Help! Badly overstuffed bag; need packing advice.

[Garethe7]

Is it larger garments first? Socks/undergarments stashed in cubbyholes? Some kind of criss-cross method?

I don't know if it's last minute panic, but I'm drawing a blank on this.

Edit: I will be in a sleeper, so I don't need to worry about space, I do however worry about my back. To save on cabs I will be doing a lot of walking to/from hotels/stations.

 

[Garethe7]

"Suzanne" from one of the advice sites (not sure I can name it) came to the rescue, but I'd still like to hear about any special tips you all might have relevant to train travel.

 

[Tumbleweed]

Choose between rolling and folding your clothing. If you need more space in your suitcase and aren't worried about the weight, roll your clothes (as this will take significantly less space than folding). If you do not need as much space and want to keep the weight down, fold your clothes.

• Roll items as tightly as possible in order to achieve the space saving effect.
  
• Rolling does not necessarily make your clothes more wrinkled, you simply need to be careful that when you roll clothes, you do not roll in any wrinkles. Roll the item as flat as possible. Folding the item along its natural seams first will help.
  
• Elastic items will be easier to roll without introducing wrinkles.
  
• If you aren't very good at rolling, avoid rolling items which wrinkle easily.
  
• Rolled items will need to be packed tightly, which is why this method should only be used if space is at a premium. Rolled items not tightly packed will cause them to unroll and wrinkle
  

More info at http://www.wikihow.com/Pack-a-Bag-or-Suitcase-Efficiently :hi:

 

[gueset]

Is it larger garments first? Socks/undergarments stashed in cubbyholes? Some kind of criss-cross method?

I don't know if it's last minute panic, but I'm drawing a blank on this.

Edit: I will be in a sleeper, so I don't need to worry about space, I do however worry about my back. To save on cabs I will be doing a lot of walking to/from hotels/stations.

A former girlfriend, who has traveled alone all over Europe, Mexico, New Zealand, Hawaii, etc. swears that it helps a lot to roll up each item of clothing tightly. She manages with a one medium sized knapsack on wheels (smaller than a back packing pack, bigger than a "day pack", and one shoulder bag - and a money/passport etc belt.

I've tried rolling up things... didn't make a heck of a lot of difference, maybe a little.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I also roll then put as many as will fit into a ziplock bag and squeeze the air out. I recently found large Ziploc bsgs at Lowes. These were great for my sweatshirts, winter coat & the small pillow I took in my trip to the Gathering.

 

[Garethe7]

Thanks, I will try that, Martha Stewart had a couple good videos, but she completely contradicted Suzanne who said to put shoes on top, Martha put them on the bottom along with a couple of other people. I had no idea how many methods there were, including the "bundle" method, but it might prove difficult for unpacking due to the limited space to stretch out in a sleeper or anywhere on the train for that matter.

 

[SarahZ]

I put shoes around the perimeter of the suitcase, roll my clothes and shove them in the middle with the shoes acting as framework, leave the socks and underwear flat and lay them on top of everything, and then put toiletries, medicine, etc in the outer pockets.

I can get about two weeks' worth of packing into a smaller carry-on.

 

[jebr]

Sarah: thought about putting the socks inside of the shoes? I've heard that can help make that space "useful" instead of just dead air.

 

[MrFSS]

Before I retired many years ago I traveled 5 weeks out of 6 for 35 years.

The best packing advice I ever received was this:

Take only half of what you get out to pack. You don't need all that stuff and you can usually get by with less than you want to take.

 

[Henry Kisor]

For long trips I take quick-dry backpackers' clothes from REI. (rei.com) Pricey, but they save a LOT on bulk and weight. However, they are not particularly stylish. If you don't mind looking like a PhD candidate decades past his sell-by date, go for it.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I actually learned to roll clothes about 20 years ago from an Amtrak National Timetable which had packing tips.

 

[benjibear]

I have big feet so my shoes are big. I try no to pack shoes, but sometimes I need dress and casual sneaker type shoes. I try to put stuff, especially socks and underwear in my shoes. Rolling helps but not that much in my opinion. I usually fold pants and nice shirts and roll other stuff around the edges. Good advise is to take less. I will plan what I am going to wear and take one extra pair of socks, underwear, and shirt. Pants, I always plan on wearing jeans/dress pants twice. I get travel size products. Pills/medicines, I only take what I need. Cloths I am usually good at packing. Personal stuff like electronics, food, drinks, etc. I always struggle and it becomes heavier than needed. Cords are always a problem. I feel like I am packing enough wire to stretch miles. Every cord is different.

 

[SarahZ]

Sarah: thought about putting the socks inside of the shoes? I've heard that can help make that space "useful" instead of just dead air.

That's a good idea, but I use the shoes to hold other little things, like USB cables, chargers, nail polish, etc.

 

[Trainmans daughter]

Martha put them on the bottom along with a couple of other people. .

Oh that crazy Martha!

 

[train person]

Is it larger garments first? Socks/undergarments stashed in cubbyholes? Some kind of criss-cross method?

I don't know if it's last minute panic, but I'm drawing a blank on this.

Edit: I will be in a sleeper, so I don't need to worry about space, I do however worry about my back. To save on cabs I will be doing a lot of walking to/from hotels/stations.

Take less stuff.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

The classic Rule on this is,

Take half the clothes, and twice the money,

you think you'll need.

Don't know where you'll get twice the money, but as for

clothes, leave 'em. If it turns out that you really do need

more (most unlikely), they have stores where you're going.