Do any of you use hanging garment bags?

[Mickeyhugger]

Or are they more trouble than they're worth?

This'll be our 3rd DCL venture, and on the past two I've gently folded DD's and my dresses.

I guess I don't really have any complaints, but I just wonder if it would eliminate some of the unpacking time? As 9 yo DD grows, so do her dress lengths.

I'd never used them before (as I've never really taken dresses on a vacation till I became a 'cruiser'), but DH says his mother took dresses one time in a garment bag, and said it was just as well to pack them, as the bags are still folded over.

I just have this fear of the garment bag itself getting lost, and not having our fun dresses to wear.

I don't think garment bags can be carried on planes anymore?

Thanks!

 

[SeaSpray]

This is a good question! I didn't realize that we might not be able to carry on our garment bags, on the plane. When we cruised this past summer we sailed out of NYC and didn't have to fly, so I never gave it a thought.

How do all of you pack/carry your suits and dresses when you have to fly????

 

[Michelemouse]

I had the porters take two garment bags on our last cruise and all of our clothes made it through perfectly. They use carts that have a place to hang things so the bags didn't need to be folded at all.

We used regular, inexpensive bags that you can get at WalMart, KMart, etc. and I securely taped a luggage tag to each. It worked great and I will do the same on our cruise this year.

 

[alexandrew]

For 3 and 4 day cruises,I actually carry my entire cruise wardrobe in my garment bag....I hang my suit and dress shirts, and put underwear, socks, pair of dress shoes, t-shirts, shorts and bathing suits in the various pockets....

 

[alexandrew]

For 3 and 4 day cruises,I actually carry my entire cruise wardrobe in my garment bag....I hang my suit and dress shirts, and put underwear, socks, pair of dress shoes, t-shirts, shorts and bathing suits in the various pockets....

 

[RieannSG]

On this last cruise (Christmas 2003), we took 2 garment bags. Between my dresses and skirts, the same for 2 DDs and my DH's tux, we needed them. I understand what you're saying about the garment bags being folded anyway and some of my items (I'm tall) had to be folded to go in the bag, but it is still much easier to take them out of the garment bag--already on a hanger--and then put them straight into the closet. We even brought along some extra wire hangers to hang things packed in suit cases. I had a full-length taffeta-type skirt that I sent out to be ironed the minute I unpacked and then we were fine (I didn't even bother to iron it before we left because I fgured--what's the point). My DH sent his two dress shirts out for ironing too and the whole thing cost us $5 I believe.

We also filled in the corners (above the hangers) of the garment bags with shoes and dress purses so they were handy as an additional suitcase. You cannot carry garment bags on the airplanes anymore (I remember when we used to do that) but most of todays bags are made to fold, close, and lock like suticases. The better of our 2 garment bags even has wheels. We also bought ours at Kohls and Walmart, so not a great expense.

One last suggestion is to put each item (or two) in a cleaners bag and then into the garment bag--it helps cut down on wrinkles and doesn't take up a lot of extra room. What few wrinkles you get can hang out in a day or so.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Thank you for the helpful tips.

I'll go check Kohl's and WalMart tomorrow!