Quick note on bundle wrapping:

I have just tried out bundle wrapping shirts. Used the Valoroso 25″ duffel bag. Very neatly packed (goes without saying) with two bundles. I was not at all pleased with the results. I applied great care smoothing out the shirts that had just been professionally laundered and pressed. Core size was rather big which should be an advantage. Followed the method as outlined on onebag and redoxx. I got more wrinkles than simply folding the shirts and putting them in the bag. Also the wrinkles looked like wear wrinkles and not like fold wrinkles. They were not very deep and but still did not steam out in the bathroom. I might not be the master of bundle packing but I am pretty good at anything else concerning packing and bundle packing dress shirts would rank as the least desirable method.

I did feel that bundle wrapping saves some space; perhaps 10-20% less space is needed with a good bundle. It can also be practical for organization in a bag that lacks compartments. But it clearly loses out on wrinkles and on the time it takes to make and break the bundle. I might give it one more chance but would so far clearly give a very strong recommendation against bundle packing dress shirts.

For less fragile garments it will save you some space and you have to decide whether this space saving is actually needed because it is also a more elaborate technique and takes more time. I know I will use it in the future ONLY if I am really hard pressed for space, which is usually not the case.

Quite frankly, I cannot understand the hype for bundle wrapping and am a bit disappointed overall.

Okay, I am not a fan of bundle wrapping either. (Oh, I'm new here, have been reading for a week or two and hope no one minds that I jump in!) I also looked at the OneBag and RedOxx descriptions too.

I travel with fairly dressy items, and am rather obsessive about organization and tidyness. I use a 15" Eagle Creek folder for dress shirts, and put silk scarves in ALOSAK plastic bags. Bundle packing, for me, made things look slept in. Perhaps my style is more OCD, but I'd rather have items folded where I can quickly file through to find what I am looking for, rather than undoing a bundle to get my toothbrush out of the middle packing core piece.

I did try rolling a few items. But how much room will a few pair of socks and underthings save when rolled? At least for me.

Perhaps I'm not doing it correctly, or need a few more trips in which to practice. Or my packing cubes were calling my name and I was going through withdrawal....

I'm intrigued to read what others have found, and perhaps what they pack and what bag they use too.

Welcome, Maria! I share your opinion. The space saving you can get from bundle packing is due to a decreased total number of folds. Basically each fold makes the item thicker. If you can decrease the total number of folds you can decrease the volume of the bundle.

Depending on the clothes you can actually get away with less volume when you fold neatly. This is the case for socks and underwear. Rolled socks will take up more space than neatly folded ones. They will also be harder to compress.

Packing cubes are great for organization but they only start to really help when they are used to compress items. Otherwise they are only good for organization but add weight and bulk. Everyone will have to decide whether that's worth it.

So in principle for non-fragile and bulky items like jeans, sweaters, fleece wear, khakis and wool shawls bundle wrapping is actually good. These items will also wrinkle less with the bundle method. But as soon as you try to include fragile and easily wrinkled items like silks or dress shirts, it's just not the right method.

If you really plan it out, the bundles can be nicely conceived as units that are easy to access. But that needs way too much planning; and that's coming from Dr.A. Nal Superpacker.

Compression bags like the one EC makes can also be good for space savings if the items are indeed compressible. This applies mostly to knits and jerseys (technically knits) as well as fleece wear and down jackets. Using a compression sac on a pair of jeans is not very useful. The compression bags do have one advantage, though. Once they are properly packed and compressed they get quite stiff. This can give structure to an otherwise soft-sided bag and can protect the contents of that bag very nicely.

The Aloksak is probably overkill for the silk scarves. I'd just use a ziplock.

When packing a duffle the 15" folder can be used as a shelf or separation board or as a vertical separation in the duffel, just set it on its long edge and place it diagonally in the duffle: instant two compartment duffle with infinite adjusting separation wall. Should be patented. :) Of course, for bigger bags you can use the same technique with an 18 or even 20 inch folder. Andiamo Valoroso luggage actually includes such a folder set-up with their cases.

Bundle wrapping can be a hassle and it usually fades away after a day or two for me. Then it's fold and stuff, whatever. No method eliminates wrinkles. Downy Wrinkle Reducer and in-room irons or steamers should suffice. If you're dedicated to fabrics that are not travel friendly and you have very high standards of appearance you'll just have to iron. I do agree that bundle wrapping is more space efficient. Traditional folding takes up more space - no doubt.

I only use the bundle method for travel for packing long sleeve dress shirts, etc. While it's not wrinkle free, I find the wrinkles are minimal and if there's no iron available, the shirt is usually fine for wearing.

What shirts are you using? Mine were ordinary cotton shirts this time. One was a rather thick weave. It fared better. The other one was a fine white shirt in cotton batiste. It did miserably.

Can you specify the details of your technique? Perhaps you have a better system than the ones I followed.

I still think it's too much hassle. I'll continue the shirt folder for shirts and ties only.

Thank you for the welcome TIll. Perhaps I need to pack thicker cottons or a larger quantity to take advantage of the bundle wrapping method. The larger the bundle, the less wrinkles? I don't mind pulling out an iron when I arrive at a hotel, and often do so anyway. Also, if I am going to need formal wear, I know to get an evening gown or dress pressed at the hotel as soon as I arrive so I have it ready and hanging in the closet until required. It costs a bit, but cheaper than ruining something special with a tempermental hotel iron! I've packed for two weeks with three evening gowns in a 22" suitcase as carryon. It can be done!

I like my packing cubes for organizing things and usually have underwear, socks, and tee shirts in such cubes. I agree the Alosak bag is overkill for silk scarves, but I had it, and it was the right size and I was too cheap to go buy more zipper top bags. And that's from Ms. A. Nal Superpacker. (Had to laugh at that line of yours Till.) I tend to wear black and dark neutrals when I travel. Silk scarves are a great way to add colour and style to an outift and hardly take up any space. Although they can be heavy in multiples. Yet thick enough to wear as a halter top if necessary. Works with a nice pair of trousers for dinner out.

I don't pack jeans - too heavy and too long to dry. I prefer packing for winter destinations - cashmere separates do not wrinkle when packed properly, are light in weight and layer well. And they can compress quite well in a large cube too! I should test out cashmere knits as they will probably do well in a bundle method. Although I do not know how much space would be saved with such compared to a suitable packing cube. But I'm intrigued, I'll have to go do a test / experiment.

So note to self: thicker cottons for dress shirts (maybe with some lycra?), and give cashmere a bundle wrapping test try!

I travelled for many years folding my shirts in the same way that they come folded when new and was quite proud that they were almost always very wearable straight out of the bag.

This year I tried bundle wrapping three times and each time it was a disaster. The shirts became so wrinkled as to become unwearable without ironing.

I determined to go back to my tried and trusted method, while still feeling that somehow I ought to be doing something different.

I was therefore quite relieved and pleased to read the post of an experienced traveller like Till on this subject.

Is bundle wrapping a version of the Emperor’s new clothes, with no-one previously prepared to admit that it doesn’t actually produce very good results?

Or is there anyone out there who has successfully bundle wrapped a dress shirt made out of normal material?

I think that it’s only shirts, really (from a male perspective, anyway), that are a potential problem with potential creasing / wrinkling. Jackets, especially with the aid of Till’s method, and trousers (sorry, pants ) rarely seem to crease anyway if packed with a little care.

So, Maria, I would suggest that you don't waste too much time on bundle wrapping anythiing that is likely to wrinkle or crease.

Thank you Call London. Interesting thought about the Emperor's New Clothes. I think you may have struck what I was felling. "Hey bundle wrapping must work is everyone is making a fuss yes?" Then confused when it doesn't work for me.

I like to pack via the folding method. I just pulled out a few cashmere pieces and tried a quick bundle wrap. (Okay, half a roll, half a bundle.) I felt it looked sloppy. I think the pieces will be stretched or pulled at odd angles if left that way for say 24 hours on a long flight, especially a larger bundle. At least in my cubes, they are somewhat protected too. I usually pack with extra space in my bags anyway...for shopping purchases to bring home. If I really needed to stuff things in and save space for the trip home - when I don't worry about wrinkles, then maybe bundle methods have a point for that time. Although by that point, I may just jam it all in knowing the laundry hamper / cleaners await my return.

Wool trousers hardly wrinkle, compared to cotton chinos anyway.

I've never tried bundle wrapping. Every time I see it being demonstrated on a YouTube video, it SEEMS like a good idea, but I'm willing to accept your testimonials and admit that maybe it isn't.

I usually roll my clothes, but that sometimes produces wrinkles, too. Any recommendations on good folding/rolling techniques, with or without packing cubes? I have my own methods to fall back on, but maybe there are better ways...

Bundling works best with clothes that are somewhat wrinkle resistant. It's not a silver bullet by any means. The fastidious will certainly have better luck with it than the sloppy and lazy (mea culpa x2).

Nice! :) I am glad other sensible people have the same impression as I did for the efficiency of bundle wrapping. The expression of "Emperor's new clothes" is particularly "suitable" for the subject. :D

I agree with Call London that shirts are the biggest problem (and ties). But with the EC shirt folder and ties wrapped around the shirts this problem is well taken care of.

For women it will be gowns. I can actually imagine that a partially folded gown that is then wrapped around a big bundle will have a good chance of coming out well.

Here is a VERY good video from an English butler on folding a dress. The other videos in the series are good, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH8v3XPtbvY&feature=channel_page

Basically you want to fold along the natural construction lines of the garment. If that is not possible, fold where wrinkles will develop anyway (your joints). He brings each garment into a rectangular base shape first, then proceeds from there. When the dress is in its rectangular base shape, wrap it around the bundle. That should do the trick.

I would bundle wrap a knitted cashmere item only very loosely. When I pack my sweaters I actually do the slightly rectangular base shape with sleeves crossed over the chest. Depending on the bag I am working with a vertical fold along the spine will be necessary. No worries as it is cushioned by the sleeves. Then I roll up from the bottom up. This works just fine for my thinner cashmere sweaters. Now I do have a some really thick ones, too. I basically just fold them as little as possible and place them on top of the other contents, but below the suit jackets.

Pants are packed as the very first thing with the waist band inside the suitcase and the legs hanging out. Alternate waist bands left to right, i.e. don't stack several trousers over one another. The waist bands will really create a lot of bulk. Then pack the other stuff and finally fold over the pant legs. Very simple, highly efficient.

I have not yet used a compression bag on a fine yarn cashmere sweater but wouldn't hesitate to use it on a heavy sweater. For fine yarn I think loose rolling is best especially if you plan to compress it in a cube (not compression bag).

Also with any packing method you usually get an empty space around the edges or the suitcase. A sweater rolled in a tube can fill that space out very nicely.

I think there is some form of hype or emperor's new clothes phenomenon going on with bundle wrapping. But, hey, smart people will try it out and use the right technique for the right occasion. My PAPER packing formula (see post here) should help in this regard.

I have successfully used bundle packing for business trips, but have always been convinced that the reason it works for me is that the business suits I use are 100% wool. I have summer weight wool suits and heavier wool suits for Fall and Winter. Once I get to the hotel, I pop the suits out of the bundle and hang them. By morning the slight wrinkles have all but disappeared--no steaming or ironing required.

However, I'm absolutely convinced that if I was using this method with suits made from anything other than 100 % wool, it would result in some wrinkles requiring steaming or ironing.

I think, as Till observed, a lightweight cotton dress shirt would be simply crumpled by it. The shirts I wear with the suits are usually silk knit shells that withstand the bundle well.

For non-business travel, I don't typically bundle pack because my casual wardrobe, unlike my business one, is not wool based.

Interesting observations, Holly. Thanks!

Yes, the woven 100% wool items will do quite well. Like when I wrap my suit jacket around the EC folder. It's woven cotton that's problematic.

Silk knit tops are a true advantage for the ladies. I wish we could wear that and still look manly and be socially accepted. :)

Also there are many items like a cashmere twin set or even short sleeve shirts that a man cannot wear for business. I hate short sleeve shirts unless one is on Hawaii.

The Pleats Please collection by Japanese designer Issey Miyake is fantastic for travel but only for women, very expensive and not everybody's style.

It's true, women have many more options in which to choose from to pack lightly - twin sets, silk knits, etc. Excellent point Holly about the wool suits.

I'll happily stick with my folding method, and won't test any more cashmere to bundle - unless it's on the way home. Well, I do tend to fold dirty laundry for the trip home too....

Ah, see, that's a big difference. You even fold dirty laundry. Mine gets crunched! :) That said. Compression bags are ideal for dirty laundry.

Dirty laundry - one of the reasons I like the two-sided Eagle Creek packing cubes. When one folds dirty laundry as I do - two sides of one cube come in handy to separate the clean stuff from the items to be washed. Mesh side for clean / solid side for laundry!

Perhaps bundle packing works best for the return trip home.

I guess I'm a little stunned at the bashing over bundle wrapping. I've used it successfully for years, even with 100% cotton. No, I have very few wrinkles. So here is what I'm doing:

1) I normally wear forgiving fabrics. Usually that is cotton with some spandex in it, or jersey, or other no wrinkle clothing. I usually don't buy clothing that fails the "grab test" - that is, I grab a hunk of material in a wad and crunch it in my fist. If it wrinkles, I dump the item, no matter how pretty (I just don't have time for that kind of maintenance). If it passes, I tell the sales person how wonderful that article is and why (so she will order more like it)

2) I usually use an Eagle Creek 2 sided packing cube as my core.

3) I smooth out the wrinkles fastidiously.

4) I keep the garment under tension as I'm wrapping it around the core. And I keep smoothing it out. At first this seems like a lot of work, but after you get the hang of it, it goes quickly.

I just got back from a trip where I brougt 2 dresses, A pair of long pants, 3 cotton Ts, a long sleeve shirt, capris, etc. No Wrinkles. I'm sorry. Bundle wrapping really works.

Interesting... There gotta be some people for whom it works. The materials play a huge role as I said already in my original post. I used step 3 and 4 just like you do. No such luck for my cotton shirts (no spandex in them). Especially the fine batiste one didn't look good.

All other things are a non-issue. They can be bundle wrapped. The question is whether it's worth the hassle because bundle wrapping will not do much better on wrinkles for non-fragile items than ordinary folding or double folding (cushioning on item with another) but it will take more time.

So yes, for me, not worth it, unless I absolutely need the space. I thus like Maria's idea of using bundle wrapping for the return trip where it doesn't matter whether there are wrinkles and where on might need a bit of extra room. That's a very smart solution. Thanks!

Landsend do a nice range in men and womens no iron shirts and pants. I have a black no iron shirt that I always take on trips, can be very dressy or casual depending on what you pair it with (jeans, trousers, skirt etc). It packs very nicely but I haven't bundled, just folded or rolled. It also handwashes/drip dries very well.

http://www.landsend.com/ix/mens-clothing/Men/Assortments=No-Iron-Shirts-and-Pants/index.html?seq=1~2~3&catNumbers=1&visible=1~2~1&store=le&merchAsId=138&tab=1

http://www.landsend.com/ix/womens-clothing/Women/Tops/Shirts-Blouses/index.html?seq=1~2~3~4&catNumbers=83~84~116&visible=1~2~1~1&store=le&sort=Recommended&pageSize=12&tab=2

When packing for the last trip, I started out trying to bundle, it worked out okay (as most of my clothes are wrinkle free type materials), but I ended up using an EC cube and flat folding a few of the large items. I was using my LL Bean backpack so a bundle was the wrong shape for the bag.
I was rather glad I couldn't bundle, on our return at Heathrow, I ended up emptying everything out of my bag for a search, she even made me empty the EC cube. Because my clothes were folded it was fairly easy to put them back in the bag that way, bundled, I would have needed a large flat surface to re-bundle them for packing......I didn't have that luxury at the search area. I ended up doing it on the floor anyway as the next victim was waiting impatiently for me to repack and get out of the way.

Reason number 75 for ultralight packing = the less you pack, the quicker and easier it is to be searched, repacked and still in time to board your flight.

Paula, You are right there: the only problem we have had with bundle packing is having to take everything apart for the TSA paranoia routines. We have used the method for ten or so years and have packed all kinds of clothing, cotton, wool, synthetics. Its just easier. Monte

I tried bundle packing once. What a pain to get anything. You have to undo the entire bundle.

Now, I travel like Brad:

1) Packing Folders and Cubes
2)Downy Wrinkle Releaser (I used to travel with a portable steamer but it weighed too much and the Downy works fine.)
3) If need be, I look for an iron.
4) I find travel clothes that don't wrinkle easily if I can. use them.

BTW...nothing is loose in my bag. I have packng cubes of all sizes from lots of different companies. Many are either completely transparent or partially transparent to make life with TSA so much easier. One folder/cube for shirts and pants, one for undies and sock, one for misc. electronics, one for toiletries, and others depending on what I need.

I'm one who has had good results from bundle packing and not so good from the EC packing folder. I have all-cotton easy-care type shirts (mainly Nordstrom house brand) and have very few wrinkles when bundle packing. Having said that, I'm expecting a new MEI EO bag next week and have been rethinking how I want to pack it.

The bundle wrap theory is that there are no sharp folds to generate creases. I'm wondering if an EC packing folder could be used with a slightly thicker core. Perhaps wrapping a couple of t shirts around the board and doing all the shirts together. I'll have to experiment some to see if this works.

Has anyone used the Eagle Creek garment sleeve? It's actually slightly lighter than the 20 inch folder. I've seen conflicting measurements for the MEI EO so I'll have to wait a few days to see if the garment sleeve would fit the bag. The MEI sleeves weren't available when I ordered. Has anyone ever gotten one?

One last thing in this somewhat incoherent post. Till, I wonder if part of your problems with the bundle packing was using it in a duffle instead of something with a little more structure?

Frank, I love the idea of wrapping some T-shirts around the board but then how do you insert the board bag into the shirts? I mean I never insert the board bag into the shirts. It tops of my shirt bundle in the folder. The shirts will be sandwiched between the lower board and the folding board, then the flaps are close.

What you say about the creases is true in principle, of course. That's why I was quite surprised when the bundle technique really didn't work. I got less creases (with the EC folder you do get clearly defined creases that fall out easily and don't look too bad) with the bundle technique but I did get wrinkles that looked like I had worn the shirt already and didn't fall out. Not good.

I do 2 shirts together and then alternate the collar direction on the second set. First set collars up and my right, second set collars down and to my left (69).

As far as the unstructured bag being the reason, I don't know. The bag was fully packed so nothing shifted. The inside of the bag is very smooth so nothing can get bunched up by friction against the inside of the bag. I was also under the impression that bundle packing was particularly recommended for lightweight soft bags because it reduces volume and gives some structure. Is that not so?

Garment sleeve? Please see my PAPER formula post. Not worth it. Also the EC sleeve is too expensive. For the same price you can get a Wally Bags sleeve (not Walmart).

20" EC folder? OMG! I saw that monster. There is absolutely no need for that. It only serves to placate OCD people. :) Oh, and make money for EC.

Are compression sacks annoying if you need to take stuff out of them on a daily basis? I just bought one and it took a bit of huffing and heaving to get all the air out. Was just wondering whether this is because mine's a cheap knockoff or if this happens with all compression sacks.