Mar 12, 2025 3 min read

Are you a good packer? Do you enjoy traveling? I’ve often heard people say they don’t like traveling and one of the main reasons is that they hate packing and don’t want to live out of a suitcase.

I firmly believe that I could live the rest of my life out of a suitcase and not be bothered at all. That being said, I’m still in search of the ultimate packing method. You would think after years of avid traveling and as many weekend getaways as I’ve done that I would be a professional packer. I probably am in some respects, but there’s always room for improvement.

For years, I’ve had a tried-and-true practice of rolling up my clothes rather than folding and stacking them in my suitcase. Someone once told me it conserves space and reduces wrinkling. I’m not convinced either is true, but that’s just how I usually pack my bag. My patented technique in recent years includes the use of space bags. I’ll roll up the clothes, then put them in a plastic vacuum bag that you seal at the top like a giant freezer bag and then roll it down to slowly squeeze out all of the excess air. This does help save space to some extent, as I’ve been able to magically shrink sweaters, ski attire and fleeces down into one small cube and fit two weeks’ wardrobe into a medium suitcase. The only problem is that when you unseal the bag, it sort of explodes and you have to dig through all of your clothes to find things. My side of the hotel room always looks as if a bomb went off while my husband’s tidily folded clothes are in and beside his carry-on bag.

Enter my packing cubes. I recently bought a set of these nifty little zipper pouches that came in a set of five different sizes along with a drawstring pouch for shoes to keep the dirty soles from rubbing against your clean clothes.

I’d seen packing cubes advertised but wasn’t sure how they would help. The set I bought even had little labels on each bag denoting a shirt or jacket or socks, so you know how to pack.

I gave them a whirl a few weeks ago on a short weekend getaway, and they worked great! I was surprised how much I could fit in my carry-on by simply folding and organizing pieces in the different bags. Better yet, everything stayed organized during our stay rather than exploding all over the room.

I haven’t tried out the packing cubes on a long trip yet, and I’m not sure how much they will hold when it comes to puffy, winter wear. So far, so good, though, and I may be a reformed clothes roller.

Maybe there’s a way to vacuum pack the packing cubes and get the best of both methods!

Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.