Space Bag for Packing?

[Eve]

Has anyone ever used a Space Bag for packing their clothes? I've heard rave reveiws about this product. You put all of your clothes in a special Space Bag, then use a vaccuum (or just roll) to remove all the air. It sounds like a great idea, but I was wondering about the condition of your clothes when they are removed from the bag. Anyone have any firsthand experience with these?

 

Thanks!

[Leela]

I've used them and I liked it, but I have one warning: if you use the space bag, you end up being able to put more into your suitcase, and thus run the risk of going "over weight" on your bags and incurring an extra fee from the airline.

 

Anyway, I don't own or pack much that wrinkles, so I can't really comment on that aspect of using the space bag.

[chessbriar]

Question, How do you repack them to come home. Are you taking a vacuum cleaner with you?

[GORDONCHICK]

Question, How do you repack them to come home. Are you taking a vacuum cleaner with you?

 

You can roll the air out of some of them, without using a vacuum.

[HawaiiApril]

I have had the room steward vacumn the air out for me, they have no problem at all doing that for you. That works way better than rolling. They do make the luggage heavy though!

[HawaiiApril]

I have had the room steward vacumn the air out for me, they have no problem at all doing that for you. That works way better than rolling. They do make the luggage heavy though!

[98Charlie]

We purchased a box of space bags (the roll type, not vacuum) a few years ago for a cruise. They worked great the first time for cotton fabric items like underwear, t-shirts and some shorts. Clothes that had other fiber content didn't fair as well.

 

Used space bags on second cruise and we discovered the seals were beginning to loosen and actually had one of the bags pop open during its flight back home.

 

Read on these boards about using the new 2 1/2 gal. ziplock bags that you can buy at grocery or discount houses. Started using them and found they work great. I just can't pack as many items in each bag - but heck, the bags are a fraction of the cost of the space bags.

 

Dianne

[ISABELLA]

Love them...Use them all the time. They come in different sizes. I use Large, they do not require a vacuume. Just roll the air out. I fold clothes and trick is not over load them. I pack everything in space bags: from undergarments to bathing suits. And when I get on board, I open them, and I take the clothes out as I need them. And what had not been worn, stay in the bag clean and folded. I take an extra 2.5 gal zip bag for dirty clothes. It takes much less time to pack back into a suitcase. Have fun.

[golfnkitties]

I've used them and I liked it, but I have one warning: if you use the space bag, you end up being able to put more into your suitcase, and thus run the risk of going "over weight" on your bags and incurring an extra fee from the airline.

 

Anyway, I don't own or pack much that wrinkles, so I can't really comment on that aspect of using the space bag.

 

Saw your name and had to tell you that you have been missed on the Panamanic roll call thread ! Come on back and say hi ! :):D:)

[Deb C.]

I also love my Space Bags (the roll out ones). :D

 

Since I also take soda onboard in my checked luggage, using a Space bag gives the added protection in case of pop leakage.

 

Coming home I pack my dirty underwear, etc. in one also. :eek: (TMI??)

 

If you go to 3rd world countries, the bags or ZIplocks work great to keep "hitch hikers" (bugs,etc.)from invading your luggage and other clothes. When I get home I drop the bag into the deep freeze to kill all potential insects that may have hidden out in that mola from Panama, basket from Haiti, straw purse from the Bahamas, etc.

 

Space Bags---a good thing!! Deb C.:cool:

[98Charlie]

Added bonus use for 2 1/2 gal ziploc bags:

 

Have discovered since new TSA airline rules require all liquor packed in checked baggage that the over-sized ziploc bags come in handing when packing duty free liquor from the islands.

 

I carry a roll of bubble wrap with us along with a travel size roll of duct tape. I wrap each bottle of liquor in the bubble wrap and then place each bottle into a gal. sized zip lock before putting it back into the packing box supplied by the duty free liquor stores. I then put the entire box into a 2 1/2 gal ziploc bag before packing it inside our luggage. Bagged box is buffered on all sides by clothing. Haven't had a broken bottle of booze so far, not even when our luggage was lost and delivered to our doorstep 24 hours after we returned home.

 

Dianne

[FunCruiser56]

Have been using the roll out space bags for many years. Expecially useful now witht the TSA digging through all of our luggage. I don't find my things wrinkled at all. Easy to unpack upon arival just slip everything into a drawer or hang up. We use the space bags for dirty laundry too and I just take the filled bags to the laundry room when we get home. Keeps the dirty items seperate from the clean clothing we never wore. I won't travel with out them.

 

Bev

[GiniB]

I love Deb C.'s tip about freezing souvenirs to kill potential hitchikers...having encountered a few of those, that's a great idea!

I've used the roll-up kind for many years. I do find that the seals wear out rather quickly (4-5 trips each, approximately). I like the size of the new ziplock bags better anyway. It's actually good that they don't hold as much, TSA is less likely to open them if they're fairly thin with only 2 or 3 garments in them. Otherwise, they'll open your bag and dump everything out, jam it all back in to fit and you've defeated the whole purpose of trying to avoid wrinkles.

[SheilaNC]

One trick with the smaller bags (zip lock) is to pack outfits - shorts, shirt, undies, socks, whatever). Then when you unpack a bag, you're ready for the day! We use them for everything, especially now that you have to pack liquid/gell toiletries in checked bags. Haven't had a spill into clothes yet, although had some inside bags. I double bag the spillables.