Bundle Packing?

[christina_haws]

I think there was a thread about this before, but I hadn't tried it until today. Does anyone else pack this way? I can't explain it as well as the One Back Packing Technique: http://www.oratory.com/onebag/pack.html but I thought I would share what I got into my small rolling carry-on with a little room to spare:

 

1 corduroy jacket

1 hawaiian skirt

1 pair denim capris

2 lined crepe skirts

4 silk tops

1 camisole

2 campshirts

1 large fleece wrap

1 t-shirt

3 tanktops

1 dressy top

1 pair of water shoes

3 pairs of sandals

1 pair formal shoes

1 bathing suit

 

I'm waiting for 2 pairs of capris and 2 casual dresses to arrive in the mail and I think I'll be able to fit them in as well. I'll put my toiletries, jewelry etc in my shoulder carry-on and the formals will go in the garment bag with the suits.

 

Does anyone know about the wrinkle factor when packing this way? I'm going to take it all out for now since I don't need to be packed for 10 days. I think I'm going to try packing all the same things the traditional way and see which one really works better, but bundling is very easy!

 

Christina

[LandLockedInAZ]

Wow- interesting concept and I'd never heard of it before, at least not called by this name.

Anyway, obviously I have not tried it, but I am so in love with my own personal method of packing that, wrinkles or not, I am not inclined to make any changes.

I pack by outfit in very large (2 gal.) zipper bags. I am able to fit all the items I need for that day, down to matching socks, underwear that will work with that outfit and even jewelry in the one convenient pouch. I find this keeps me organized as to how many days worth of clothing I have and is super easy to unpack into drawers when I get on the ship. If I'm traveling on land and moving from one location to the next from day to day, it also helps keep my luggage from turning into a giant mess because I just pull out one day's worth at a time and don't have to riffle through everything to find the correct pair of socks that will coordinate with that day's outfit.

Since you like the idea of bundle wrapping and have some time before you need to do your packing for real, you might want to just leave it all in your suitcase for a day or two, then pull it out and see how the wrinkle factor is.

[christina_haws]

That's a good idea ... Maybe I will leave it for a day or two. I haven't totally decided whether I want the silk tops in the bundle because if they wrinkle they're harder to get straightened out again.

 

I've read about using the ziplocks here on the boards and it's an interesting idea. Since I do have time, maybe I'll experiement with ziplocks too. Then I can decide which method I like the best.

[nugsmom]

This type of packing is used very frequently in the military. I remember it well! I have used it for packing for cruises, and it really does save space. I've never really had a problem with wrinkling either! We packed my son's clothes like this when he took his European trip his junior year of high school, and he was able to pack so much more than he would have been otherwise.

[christina_haws]

Thank you for the information about wrinkling ... I was sort of afraid to leave it there too long because I didn't want to have to iron everything (I'm really bad at that!). We might be driving from Nashville to Ft Lauderdale instead of flying, so the space in the car might make it necessary to bundle, but it might not be an issue if we rent something larger.

 

I've had my wardrobe basically ready for about 2 weeks, but my brother still needs to find a suit for formal nights and some other informal things. (Sometimes it irks me that guys can wait so long, and still find something that fits perfectly!) We'll do a little more shopping in Florida for him, and I can't find a pair of capris in this town to save my life, so I'll look for some there.

 

We're starting to get very excited, we leave on the Costa Atlantica 1/16/04 ... we start driving on Thursday :)

[Ace4th]

I used bundle packing on my last 2 trips to England. The only problem I have ever found with it is that I get too much in my backpack. I'm 55 and my DH and I decided to travel the way our kids do to Europe ..... carry everything in a backpack. It was great for getting on and off trains and walking through the villages to the B&B's. I will never go any other way.

 

I find that when done correctly, there are almost no wrinkles. One suggestion, if you have a fleece wrap .... don't include it in your bundle. Put the fleece in a space bag or 2 gallon zip-lock and then press out all the air. It will take up a lot less room. I put all my undies in a zip-lock. I would start with all the skirts - then anything long-sleeved - then short sleeved and so on. Smooth each item as you place it in the stack. The folded stack should just fit your suitcase with room around the edge for shoes.

 

It is a great way to pack when you need to conserve space with the new airline rules. You can get more in your bag, so be careful about the weight.

This is not a good system when you will not be totally unpacking your suitcase for several days. You cannot get to items without undoing the entire bundle.

 

Greatest advantage is more items in less space AND almost no wrinkles.

[midwife56]

nugsmom....how did you come up with that name? My son's nickname has been "nug" since he was an infant. Now he is 16 and heaven forbid we call him that in front of his friends. Just curious.

[christina_haws]

Thanks for all the great tips! I might just leave the wrap at home rather than pack it, but I haven't decided yet ... It might be nice to have along.

 

Luckily (?) we aren't flying, but we're driving from Nashville to Orlando tonight or early tomorrow and then down to Orlando Saturday afternoon, so weight isn't an issue. I told my brother that meant I could take 7 pairs of shoes and he gave me this funny look ... but then he counted and realized he was taking 5!!! :) Anyway, as long as it fits in the car with the 4 of us, we can take it, so I'm not sure I'll bundle. But I'll definitely rememeber for next time!

 

Christina

[LandLockedInAZ]

Christina,

Have a wonderful cruise!!

[ineedacruise]

For wrinkles, bring along some Downy Wrinkle Releaser. It works great!

[lindnet]

Just my 2 cents here....I used the zip loc bags on my last cruise. I liked the organization, but my clothes were even more wrinkled that they have been when I just packed the old fashioned way. I didn't really care, cuz I brought the Downy Wrinkle Release and it worked great!