Vaccuum packer question...

[CRSNDSNY]

Does anyone know where I can purchase those plastic bags that you can pack clothing and other items where you suck the air out with a vaccuum, therefore creating more room in your suitcase?

Does anyone know what I am talking about? LOL

 

[4fireworks]

They are called SpaceBags where I live, but I've seen other ones also. They are the BEST!!! I have an entire house worth of comforters ,blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, sheets,etc on 1 shelf in a closet!!
You should be able to get them anywhere, I got mine at Lowes, and Walmart has them too, but they were more $.
However if you are planning on taking them with you on vacation, remember you have to take your vaccum along with you, and I'm not sure you'd want to do that. It's best if you get the kind that you roll out the air, they aren't as "flat" when you get done, but they'll help enough to make a difference.
I actually got some free roll ones in the vaccum ones that I bought as a bonus

 

[CRSNDSNY]

But it doesn't really matter what type of vaccuum we use, right? If I had access to one in a DVC villa, that's all I'd need?

 

[eab]

QVC has bags that you do not need a vacuum for. You just roll it up. It was amazing how much they fit in a big bag. I was thinking about getting some. aw:

 

[Servants of Evan]

In short, I doubt highly a vacuum (cleaner) would efffectively work. Typically, there are vacuums and then their are vacuum PUMPS. I can't recall ever seeing a household vacuum being advertised by how many inches of mercury it will pull. (0" is regular atmospheric pressure and 29.9" is a perfect vacuum). You're much more likely to burn out the motor of a household vacuum than you are to be successful in your "remove all or even most of the air" experiment.

Sorry, but I'd rather just tell you than have you wonder why the Hoover just smoked...

Servants of Evan

 

[Me&Mic]

I bought a pack of 5 at Linens N Things or Bed Bath and Beyond. We used a household vac to remove the air. We have had limited success. You can't pack too much into the bag. When they work, they are GREAT. When they don't they are just like big garbage bags.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

In short, I doubt highly a vacuum (cleaner) would efffectively work. Typically, there are vacuums and then their are vacuum PUMPS. I can't recall ever seeing a household vacuum being advertised by how many inches of mercury it will pull. (0" is regular atmospheric pressure and 29.9" is a perfect vacuum). You're much more likely to burn out the motor of a household vacuum than you are to be successful in your "remove all or even most of the air" experiment.

Sorry, but I'd rather just tell you than have you wonder why the Hoover just smoked...

Servants of Evan

You have me totally confused. I'm just talking about the vaccuum sucking out the air from a bag. Please explain what you are talking about because perhaps I'm missing some piece of information about these contraptions.

 

[Suzanne74]

I have bought them at Bed Bath and Beyond and they work AWESOME and yes you can use your villa vacuum - we did this when we stayed in OKW. It saved us a TON of room when packing. It is great because you can clean the clothes before you go home too (if you want to) at the villa.We did a load every other night so I didn't have to do any laundry when we got home Oh I miss that villa stay!!

Do not overstuff it though and seal it carefully.

Use a 20% off coupon and buy in store!!
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=106235

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Great to hear! I am going to go to BB&Beyond after work today and use that coupon. It woudln't hurt to try and it will probably help us in the longrun. thanks for the advice and help!!!

 

[4fireworks]

You have me totally confused. I'm just talking about the vaccuum sucking out the air from a bag. Please explain what you are talking about because perhaps I'm missing some piece of information about these contraptions.

If you have a vaccum that has a hose attachment, you will be able to use them at home, and at your villa. I have a shop vac that I used b/c my regular vaccum does not have a hose. When I bought the space bags, I had wanted to take them with us, and my DH reminded me that we wouldn't want to take our shop vac with us to WDW
If you have acccess to a hose that's wonderful, and I would most definitley use them!!!! That will save sooo much room in your luggage!!
I'm jealous

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Bought the bags yesterday...I'll test them out this weekend!
Thank you everyone for all of your help!

 

[swilshire]

We bought about a dozen of the ones that don't require a vacuum when we went to London with the HS band. We were limited to one bag each, so they were a lifesaver. You just roll them up to squeeze the air out after you get them full. My teenage son got very good at this.

One of the ones we bought stopped holding a seal, so I'd buy a couple of extra and throw them in the bag. We got some at the Samsonite Outlet Store and some at the Coleman Outlet. They were about the same price, but they had different sizes.

They were especially nice for packing the dirty clothes on the trip back. They compress things like fleece quite a bit. Things like jeans, socks and underwear don't really get any smaller.

Sheila

 

[CRSNDSNY]

They were especially nice for packing the dirty clothes on the trip back. Sheila

Good point! They probably do a lot to keep the stink of dirty clothes away from clean ones.

 

[fran99999]

Please remember the airlines have weight limits for luggage. I dont want you to pack to the gills then get to the airport and have to pay an arm and a leg just to get on the plane.

Watch the weight limits. I would rather pack 3 light suitcases with 2 people than 1 heavy and get charged $50 to get it on the plane.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Please remember the airlines have weight limits for luggage. I dont want you to pack to the gills then get to the airport and have to pay an arm and a leg just to get on the plane.

Watch the weight limits. I would rather pack 3 light suitcases with 2 people than 1 heavy and get charged $50 to get it on the plane.

Good point. I think airtran is 50lbs. We'll weigh them as we pack to be sure we aren't exceeding the limit.

 

[marathonmommy]

I think that's all a scam (50 lb. weight limit). A skycab at EWR said mine was over 50. He took it over to his scale and said it weighed 60 pounds. I told him if I knew this would be a problem, I would have packed two smaller suitcases that weighed even more in total. He told me to just take out a couple of things and put them in my carryon. I did - but not 10 pounds worth. He took his tip and my bag. On the way home from MCO, I packed the same bag plus souvenirs and had NO problems and no extra charges. Total crap! I will pack two smaller bags though next time just to avoid the hassle. Also, I packed my children clothes in gallon size ziplocs. I pushed the air out myself when closing them and it worked just as well.

 

[Martha7]

I use the bags that you roll the air out of also, and love them! On our last trip to WDW in April, I was so careful about the weight of our bags on Spirit, and my DH pointed out the many enormous bags coming off of the luggage carousel when we got home to DTW. There's no way that those bags were less than 50 pounds, although, to be fair, we don't know if those people were charged for the excess weight...