Nobody I know wants to bother being THAT neat. That's why I'm trying to figure out what else we can do and why I'm looking into the space bags. ...

That's why you never get a studio, always a one bedroom or larger. Go home with clean clothes. ;)

[Dean]

:headache: These extra fees to check bags are REALLY putting a cramp in my style...I always used to pack a 26" duffle that mashed flat to use as a hamper for our return trip home! I mean, really...who wants to FOLD their dirty laundry so that it fits back into their suitcase?:confused3 Nobody I know wants to bother being THAT neat. That's why I'm trying to figure out what else we can do and why I'm looking into the space bags.

I unloaded my first "test bag" and re-packed it this evening. The first set of "test clothes" were in the bag for 2 days. I had not ironed them first but had taken them right out of the dryer to fold them up prior to putting them in the bag. They are pretty wrinkley. I mean they sorta look like they were slept in or something. My 2nd test bag now has 2 pair of jean shorts and 5 t-shirt size tops. It is approx. 3" high and about 11" x 10". I had to re-fold things differently than I normally do to get them into it tho and it required a bit of gyrations & contortions & odd facial expressions I'm sure on my part to get the air squeezed out of the bag. :upsidedow IT was a little bit like work to get them in. They really don't roll so much when they're full.

I really should work in a lab somewhere!:rolleyes1:rotfl2: I am just TOO anal...:rolleyes:The W/D makes a big difference. We had a 15 night trip to HI Jan, 2008 & a 11 night trip to Aruba this Jan. In both cases I took 2 pair of long pants, 2 or 3 pair of shorts, 5 shirts, 4 pair underwear , 2 pr shoes (one old pr tennis shoe to throw away) and washing detergent. We just threw things in the W/D as appropriate as we went out or came in. No hassle and for about 1/3 the amount of clothing without a W/D. Make sure you weigh your bags if 24 inches or larger and you use the space bags. My daughters 26 inch non expandable on her trip to Europe was 49.5 # and another 1# and she might have had to pay extra. As I hinted, we don't consider wrinkles a big deal. Once you hang them up, most will fall out. If not and it's too bad, you can always get an iron.

[dopeygirl76]

We use the roll up kind and have not had any problems. We always do a one bedroom and as I wash and dry I fold and put in the space bags. I don't do this on the trip down and this way I have some room for shopping!!! They are wrinkled but it definately makes things easier. We have never had a problem with overweight - although I do spread the heavy stuff around so that helps!!

[Anal Annie]

I just can't bring myself to cook or do laundry on vacation! When we're at WDW we spend every waking minute either at the parks or at the pool so the points for a 1 bedroom would be wasted on us. Many years ago we used to rent a condo in Ocean City, MD and I would wash a load of beach towels every so often but that was because they were not provided & we had to bring our own & they needed to have the sand washed out... We also had to bring our sheets, mattress pads & bath towels so I had one large suitcase of ONLY linens! But oh ya'll!! Please don't make me do laundry on vacation!:rotfl::rolleyes1

My theory about the weight in the carry-ons is that if we get an OL then all of our toiletries & lotions, our pool bag, umbrellas, ponchos & at least 1 pr. of sandals will already be stored so the bags should only be clothes & a spare pair of shoes or sandals so that should help balance out the weight if we don't have that stuff in them. For our shorter trips, I was actually thinking of trying to pack the 3 of us into 2 carry-ons and to take one down empty so that we have that extra space for the return trip.

I always try to weigh our bags before I zip 'em up & call them done. Sometimes it's not so accurate. I might buy one of those travel scales sometime. I've had to re-pack at the airport in front of God and everybody else several times!:lmao: Last summer we were checking in at BWI and one of our bags was 50.3 Lbs when I thought it was 48 Lbs. The skycap told me either take a few ounces out or he was charging me $25!!! :headache: So I opened up one of the outer zipper pockets & took something out & shoved it into a pocket on another bag. I think it was DS's PJ's or something. The last time we were in Hawaii we were doing our first island hop. We flew over on Delta & the skycap just took the bags w/o weighing them. But were doing our hopping on Hawaiian Airlines & they were much stricter. I ended up having to pull out my "spare" bag and repack right there on our first hop.:headache: THEN we got up to security & we had 2 carry-ons. One was a normal regular 21" suitcase & one was a lightweight duffle. We had those squishy neckroll pillows, some snacks & our headphones in the duffle & all of our toiletries & stuff in the reg. bag. Well, they had a 26 Lb weight limit on the carry-ons!! Who knew THAT one?! The regular suitcase was heavier to start with so it weighed like 30 Lbs and the little duffle weighed like 16 Lbs. So once again, I had to step out of line & re-pack right there in front of everyone. It was all the same stuff and the total weight was still the same but they made me adjust where I had it packed!!! I'd have been really screwed if we didn't have a 2nd carry-on to use!!:scared: This was in July 2006 RIGHT BEFORE they implemented the 3 ounce rule for the liquids in carry-ons. They started that like the week after we got home so we just made it on that one!!! We probably had $30 worth of sunscreens we'd have had to dump! (Whew!) But anyway, my point is that I'm very aware now of how heavy I pack bags now & try to distribute my weight around in them if I can. Next thing ya know the airlines will be charging us for carry-ons too!!

I fully expect that on a longer trip we will need more bags than just carry-ons. I have been switching us from regular suitcases to duffles because they weigh less to start with. One of our big 29" suitcases literally weighs 16 Lbs EMPTY (it's in the same set that matches that heavy carry-on). Last year I bought a 30" x 15" x 14" duffle that only weighs 8 Lbs empty. The problem for me with a lot of duffles is that they don't have the tie down straps in them for your clothes so you need to pack them full or else your stuff is all over the place when you get there. There are no more stacks!!:goodvibes So I am always on the lookout for "new and improved" bags to buy!! DH is like do we REALLY need MORE luggage?!:rotfl: Can you tell I drive him NUTS!?:rolleyes:

[Dean]

Can you tell I drive him NUTS!?:rolleyes:Yes we can, LOL. With the new restrictions you're going to pay dearly for that obsession if you fly. My daughter and I flew to memphis recently (taking my Grandson to see his Great, Great GM) and Northwest charges for each and every checked bag. About the only thing they don't charge for is 1 carry on and car seats.

Seriously, one can do limited washing without any interruption on a vacation schedule and save like 1 large suitcase or more on a family of 4 for a week trip. More for much longer trips. In your case however you are in a studio generally and it is not nearly as easy to do. DVC likely doesn't represent a savings or even much benefit for someone who spends all day most days at the parks and only uses their room to sleep, doesn't do laundry and doesn't at least do simple smaller meals.

[dismom2-3]

:confused3 Hummm. That's why I started this thread and why I bought the roll-up kind to test. I had started another thread a day or two ago to ask some questions to John about the OL and someone posted over there that they DO use the vacuum type bags with the DVC vacs. :confused3 I know I could go over weight easily if I was using them for checked luggage...I am thinking that if I can talk DH into an OL then we might be able to use them to get by with carry-ons! (I'm scheming any which way I can to get an OL!:rotfl:)

Meanwhile, I sorta thought they would hold more than what they do. Of course on the front of the box they picture this like 2' high pile of clothes. I tried out the "carry-on" size which is supposed to hold 2 blouses, 1 sweater & 1 jacket. So I experimented with a light sweater of DH's, one of his long sleeved cotton shirt, 1 long sleeve cotton sirt of mine & 1 of my t-shirts. I orig. had a couple other pieces in the pile too since it said it could hold a jacket but they wouldn't fit. So I am undecided yet about them...

What is an OL?:confused3

[Anal Annie]

Yes we can, LOL. With the new restrictions you're going to pay dearly for that obsession if you fly. My daughter and I flew to memphis recently (taking my Grandson to see his Great, Great GM) and Northwest charges for each and every checked bag. About the only thing they don't charge for is 1 carry on and car seats.

Seriously, one can do limited washing without any interruption on a vacation schedule and save like 1 large suitcase or more on a family of 4 for a week trip. More for much longer trips. In your case however you are in a studio generally and it is not nearly as easy to do. DVC likely doesn't represent a savings or even much benefit for someone who spends all day most days at the parks and only uses their room to sleep, doesn't do laundry and doesn't at least do simple smaller meals.

We're using Air Tran for our next 2 trips and they also charge for every checked bag now. Last summer they at least allowed ONE for free but they were REALLY strict with the weight.

We DO enjoy the kitchenette ammenities and almost always have breakfast in the room. We often will toast bagels. Sometimes we use the microwave (I can also bring a box of that pre-cooked bacon with me that you zap in the microwave since it's not refrigerated until it's opened). It's also especially nice to have the counter size frig. We're just a family of 3 and DH doesn't normally eat breakfast anyway so the kitchenette is actually perfect for our needs.:thumbsup2 Cold beer & wine, coffee and bagels. What else does one need?!:laughing:

I think I'm going to show my "pretend OL" to DH this weekend! It's time to get on with the show!!:rolleyes:

[Anal Annie]

What is an OL?:confused3

OL = Owners Locker

It's a storage bin that you basically rent to store items in if you're a frequent visitor to the Orlando area. That way you don't have to pack everything every time! I'm currently trying to convince my DH that we'd benefit from having one!!

http://www.disboards.com/announcement.php?f=119&a=222

[dianeschlicht]

I'm not sure what your avertion is to washing on vacation, but the in room laundry is one of our favorite parts of DVC! We pack very light (account for all types of weather conditions), and just wash as needed.

Also, have you ever experimented with just rolling clothes? If you like the roll bag idea, just lay all items out together. Roll like items, and they don't wrinkle as much. Sure, the "inside" item wrinkles a little, but for the most part, they are in much better shape than packing flat. For example" lay all the slacks or shorts on a pile and roll the whole pile. Do the same with T'shirts etc. I fell like it takes less space too, and if you buy a roll type duffle that is carry on size, it works pretty well.

Oh, and the OL saves us a LOT of packing! We have cosmetics and full size hair care items in there so we take virtually no liquids in our carry on, and that saves space and time at the airport too. DH even has an electric razor in our OL, and we have a curling iron etc in there too. I'm SO glad I don't have to worry about how to pack that stuff anymore!

[Dean]

I'm not sure what your avertion is to washing on vacation, but the in room laundry is one of our favorite parts of DVC! We pack very light (account for all types of weather conditions), and just wash as needed.

Also, have you ever experimented with just rolling clothes? If you like the roll bag idea, just lay all items out together. Roll like items, and they don't wrinkle as much. Sure, the "inside" item wrinkles a little, but for the most part, they are in much better shape than packing flat. For example" lay all the slacks or shorts on a pile and roll the whole pile. Do the same with T'shirts etc. I fell like it takes less space too, and if you buy a roll type duffle that is carry on size, it works pretty well.

Oh, and the OL saves us a LOT of packing! We have cosmetics and full size hair care items in there so we take virtually no liquids in our carry on, and that saves space and time at the airport too. DH even has an electric razor in our OL, and we have a curling iron etc in there too. I'm SO glad I don't have to worry about how to pack that stuff anymore!In her defense, washing when in a studio is an entirely different situation. I think it's silly to refuse to wash just to not wash but there is real time and effort involved when trying to wash at the laundry room when in a studio. It doesn't have to be overly difficult if you put some planning into it, esp if going to the pool during that time but I can see the issue for a studio.

[dianeschlicht]

In her defense, washing when in a studio is an entirely different situation. I think it's silly to refuse to wash just to not wash but there is real time and effort involved when trying to wash at the laundry room when in a studio. It doesn't have to be overly difficult if you put some planning into it, esp if going to the pool during that time but I can see the issue for a studio.

Yes, I agree that it is more difficult in a studio, and I likely wouldn't do it with children in a studio, but then I didn't buy DVC to stay in a "hotel room" either.

[CarolMN]

In her defense, washing when in a studio is an entirely different situation. I think it's silly to refuse to wash just to not wash but there is real time and effort involved when trying to wash at the laundry room when in a studio. It doesn't have to be overly difficult if you put some planning into it, esp if going to the pool during that time but I can see the issue for a studio.LOL, have you ever done laundry while at the pool? Good luck getting a machine - seems like everyone else wants to do it that way, too! :rotfl2:

I'm with Annie - if you are in a studio, laundry is a pain! It may not be overly difficult, but it's certainly not convenient! :)

I love the washer/dryer combo in the larger units. It's one of the reasons I don't want to book a studio, even though it's usually just the two of us. We don't commando anymore though, and spend some time in the room. DVC has spoiled us. :)

[Anal Annie]

LOL, have you ever done laundry while at the pool? Good luck getting a machine - seems like everyone else wants to do it that way, too! :rotfl2:

I'm with Annie - if you are in a studio, laundry is a pain! It may not be overly difficult, but it's certainly not convenient! :)

I love the washer/dryer combo in the larger units. It's one of the reasons I don't want to book a studio, even though it's usually just the two of us. We don't commando anymore though, and spend some time in the room. DVC has spoiled us. :)

We're just a family of 3 and are a little on the "points challenged" side of things. With the kitchenette we really don't consider it a "hotel room" either. When we stayed at CSR several years ago... THAT was a hotel room. We had an 8 min. walk to the eatery just to get a cup of coffee in the morning. THAT my friends is inconvenient and is one reason why we bought DVC. At least we can dawdle around in our villa with our breakfast etc. Seriously. NOT the same at all. And vacation to me is not to have to do the same old same old that I do at home. No dusting, no cooking and no laundry. I got a washer at home to that in. Let me go play while I'm visiting the mouse man!!!:grouphug:

The studios really suit us for point stretching too. We can go 2x a year in studios during basically any season we want VS only once per year for BARELY a week in a one bedroom. I think the 2 bedroom units are a far better value on the point charts as far as the larger units go. BUT, again, we spend almost every waking moment either at the parks or at the pools. We would much rather be able to go 2x a year than only once.


ANYWAY, we've gone WAY off topic from the space bags....I'm still looking for space bag users out there!!!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes:

[Deb & Bill]

Sorry, Annie, a studio is only a hotel room. If it doesn't have a king sized bed and a stand along shower, it's just a hotel room.

But you like what you like and so do we.

[Dean]

LOL, have you ever done laundry while at the pool? Good luck getting a machine - seems like everyone else wants to do it that way, too! :rotfl2:
We've done laundry many times in this manner but it has been a few years as we don't normally stay in a studio now days. SSR and OKW seems to be the easiest due to the set up by the pool.

[Mousewerks]

ANYWAY, we've gone WAY off topic from the space bags....I'm still looking for space bag users out there!!!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes:

I don't use space bags. I find no need. Eagle Creek (http://www.eaglecreek.com) makes Pack-It cubes and folders that work very well. You don't run into the weight issues because you don't compress the clothes as much. Compress them you do however and I find Eagle Creek's solutions sufficient for our family of 3.

I should note that I have no financial interest in Eagle Creek, I'm just a very happy user of their products.

[Anal Annie]

Sorry, Annie, a studio is only a hotel room. If it doesn't have a king sized bed and a stand along shower, it's just a hotel room.

But you like what you like and so do we.

:rotfl2: Oh it's a good thing you're not coming to visit me any time soon 'cuz both of our spare guestrooms only have queens and the hall bath that they share is a shower / tub combination! :hug: I guess maybe I'm just underprivileged bcuz I don't have a king size bed at home in our master bedroom either so I don't expect one on vacation either. :confused3 I will refer again to CSR where we had DOUBLE size beds when we stayed there on top of the 8 min. walk to get a cup of java. No frig. No coffee pot. No toaster. No microwave. Dinky double size beds. Spells hotel room to me!

While it's nice to have a king sometimes when we go away it's just simply not a requirement for us. DH and I are just fine with a queen. I'm 5'8" and about 125 Lbs and DH is only 5'10" and about 240 Lbs or so.... We fit just fine in a queen size bed. Now. What I DO miss when we travel is that at home we have a Select Comfort air bed!!! I LOVE my Select Comfort bed. THAT puppy I miss on vacation! I wouldn't care WHAT size it was if I could adjust it!!!! My back doesn't even hurt when we tent camp (about once a year) bcuz we sleep on an air mattress.

OK...space bags!! Who uses space bags!? Tell me about 'em!!!

[Anal Annie]

I don't use space bags. I find no need. Eagle Creek (http://www.eaglecreek.com) makes Pack-It cubes and folders that work very well. You don't run into the weight issues because you don't compress the clothes as much. Compress them you do however and I find Eagle Creek's solutions sufficient for our family of 3.

I should note that I have no financial interest in Eagle Creek, I'm just a very happy user of their products.

I looked at some cube thingys somewhere...a luggage store at the mall I think. I didn't think they'd solve me. Hummmmmmmmm.

[Mousewerks]

I looked at some cube thingys somewhere...a luggage store at the mall I think. I didn't think they'd solve me. Hummmmmmmmm.

I should point out that I used to travel for business fairly often and only did carry-on when I flew.

[BWV Dreamin]

LOL, have you ever done laundry while at the pool? Good luck getting a machine - seems like everyone else wants to do it that way, too! :rotfl2:

I'm with Annie - if you are in a studio, laundry is a pain! It may not be overly difficult, but it's certainly not convenient! :)

I love the washer/dryer combo in the larger units. It's one of the reasons I don't want to book a studio, even though it's usually just the two of us. We don't commando anymore though, and spend some time in the room. DVC has spoiled us. :)
Laundry at Vero Beach is not fun. They have 6 dryers and 2 washers!:confused3 And then there are the perverbial " I am going to take up both washers to do my wash and not come back for 3 hours" people. It was not pretty my last go round in that laundry room......:sad2:

[Tara]

Since you are experimenting, you might want to try bundle wrapping packing. It's pretty simple and I think will leave your clothes a lot less wrinkled than space bags, but take up less space than the way you're already packing.

http://lifehacker.com/software/travel/pack-like-a-pro-with-the-bundled-wrapping-method-301435.php

Oh wow - I'm so glad I responded to this, cause I've been trying to find a video of this method that I'd seen before but forgotten to bookmark, and this time I came up with the right search terms! Here it is - this is great!

http://www.viddler.com/explore/hackcollege/videos/51/

[Anal Annie]

I don't use space bags. I find no need. Eagle Creek (http://www.eaglecreek.com) makes Pack-It cubes and folders that work very well. You don't run into the weight issues because you don't compress the clothes as much. Compress them you do however and I find Eagle Creek's solutions sufficient for our family of 3.

I should note that I have no financial interest in Eagle Creek, I'm just a very happy user of their products.

OK! NEW obsession!!! Tell me more about them PLEASE!!

I just looked at your link & went to the Ebags website from there (I've ordered from them before & have been very happy.) They have their brand or whatever in a "close-out" set (ugly burnt orange but I don't care about that so much) for $17.99!!! Nicer, more normal colors are $29.99 / set. This set is for 1 ea. of their sm., med. & lg. sizes. Sm is 11x6.75x3. Med is 13.75x9.75x3 and Lg. is 17.5x12.75x3.25 http://www.ebags.com/search/index.cfm?fuseaction=searching&ModelIDList=115846,133541,133549,13032,48438,48439 ,133538,133545,93507,107842&N=4001+20014520&merchBlock=bestSellers

So I just went to measure the inside of all my bags with a tape measure.:rotfl2: My "spinner" carry-on is a funny shape (larger at the bottom than at the top) so I THINK with some shoving I could get 2 larges in it - the top narrows enough to cut it close. I KNOW I can get 2 larges in my other old fashioned carry-on. The duffle we'd most likely use as a carry-on would only take the mediums I think. But could hold like 3 of that size & possibly a small. But so when you say you use these cubes how MANY of them do you use per person for a week??? I mean, how many would I need?? It does not seem like 1 "set" per person would be enough. My LARGEST duffle could hold several of the larges... Oh MY!! :rotfl: OK, and I've never rolled clothes to pack although I've heard it's efficient & Diane suggested it too... What sizes of these things do you use and about how many things can you get in them?? What if it was WINTER and you were packing bulkier items? Have you done jackets / fleece / jeans?????

Tell me more! Tell me more!!! Can't you just HEAR my mind racing a mile a minute!?:rotfl2: I guess I should practice rolling now?!:rolleyes:

[Anal Annie]

Since you are experimenting, you might want to try bundle wrapping packing. It's pretty simple and I think will leave your clothes a lot less wrinkled than space bags, but take up less space than the way you're already packing.

http://lifehacker.com/software/travel/pack-like-a-pro-with-the-bundled-wrapping-method-301435.php

Oh wow - I'm so glad I responded to this, cause I've been trying to find a video of this method that I'd seen before but forgotten to bookmark, and this time I came up with the right search terms! Here it is - this is great!

http://www.viddler.com/explore/hackcollege/videos/51/

:rotfl2::lmao: OK that video was funny! I would be wanting what was in the middle! I can see how that works out really well for some people, except I sorta in all of my lengthy posts forgot to mention that we don't usually unpack all the way on vacation! :rotfl::lmao: OOPS!! (I would HAVE to clean & sanitize the drawers & everything etc. in order to my stuff where your stuff has been! Nothing personal ya know...it's just an "eewww" thing for me. We get there and we HEAD STRAIGHT OUT. I never have ever taken time to "move in" on vacation. I'm tellin' ya we spend almost NO TIME in our villa! Plus I always figured leaving everything packed was 1/2 of the way toward re-packing to go home! :rotfl2: So that's another "issue" with the space bags...I would have to unpack them. The CUBES however look neat 'cuz I could still stay packed AND see all my stuff!! :rolleyes:

I know...I'm a real wreck!!:lmao:

[Tara]

:rotfl2::lmao: OK that video was funny! I would be wanting what was in the middle! I can see how that works out really well for some people, except I sorta in all of my lengthy posts forgot to mention that we don't usually unpack all the way on vacation! :rotfl::lmao: OOPS!! (I would HAVE to clean & sanitize the drawers & everything etc. in order to my stuff where your stuff has been! Nothing personal ya know...it's just an "eewww" thing for me. We get there and we HEAD STRAIGHT OUT. I never have ever taken time to "move in" on vacation. I'm tellin' ya we spend almost NO TIME in our villa! Plus I always figured leaving everything packed was 1/2 of the way toward re-packing to go home! :rotfl2: So that's another "issue" with the space bags...I would have to unpack them. The CUBES however look neat 'cuz I could still stay packed AND see all my stuff!! :rolleyes:

I know...I'm a real wreck!!:lmao:

Annie, we are all learning SO much about you. :rotfl2: :goodvibes

I have a feeling that your OL list is a work of art - I'd love to see it! The Eagle Creek cubes are nice and they might work for you...but I also think careful packing can work just as well. In fact, I think your current method might work best for you since you have to figure in both the ironing issues and your germ/not unpacking issues. Plus you can put the money you save in not buying more space bags or packing cubes toward your OL membership. ;)

[tea pot]

I'm just loving this thread.... :)
You must be a Quality Assurance /Infection Control Nurse. If not think about it you'd be great..
I was a little lost with the OL :confused3 I thought you were talking about overhead luggage :lmao: Just me..
We are leaving in two weeks for a 9 night stay in a studio at the BCV and I do agree doing laundry is a pain in a studio.. but with just DH and I... I'd rather save my points and go again in Dec. I also second that a Studio is not a Hotel room...especially if you can make your tea in your room... and
Funny I only iron on vacation...go figure..
Tara thanks for the great video I think I'm going to try that bundle thing...
Well all the best to you and have a great Vacation... :wizard:

P.S. Annie what do you do with the Bedspread????

[Anal Annie]

:rotfl: I'm sure ya'll ARE learning more than you ever wanted to know about me from this thread! But oh well...kinda ties into my screen name & tag too...I really can't help myself sometimes!:goodvibes

Tea Pot - I'm currently unemployed but if I had a QA job I'd probably get fired 'cuz I would be so strict that nothing would pass inspection! They'd get tired of me rejecting stuff!! :rotfl: I HAVE had some pretty tedious jobs tho where I looked for other peoples problems & mistakes. Anyway...I don't completely remove the bedspreads but I will fold them over & back down to the bottom of the bed.

[Deb & Bill]

:rotfl: I'm sure ya'll ARE learning more than you ever wanted to know about me from this thread! But oh well...kinda ties into my screen name & tag too...I really can't help myself sometimes!:goodvibes

Tea Pot - I'm currently unemployed but if I had a QA job I'd probably get fired 'cuz I would be so strict that nothing would pass inspection! They'd get tired of me rejecting stuff!! :rotfl: I HAVE had some pretty tedious jobs tho where I looked for other peoples problems & mistakes. Anyway...I don't completely remove the bedspreads but I will fold them over & back down to the bottom of the bed.

So your name really fits. ;)

[buzz5985]

I have stayed in many studios and have used the laundry. I tend to go very late at night. I don't sleep a lot. LOL I'm a little weird about going on vacation. When I leave for vacation - my house is spotless. It's sell your house clean. LOL Just so I can walk into a nice clean house and relax after vacation. I also bring back all clean clothes that can be put right away. So I don't have to do laundry when I get home. When I get back from vacation I want 1 day to do absolutely nothing. House is clean, clothes are washed. I know it's a strange quirk.

That being said LOL. I highly recommend Downey Wrinkle Release. Hang your clothes, spray, tug. Wrinkles disappear. Or if you have a dryer - throw all your clothes in the dryer with a wet face cloth, put it on wrinkle release. All done.

[polynor]

OP -- I used the non-vacuum space bags this past December on a 3 week trip to Taiwan. I didn't care about wrinkles (they were all casual clothes) but I don't think we had too many -- I would roll or fold the shirts and pants before putting them in the bag and then rolled the bag.
When I rolled the bag properly and made sure the bag was sealed, we didn't have any leaks.
What I found them really useful for was to categorize the clothings (mine, husband, son) and then create "day sets" so I only had to open one bag for each day. It did save some space -- but the bags are on the heavier side -- so the suitcase with the clothes had nothing else (no toiletries, books, etc that would be denser than clothes) to keep it under the weight limit.

buzz5985 -- I do the same -- I go into a cleaning mode before we leave. Drives my husband nuts.

[Anal Annie]

:rotfl: You guys are not alone...I think MOST of us like to come home to a clean house! I think that it's just that you know that when you get home you have to unpack, sort out the dirty laundry, go thru the mail etc. You just don't want to think about running the vacuum first thing. It's hard enough just to be home and know that the vacation that you looked forward to for so long is over already!

[Dean]

:rotfl: It's hard enough just to be home and know that the vacation that you looked forward to for so long is over already!I find that having other things booked and/or in the planning stages significantly lessens the post vacation blues that we used to get. We're generally in the active planning stages for at least 1 to 2 trips by the time we take a given trip now. We also find that by having the washing done, keeping up with emails and the like also significantly lessens the work load and stress when we return.

[jdvm]

Can you imagine what a great salesperson Annie will be if she talks hubby into an Owner's Locker and they both like it?!? can't wait.
John

[Anal Annie]

Can you imagine what a great salesperson Annie will be if she talks hubby into an Owner's Locker and they both like it?!? can't wait.
John

I DID IT!!!!!!!:rotfl: I finally showed him my pretend OL box just a little while ago...well, I didn't go thru all of the contents one by one with him but I showed him my 3 page list of everything that's in it! He gave me that "You're just not gonna drop this are you" look, shook his head and finally conceeded that it might work after I said over & over it's 30 Lbs worth of stuff!.:rolleyes1
:woohoo: :banana: :yay:

THEN after I won that one I proceeded to show him all about the packing cubes!:lmao: He LOL at me! Of course. :rolleyes: He was like "you want to buy these things to pack into the suitcases?" Of course his voice had "that tone" to it. But I'm tough. He couldn't break me with just that.:rotfl: I had printed out pictures of them and I showed him these ugly "burnt orange" colored ones that were on clearance. He was like these are 55% off just because of the color? So of course I'd saved them in my cart on Ebags.com so I showed him where it plainly said "color clearance"!:rotfl: I pointed out that this would help us a lot in the studios bcuz I never unpack & move in 'cuz of that "heebie jeebie my stuff & your stuff" phobia...so I said this way I can just fold the tops back & put the cubes into the drawers w/o unpacking them and we can put the suitcases away & have more room! He liked THAT idea!! So I got the approval on both plans!!:dance3: I think I will keep the "space bags" for misc. uses...perhaps socks & undies & bathing suits and / or dirty laundry. But they really were going to create more wrinkles than I wanted to deal with.

I will sign up & do all of my ordering tomorrow...right now I have to go watch the Apprentice! But Yay! I have succeeded!:upsidedow

[jdvm]

good stuff, Annie...I knew you could do it!
j

[Mousewerks]

OK! NEW obsession!!! Tell me more about them PLEASE!!

I mean, how many would I need?? It does not seem like 1 "set" per person would be enough. My LARGEST duffle could hold several of the larges... Oh MY!! :rotfl: OK, and I've never rolled clothes to pack although I've heard it's efficient & Diane suggested it too... What sizes of these things do you use and about how many things can you get in them?? What if it was WINTER and you were packing bulkier items? Have you done jackets / fleece / jeans?????

Tell me more! Tell me more!!! Can't you just HEAR my mind racing a mile a minute!?:rotfl2: I guess I should practice rolling now?!:rolleyes:

Might be anti-climactic at this point but I don't use the cubes exclusively. I use a half-cube for my socks, underwear and t-shirts. Usually a belt goes in there as well. I use a folder for button shirts, polos, jeans, khakis etc. I have packed bulky things like winter sweaters and such in the folders. Now, you can't look into the folders to see what's in 'em but I have been known to throw both the cubes and the folders into drawers fully packed because it's so nicely packed. I know that one folder and one half cube will pack me for five days with no problem.

I also want to say that I do pack dirty clothes back into my folders and cubes. I haven't often traveled to places that offered the opportunity to wash clothes so I have no choice. Packing though is nice because you know that everything can fit.

But as you've purchased stuff already, good luck with things. Keep us informed as to how things worked for you.

[robinb]

This cracks me up ... I have a full assortment of Eagle Creek cubes too :). I use them for undies and socks. It keeps them all in one place instead of scattered all over the bag. I also tried the "folders" that didn't work out as well.