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Packing- keeping checked in clothes from getting wet


katrina915
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Last summer, I flew to Seattle via Dallas and central Florida in July.  My clothes were wet/damp when I got to the hotel-2 different suitcases.  I am not sure where it happened but I believe they were left outside in Dallas when it was raining hard.  Does anyone have ideas about how to keep  checked in bag clothes from getting wet?   Thanks.

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I wouldn't bother unless really rainy weather is predicted, but the easiest/cheapest way is to line the bottom of your suitcases with garbage bags.   Then pack as usual and place another garbage bag on top, tucking it into all the sides.    Not foolproof but it would help considerably In most situations.    Another possibility - if you have soft-sided suitcases, try treating them with water-repellant spray before leaving home.   Allow plenty of time for the spray to dry before packing.    If you have items you're especially worried about, pack them in large zip-lock bags - you can find all sizes at dollar stores.    They're much cheaper than the spacesaver bags and work much the same way if you press out all the air and seal them well.    You can even add an extra seal of tape if you feel the need.   

Edited by Kartgv
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I use vacuum pack plastic bags (that do not need a vacuum to use). Not only does it help save space, but it can help prevent your bags from getting wet. An example would be this.

 

You could also pack your clothes into a cheap garbage or plastic bag. Personally, I don't like hard shell luggages as they are easily dentable in comparison to soft shell luggage.

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Thanks , everyone.  I wasn't planning on getting new luggage.  One was a Samsonite but soft.  The other was hard shell.

 

I had my pillow in a garbage bag and that stayed pretty dry.  I will look at the other recommended bags and plan on using more garbage bags and ziplocs.  First time this happened to me, but I can't afford to have 2 small suitcases of wet clothes again.  Going to Europe next and don't want to worry about finding a dryer.

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2 hours ago, simplyrubies said:

I use vacuum pack plastic bags (that do not need a vacuum to use). Not only does it help save space, but it can help prevent your bags from getting wet. An example would be this.

 

You could also pack your clothes into a cheap garbage or plastic bag. Personally, I don't like hard shell luggages as they are easily dentable in comparison to soft shell luggage.

 

You obivously have not tried the current crop of hard side.

 

I travel a lot internationally, and my hard sided cases are fine.

 

Same with wheels, early versions lost wheels all the time.   I have not lost one in the past 18 years.

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8 hours ago, SRF said:

 

You obivously have not tried the current crop of hard side.

 

I travel a lot internationally, and my hard sided cases are fine.

 

Same with wheels, early versions lost wheels all the time.   I have not lost one in the past 18 years.

 

Because of all my difficulties with hard shell luggage and by seeing the plight of some of my friends with them, I won't purchase them anymore. Perhaps it is the brand or make of luggage I am buying or the airlines I am flying? 

 

Regardless, with plastic bags, one can avoid having wet luggage. It's an easy and cheap fix for those of us with soft shell luggage. I like that a soft shell luggage comes with pockets on the front and allows you to stuff your items in as you like - it can be a bit lumpy, but as long as it zips, it'll be fine. With a hard shell luggage, you don't have that same flexibility.

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Don't check - use carryon only 😉

 

Seriously, I haven't had that unfortunate issue when I've checked my carryon or was forced to take a larger bag (hard to pack with ski boots in a carryon for 3 weeks!).  Some of it may be the quality/age of your bag.  I could also see leakage at the zippers a possible problem.  If you've got a soft side, maybe try applying a waterproofing spray.  And, tape in some type of plastic, from garbage bags to poly that you buy at the local home improvement store and cut it to fit the inside.  

 

My bags have set out in the rain in Vancouver, rained on in a windy rain on a vaporetto in Venice, snowed on on far too many airport tarmacs - I guess I've been lucky.

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We had our bags left out in a torrential rain storm in Texas, which left our clothes wet.  Fortunately, we were on our way home, so no problem.  Ever since, we have lines our luggage with plastic sheeting (painters drop clothes) before we pack things inside.  We fill up the suitcases, then wrap the plastic sort of like a burrito to keep things dry.  We have soft sided luggage, which we also spray with waterproofing.  We have not had a problem since.

 

Margee

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Years ago we were leaving out of LA and they were having issues with luggage "accidentally" falling in the drink. I believe there was threat of a strike over wages for the port employees.
So we got a bunch of larger (I believe 5 gallon) Ziploc bags. Fortunately our bags stayed out of the water, so it wasn't needed.

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6 hours ago, margeecruiser said:

We had our bags left out in a torrential rain storm in Texas, which left our clothes wet.  Fortunately, we were on our way home, so no problem.  Ever since, we have lines our luggage with plastic sheeting (painters drop clothes) before we pack things inside.  We fill up the suitcases, then wrap the plastic sort of like a burrito to keep things dry.  We have soft sided luggage, which we also spray with waterproofing.  We have not had a problem since.

 

Margee

 

I've yet to have an issue with luggage contents getting wet, but some fellow travelers have.   I think use of those ultra thing drop cloths is a really good idea.  On ounce of prevention. . . . 

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22 hours ago, simplyrubies said:

 

Because of all my difficulties with hard shell luggage and by seeing the plight of some of my friends with them, I won't purchase them anymore. Perhaps it is the brand or make of luggage I am buying or the airlines I am flying? 

 

Regardless, with plastic bags, one can avoid having wet luggage. It's an easy and cheap fix for those of us with soft shell luggage. I like that a soft shell luggage comes with pockets on the front and allows you to stuff your items in as you like - it can be a bit lumpy, but as long as it zips, it'll be fine. With a hard shell luggage, you don't have that same flexibility.

 

I have used Atlantis, Delsey, and Samsonite hard sided bags for some 18 years.

 

I have never had one "dented."  Plastic does not really dent.  It rips or breaks.  But again, no issues with that.  There are the Rowena aluminum ones, and they do dent.  But for them, dents seem to be part of the patina of use. 😄

 

The Delsey I have are zippered, so not as waterproof as the Atlantis and Samsonite.  Both of which have rubber gaskets.

 

Yes, hard shell does not allow over packing, but the non-zipper ones also do not have the issue of the zipper exploding.  I have seen many zippered bags come out of the luggage chute wide open from the zipper coming apart.

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I pack everything in zip lock bags - using various sizes for everything from hubby's tux to underwear.  I do for 2 reasons - to keep things from getting wet if our luggage is left in the rain, and also to make it easier to find things.  I cross-pack our clothes into 2 suitcases; for my things, I put a strip of coloured tape on the bag so DH knows it's mine, not his.   I make a list of everything in the suitcases, so if we're looking for a specific item, check the list and you can see right away which one it's in.  It works for us.

 

Smooth Sailing! 🙂 🙂🙂

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20 hours ago, Mike981 said:

Years ago we were leaving out of LA and they were having issues with luggage "accidentally" falling in the drink. I believe there was threat of a strike over wages for the port employees.
So we got a bunch of larger (I believe 5 gallon) Ziploc bags. Fortunately our bags stayed out of the water, so it wasn't needed.

I remember that -- wasn't that back when Mariner of the Seas was home-ported there? I just remember smiling and tipping the porter, hoping that -- worst case scenario -- my hard-side Samsonite bag would FLOAT! 😱

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9 hours ago, SRF said:

I have never had one "dented."  Plastic does not really dent.  It rips or breaks.

Well, polycarbonate - which is a type of plastic used in many hard-sided suitcases - can be dented.  That's actually part of why it's used - better a dent than a break. 

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4 hours ago, calliopecruiser said:

Well, polycarbonate - which is a type of plastic used in many hard-sided suitcases - can be dented.  That's actually part of why it's used - better a dent than a break. 

I have several cases that dent in on the corners  rather than snap.

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