How do you pack when flying?

[FLYNZ4]

As far as the space bags, the ones you suck the air out of, we used these for one trip (and we had the car !), but the vacuums in the villas are all uprights and don't have the "suction" hose so there's a problem with packing the stuff up for the trip home if flying. With the car it wasn't too much of a problem.

Here is a quote from www.onebag.com in discussing their prefered "bundle method" rather than "folding and stacking" or vacuum packing. I travel for biz almost every week... and I don't worry about wrinkled suits, shirts, etc.

Another advantage of this approach is that it reduces the overall volume of your packed clothing to a considerably smaller size than simply "folding & stacking", or resorting to the use of the vacuum-bagging products promoted by some (which, if you think about it, actually increase your packing bulk, rather than diminish it, and add to the weight as well).​

/Jim

 

[Starr W.]

Here is a quote from www.onebag.com in discussing their prefered "bundle method" rather than "folding and stacking" or vacuum packing. I travel for biz almost every week... and I don't worry about wrinkled suits, shirts, etc.

Another advantage of this approach is that it reduces the overall volume of your packed clothing to a considerably smaller size than simply "folding & stacking", or resorting to the use of the vacuum-bagging products promoted by some (which, if you think about it, actually increase your packing bulk, rather than diminish it, and add to the weight as well).​

/Jim

DH found that site before he headed off on an 10 day trip to Europe. He tried the "bundle method", and it worked well with dress shirts and pants.

I tried the the space bags once(driving trip) and it was a bigger pain than it was worth.

Like Jim said you have to be careful with the space bags, make sure you weigh your suitcase at home. I think it's cheaper to pay the extra bag fee than get hit with the overweight charge.

Saw someone if front of me at NWA get nailed for over $150 for 3 overweight bags(and this was 2 yrs ago, I'm sure they have increase the fee by now).


Off to pack! We're leaving for Park City tommorrow(and the weather forecast is proving just as challenging as WDW in January).

 

[K9pal]

I can use the backpack (it's a fabric VB bag) as a purse and carry it on along with a carry on piece of luggage, correct?

I like to take a small purse, but a backpack counts as a "personal item" in addition to your one carry on. And that gives you more packing space. So... I just put my purse in the backpack until I get on the plane. Backpack can be put under the seat in front of you, so you don't have to hoist it into the overhead bin.

I also use the very large ziploc bags for our clothes - just roll the items up (no wrinkles that way!), put them in the bags, then squeeze while you're sealing. You'll be amazed at how much you can fit in one bag that way. I also wear 'water shorts', which are made of lightweight supplex and take up very little room. Bonuses: they dry quickly and have LOTS of pockets.

Use every bit of room in your suitcase - pack stuff inside shoes, etc. Put everything in the smallest container. For example, we take ibuprofen with us, but I put it in a little sample size container and label it. I measure individual size loads of laundry detergent (the dry kind) and put them in small ziploc bags. Bonus: Your clothes smell great when you arrive.

Packing has become an art with me!

 

[Cinderpals]

I've learned to pack light! We each have our own piece of medium sized luggage. I usually pack enough for 5 days, then do laundry mid-trip if staying longer. I usually buy small box of tide in dvc store. After putting outfits together, I roll them before packing them. Ponchos rolled up tight with rubber band around it goes into bottom of backback. Small pouch with meds tylenol, cold medicine, allergy pills etc neosporin bandaids, shampoo goes into luggage. I pack extra pair of shoes inside kitchen garbage bag doubles as laundry bag for travel home. We usually don't buy a lot while down there, but when we had one Christmas, I mailed everythng back home using BWV conference mail room and a nearby post office. US Priority flat-rate boxes were great!

 

[Starr W.]

Finished packing for Park City. One medium and 2 small suitcases. 4 people, one week.

 

[tink4ever]

We leave in 4 days for HRH and then VWL and I am stressing over the way my Dkids pack. My DD is 21, DS is 19, DS is 15 and DGF is 19 and they insist on bringing everything. I let them each have one medium bag and 1 carry on small shoulder bag but I am always afraid we will get to the airport and they will weigh over 50 lbs!Oh well wish me luck.

 

[dgaston]

"2 pairs of "summer" pj's"

For only 4 days I would get by on 1 pair of pjs or if I needed to I would wash them out. You also have 6 tops plus 1 sweater for the 4 days.

 

[FLYNZ4]

Also shoes are a KILLER! I do the entire weekly plan around shoes! LOL! So take one pair and wear a pair. If that cute outfit only works with "special" shoes LEAVE IT at home!

Carol,

I think this is great advice. I hate it when I need to take a second pair of shoes for biz travel. I generally only do so when I wear a suit... and mostly that is for my interenational trips. Most US trips I can wear biz casual.

DW and DD26 just told me about "one sole shoes". http://www.onesole.com/ I have no idea if they are good... but it is an interesting concept... although probably not for WDW (but then I am not a woman's shoe comfort specialist).

/Jim

 

[PinkTink63]

Thanks

"new to packing tight" is an understatment! I am an OVERPACKER big time and so is my daughter. My DH packs lightly as far as clothes go, but he takes the entire medicine cabinet - it's very funny really because we may not have used the cold medicine in 6 months, but still it goes into the bag

I'll have to let him pack it all up and then go through it when he isn't looking to remove most of the stuff! Have you ever shipped anything down? I'm thinking the shampoo, etc can be put in a box and sent UPS.

Thanks again

I have always been an OVERPACKER too! I'm getting better at it though! We have got it down to 1 bag each. We always stay at least 2 1/2 weeks and this year we will be there for 3 weeks. What really helps me are these packing cubes from ebags.
http://www.ebags.com/ebags/packing_cubes_3pc_set/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=13032
I absolutely LOVE these and cannot travel without them anymore! We each have a set and they hold quite a bit. Things stay organized in them. Most of all, my husband and son do not dig through my stuff anymore looking for something to wear! Also, try to take travel sizes in your toiletries and medicine box. (For instance, I always bring bandaids and such, but I don't take the whole box, I just put a few in a ziplock baggie!)

 

[Hibernians]

There are 6 of us in my family, me, my wife and 4 small kids under age 10. For our past 3 trips we have shipped ahead a box of dry goods - this usually includes boxes of cereal, granola bars, rice cakes, coffee, etc. These are things we will have for breakfast or snack on later in the day. Its relatively inexpensive to ship this from Massachusetts and the hotel will always hold it until we arrive.

We definitely use the laundry in our villa and try not to carry too much luggage since its always me and my DW who ends up carrying it all !

Someone made a good point about shoes - and I agreee, shoes and sneakers can take up a lot of room inthe suitcases. We have learned to wear sneakers on the plane and pack the sandals; they take up less room and every little bit helps.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

A word to the wise. Pack at least one complete outfit in a different suitcase. Example pack one of your outfits in your husband suit case and one of his outfits in your suitcase that way if for whatever reason one of the suit cases gets lost you will at least have a clean out fit for the next day. Which should be enough time for the missing suit case to reappear!

If space in an issue you can always do laundry. I know I know you are on vacation. Most of the laundry rooms at the resorts are very close to the resort pools so you can do laundry and spend time at the pool. Plus the laundry rooms have multiple washers and dryers so you can do 2 or 3 loads at one time. It usually takes about 1 1/2 hours to do our laundry. So if you are hanging out by the pool you really are not wasting and vacation time by doing laundry!

I am only packing 5 outfits for our 10 day visit and plan to do laundry coupled with lunch while staying at the SSR. The laundry room closest to the Rock Springs pool and the Artist point has lots of machines.

 

[DeeCee735]

"2 pairs of "summer" pj's"

For only 4 days I would get by on 1 pair of pjs or if I needed to I would wash them out. You also have 6 tops plus 1 sweater for the 4 days.

Absolutely, I will definitely change for dinner, and if it's really hot, I'll need to change during the day. These shirts are very light tanks should roll up to fit into one or two large ziplocs, the pj's - one pair pants, two tops, should work great for a carry on and a back pack. I refuse to do laundry for just me on a 4 day, maybe if I had the one bedroom, but not this trip.