Rolling Clothes Instead of Folding for Packing

[sjmbruce]

I've heard rolling your clothes into the suitcase allows more clothes to be packed, but does it make your clothes wrinkly?

[Suitcasefull]

In my experience, it depends on the clothing and material. I've had great luck rolling my slacks and tops and DH's pants and jeans. Makes it fast to put them in packing cubes. Can't pull it off with his nicer dress shirts. You do have to use care and not roll in any wrinkles. Worth trying to see how it suits your needs.

[Ehpride]

It shouldn't if you smooth them out as you roll and pack the rolled clothes tightly so that they can't move, but not so tight that they get smashed. It also depends on the material. I don't even try to roll denim. It takes up too much room. My cotton sundresses roll very well.

[royalcruz]

I roll tshirts and tuck them along the edges in the gaps.

[iheartbda]

After reading about rolling clothes, I decided to try it. I didn't want to risk it not working well so I packed for the cruise my usual way but rolled for the way home. I did NOT like how my clothes were when I got home.

 

Everyone has their favorite way of packing and what works best for them but I'll stick with my usual way of packing flat with minimal folds and dry cleaner bags. Have never had anything that was wrinkled, have even packed for a B2B and I was able to fit quite a bit in my suitcase with the same results.:)

[islandgirlejfan]

I used to roll my clothing but didn't care for the results....it's ok with t-shirts, but not desirable with my dress clothing. I found this video posted by a member here on CC in the NCL group, began using it and it has not let me down. We are both taking less with us now so this really works for us. I pack for a week cruise in a carry on.

[calliopecruiser]

My mother taught me to roll clothes ages ago, and I like the results - in fact, I find fewer wrinkles.....I guess it's dependent on the material of your clothes, but it works for me. My mother also told me to put dry cleaning plastic on top before rolling, so if you have any, try that. I don't dry clean clothes, so I never have any to use.

[Bookish Angel]

I just pack lightly - for me, that makes the biggest difference on how wrinkled things becomes. Long ago, when I used to stuff a suitcase, some things were fairly wrinkled. Far less compression from packing lightly (one carry-on) has made a huge difference.

[5326jan]

This is my favorite packing method for a long trip. I bundle in one or two outfits at a time if I'm going to several locations. This is so I can take a couple of days out and hang it without having to go through everything. For a cruise I just follow this method.

 

[cb at sea]

If you don't have dry-cleaning bags, use tissue paper...the kind you put in boxes when you wrap gifts....not nose-blowing tissues!!!!

[Cupcrazy]

I've been rolling for years. It works great for me and I am able to fit more into my bag than if I were to fold.

[sharod]

I used to roll my clothing but didn't care for the results....it's ok with t-shirts, but not desirable with my dress clothing. I found this video posted by a member here on CC in the NCL group, began using it and it has not let me down. We are both taking less with us now so this really works for us. I pack for a week cruise in a carry on.

 

I am a roller:D. But this is an awesome video. Thank you for posting it!

[Happy ks]

The last time we cruised I packed us similar to the bundle packing video, neither of us liked it. Probably my own fault, we were spending 2 nights prior in a hotel and we found we had to unbundle everything in order to find what we needed. Pre-planning has to be better than what I did, clothes for the 2 days should have been packed separately at the top of the suitcase.

 

I've tried the rolling method as well and I suppose I'm just not a very good roller. It was fine for my husbands underwear and socks, but most everything else it created wrinkles. He wears silk and cotton shirts and they just do better packed onto hangers and into the garment bag. Neither of us wears t-shirts, but I'll bet the rolling method works well for those.

 

We have a huge rolling garment bag, so almost all our clothing (shirts/tops/dresses) is on hangers with dry cleaner bags. We never have wrinkles in any of it. Pants go into the regular suitcase and I do use a bundle method, not quite like the video, we have a bundle (such as underwear) in the center of the clothing (hence the name bundle), so the top layer of clothing isn't creased. Unpacking is so simple this way, just pull it out of the garment bag and hang up...after the clothes are worn we rehang and shove to the back of the closet, repacking is identical to the original packing.

[cruisemom42]

I am a folder. I fold each item individually, with minimal folds (i.e., take up the whole surface available). Using this system, I am able to fit more into a suitcase than by any other method I've tried (rolling, packing folders, etc.). I haven't tried bundling because it just doesn't appeal to me. By folding each item individually, I can later locate it in the suitcase and usually can slide it out without disturbing the layers, if I don't want to unpack everything.

 

You'd be amazed how many items you can fit in a medium suitcase using this method. Even though I pack minimal "heavy" items (e.g., no more than 2 pairs of shoes go in and I don't take a blowdryer), I am often in danger of exceeding the 50-lb limit in a 24- to 25 inch suitcase. I can't imagine how folks pack in a larger case without going over.

 

It's true that you can't "stuff" the suitcase without causing wrinkles. But on the other hand, if it is not full enough, items will shift and wrinkle in transit. The trick is using the right size suitcase so that your clothes stay in place but aren't smooshed.

[Kilnwood]

I am a folder. I fold each item individually, with minimal folds (i.e., take up the whole surface available). Using this system, I am able to fit more into a suitcase than by any other method I've tried (rolling, packing folders, etc.). I haven't tried bundling because it just doesn't appeal to me. By folding each item individually, I can later locate it in the suitcase and usually can slide it out without disturbing the layers, if I don't want to unpack everything.

 

You'd be amazed how many items you can fit in a medium suitcase using this method. Even though I pack minimal "heavy" items (e.g., no more than 2 pairs of shoes go in and I don't take a blowdryer), I am often in danger of exceeding the 50-lb limit in a 24- to 25 inch suitcase. I can't imagine how folks pack in a larger case without going over.

 

It's true that you can't "stuff" the suitcase without causing wrinkles. But on the other hand, if it is not full enough, items will shift and wrinkle in transit. The trick is using the right size suitcase so that your clothes stay in place but aren't smooshed.

 

BBM

 

Amen!!!

[islandgirlejfan]

This is my favorite packing method for a long trip. I bundle in one or two outfits at a time if I'm going to several locations. This is so I can take a couple of days out and hang it without having to go through everything. For a cruise I just follow this method.

 

 

This works so well! You pack it the same way I do with bundling a few things you will wear maybe upon arrival to your embarkation city at the top which leaves other items undisturbed.

We now take everything that is going on our cruise in a carry on. I know ppl post here on CC their opinion that compared to the expense of the cruise, paying 20 bucks for your bag to be checked in is no big deal, but if you add that up times two bags (my hubby and I), well for me $80 is money I can spend elsewhere. Maybe I'm in the minority I just don't know, however I found that I wasn't wearing half the clothing I was bringing on a cruise. I just have this thing about my dirty clothing being with my clean clothing, so I end up rewashing everything. I took a hard look at what I was taking and decided to change the way I dress on formal nights (palazzos and shimmery/glittery blouses for me along with a pair of matching heeled shoes! :D) and a few pairs of casual pants and blouses for each evening, a few pairs of shorts and blouses, bathing suit, cover up and two more pairs of shoes. When I found this method, it really clicked. When we took one of our first cruises, we were so overloaded with clothes and it was painful to come home after all that wu sah time to mounds of wash! Not that it makes it totally better, but at least there's only a few loads that I have to mourn over these days!:p

 

I am a roller:D. But this is an awesome video. Thank you for posting it!

 

Thanks sharod....like I said, I'm a reformed roller.....this just clicked for the aforementioned reasons. Whatever everyone's method is, I think we all try to make the best of the space that we get. I know I shudder when someone says they need a case for just their shoes for a week long cruise. I have size 11 wide feet....LOL, I don't own that many pairs of shoes!:p

[slidergirl]

I roll or fold, depending on the situation. Sometimes, I combine both methods. I tried the bundle thing twice and decided it wasn't me. I live out of my suitcase, so having to weed through the layers all the time wasn't practical. With rolling or folding, it's easy to dive in and find what I want. I do a process where the things I won't be using again are rolled/folded and put at the end of the bag. The "clean" things move up to the front of the bag.

Part of the reason for the success of your packing process is the type of materials your clothes are made of. Also, as other wise ones have said here, you must pick the appropriate size luggage to the size of what you are taking with you. Not overpacked so things are scrunched up but not underpacked so that things move around and lose their designated spot in the bag. If your bag is a roller that you will be using upright, remember to pack so that heavier things in the bottom so they won't squash other things.

[jdvmd]

Have been rolling for a few years now. You can definitely get more clothes in your luggage and wrinkling has been minimal.