I got my first packing folders and packing cubes from ebags.com which are a little expensive, but one day I was in TJ Maxx and happened to see some Eagle Creek packing folders and cubes for alot cheaper than the ones from Ebags.com. I stocked up on them and now have them to mix and match depending on the length of the trip, what I'm packing, and who may be going with me. I also saw some on clearance when our local Samsonite Outlet went out of business. So you can find them alot cheaper sometimes.
I arrange my outfits on hangers and place them in the order I plan on wearing them before I ever start packing. When I start to pack into the packing folder, I start with the the extra outfit, then pack the last day's outfit, then the next to the last day and so on, so that when I'm finished all of my outfits will be in the order that I'll be wearing them with the first day's on top, then the second day's, and so on. Once I get to the resort and into the room, I either slide the stack of clothes directly onto the shelf above the closet keeping them in order, or sometimes depending on how many people are going to be in the room with me, I carry a small, flat, folding shelving unit that I hang in the closet and then place the outfits still together and still in order onto the shelves. With the shelving unit I can hang nine days worth of outfits using only about 12" of the closet rod. Here's the one I used:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-6-Shelf-Organizer/15566813
As long as the velcro will catch, those things will stay closed, so you can really stuff them. I then pack nine days worth of panties and a nightgown in a slim packing cube and a week's worth of bras in another slim packing cube. If I need socks for the trip I'll pack nine pairs into a third slim cube. I use a Vera Bradley toiletry bag for travel size toiletries, a Vera Bradley trip kit for several cans of sunscreen, a Vera Bradly Kiss and Make up bag for makeup brushes and tiny travel size makeup items, a VB tech case for phone and battery chargers, another VB tech case for my camera, a VB coin purse for my MP3 player and charger, and a small packing cube for miscellaneous items that I don't want loose in my bag. I then fold any extra clothes I might want to carry into a 20" packing folder that I drop into the bottom of my checked bag. I keep a dryer sheet in both packing folders and in each suitcase to keep everything smelling fresh. Every night when I get back from the parks I repack my clothes (including underclothes), back into the 20" folder using the packing guide to do so. That way at the end of the week everything is already repacked (and squished nice and flat) and all I have to do is drop the empty 18" packing folder and the empty slim cubes into the bottom of my checked bag, with the 20" packing folder which is full of dirty clothes on top. My carry on will now have room to bring back any souvineers and when I get home all I have to do is drop the 20" packing folder full of dirty clothes into the laundry basket, wash off the packing folders and replace the laundry sheet with a new one, to wait until my next trip. I also replace the stuff in the toiletry bag and rehang it in the closet to be ready for the next trip. It makes packing and unpacking a breeze. I like that using the 18" packing folder I can easily carry a week's worth of outfits, plus my underclothes, camera, MP3 player, and cell phone in my carry on. My checked bag will have very little in it going down there, but will be full (but still underweight) coming home, leaving my carry on almost empty for souvineers.
