Space saver bags

[Cruisingmamajones]

We will be traveling on the Emerald Princess in Jan, 2011. Since we will be traveling with our 10month DD I'm worried about overpacking and under packing. I'm wondering if we use the space saver bags that you need a vacuum for, will there be any way to reseal them to come home. Do you think there will be a chance we can borrow a vacuum?

Thanks

[6rugrats]

You can ask your cabin steward. However, you shouldn't need to use these bags. Personally, I don't like them; everything is horribly wrinkled and it makes it very, very easy to overpack.

 

You can fit a lot of things that are 10 month old size in a bag! I don't know if your ship has a laundry room you can use, but you can certainly send things out at a reasonable price to be washed.

[crzgrl66]

We used them for our 6 & 9 year old so that their clothes would fit in a carry on. We just couldn't see paying an additional $50 a bag to check them in. Anyway, they worked great. I bought them at Target and they are vacuum seal or rollable. In other words I vacuumed them before we left from home and when I repacked to come home my husband rolled them and got as much air out as he could. Not as good as the vacuum but close and at that point you don't care about wrinkles.

 

I was selective of what I put in them. I folded all of their shirts, underwear, swim clothes, and socks and put them in the bag. I didn't seal up their formal wear or their dress shorts & pants. I didn't have an issue with too much wrinking. I would definitely use them again.

[cb at sea]

The more you compress your things, the more will fit into the suitcase....watch the weight! You can have an "overweight" charge as well!

[Marie51]

A friend I travel with uses these. I get a kick out of watching her roll herself over the bags when we are packing to come home.

[Onessa]

There are many "space saver" bags that do not require vacuum - I've used them with polar fleece type garments. As the last poster explained, you seal them and then roll them until the extra air is out (sitting on it after it is rolled helps get more air out:D). If you want to bring some extra bedding for your little one, it may be useful.

 

For one that age, rather than from a "space" saving stand-point but for organizational purposes, I always used gallon or slightly larger sized zipper storage bags - I'd put full outfits in each bag and then I could just pull a bag and get everything I'd need (onsie, top, bottom, socks, etc). Then I could even pull one to put in the diaper bag before going out.

[sunrise&set]

I agree, you can roll them up or sit on them for packing to come home - doesn't matter about wrinkles then. But, do be careful of the weight. Chances are if you have to use the bags to make more room, then the suitcase will be too heavy. I like what the pp said about using them in your carry-on.

 

Clothes for a 10 month old are so tiny so you can certainly pack extra outfits, and you can fold them up and fit them easily in the suitcases. Pack lots of mix/match outfits so she can wear something again even if the top or bottom gets dirty. We brought disposable bibs to help keep things clean ;). And you won't have all those diapers packed for the trip home either!

[MamaParrotHead]

We use the XXL and XL ziploc bags found at your local big box store. If you fold everything flat, then lay on it to force the air out, it stays sealed and is much cheaper and less hassle than the Space Saver bags.

[topspot]

Just came back from a cruise to Alaska where we had to pack some fleece and bulky clothes. We used space bags, both the rollable kind and the vacuum kind. When we repacked at the end of the cruise, I waited brought the vacuum bag out in the hallway when the steward was a few doors down, and asked him if I could use the vacuum. Worked out well. We could have just rolled the bag as other posters stated, but we got much more air out with the vacuum one. ;)

[DALSAL]

We will be traveling on the Emerald Princess in Jan, 2011. Since we will be traveling with our 10month DD I'm worried about overpacking and under packing. I'm wondering if we use the space saver bags that you need a vacuum for, will there be any way to reseal them to come home. Do you think there will be a chance we can borrow a vacuum?

Thanks

 

If you flying its very easy to over pack and have to pay a fee...that being said, I always use the 2.5 gallon size baggies. I neatly fold each item, place in the bag, and then put my knees on it and it its just like I had vacuumed. And, I reuse them trip after trip. I love it. I never have wrinkled clothes, but I usually choose traveling clothes that dont wrinkle.I can get several outfits in one bag. I put everything in them...love the fact that my underwear is all together in case my suitcase needs to be opened! :D Cruising with my dgd this month, and we will be using a smaller baggie to put a full outfit in, so we dont have to figure out what short goes with this shirt, etc.