Just deciding on an Aeronaut (Bundle vs. other packing methods)

[backpack]

Like most of the other posters, I use Packing Cubes and rolled or carefully folded clothes.

Most of my trips have at least one dress up event. One trip was precisely timed to get us from the airport, to the hotel, our room to freshen up and dress up then drive to the venue without a minute to spare.

Under those condition, un-bundle packing the dress clothes and accessory would have been very unwise as it is very time consuming, time, we didn't have.

The Packing Cubes performed flawlessly, the dress clothes, some ironed at the departure point, unfurled with no need for ironing touch up.

To speed up the dressing up process, I only took out the Packing Cubes, unzipped them, laid out my husband outfit and proceeded to get into mine, add accessories and makeup, grab my dress bag along with the direction to the venue for the event which was scheduled to start very shortly.

Car GPS, phone map, and the bride very detailed written direction to the rescue and we made it.

I could not have pulled off many fast and necessary wardrobe changes from comfortable traveling outfit to good looking dress-up without my Packing Cubes, as a result of their flawless function, I bought more in different colors and shapes.

I know that I am not alone.


I did try bundling versus Cube packing while doing practice packing, un-bundling in a hurry always resulted in a messy pile from which each wardrobe piece needed to be extracted from, inspected and more often than not. needed extra ironing.

I don't appreciate doing the same chore twice (ironing), it delays the setting up of each outfit in the room dresser and steals away jet lag adjusting rest as well as primping, socializing and new horizons enjoyment time.

[JoyR]

Bundling is too complicated for me. Rolling and using packing cubes is easier and faster.

[moriond]

If you do decide that you want to stick with the bundle packing method, take a look at the Tri-Star instead of the Aeronaut. The Tri-Star is actually closer size-wise to the other two bags you mentioned and has more "flat space" than the Aeronaut does.

I'd still recommend using packing cubes with the Tri-Star. If you want to see how this works, check conejo23's review of his new Tri-Star, including pictures, posted last month. (This still uses a combination of rolling with the packing cubes.)

moriond

[marbenais]

I usually roll my clothes into Stuff Sacks (medium for underwear & socks, large for shirts, pants, pyjamas, etc) with each item rolled individually. (We have LOTS of experience packing -- we spent two years splitting time between our two houses, switching by bus or car once or twice a week -- if anyone ever needs advice on how to pack the contents of a fridge, we have it!)
Since we've been traveling by car with Rosalind for the past year, our packing methods haven't been as minimizing. We still use the Stuff Sacks, but also roll pants and put them in the Western Flyer / Tristar Packing Cube Backpack along with shirts loosely wrapped around the hangers.

I used to fold my clothes very loosely in the suitcase on the departure trip and roll them tightly to leave room for souvenirs on the return trip . . . but that was before bag restrictions.

[Lani]

Jodi from Legal Nomads recommends compression-strap stuff sacks for packing clothes. You really don't want to pack easy-to-wrinkle stuff in there, but boy, does it compress down!

[falconea]

-- if anyone ever needs advice on how to pack the contents of a fridge, we have it!)

I have to ask - how? Your method could be useful when I need to transport frozen marine worms in a car for a day without allowing them to defrost....

Audrey

[marbenais]

Hmm, I'm not that practiced at day-long refrigeration. I'd suggest insulating in multiple containers with ice packs in each layer -- for example, in an insulated lunch box, then in a grocery freezer bag, then in a cooler.

[lauragayle]

I love my Aeronaut and TriStar. I have an older Aeronaut without compression straps, and have been tempted to "trade up." I've tried bundling, and if you have time at your destination to unpack, it's okay. The roll (or fold and roll) method seems to work much better for me, and in general, I have fewer wrinkles in clothing. Sometimes I'll use packing cubes to segregate clothing on longer trips (underwear, socks, dress clothes), and again, will use a combination of fold and roll, depending on the garments.

[dsmking]

I love my Aeronaut and TriStar. I have an older Aeronaut without compression straps, and have been tempted to "trade up." I've tried bundling, and if you have time at your destination to unpack, it's okay. The roll (or fold and roll) method seems to work much better for me, and in general, I have fewer wrinkles in clothing. Sometimes I'll use packing cubes to segregate clothing on longer trips (underwear, socks, dress clothes), and again, will use a combination of fold and roll, depending on the garments.

I know the temptation - probably the only reason I have not traded up is that I prefer the color of my Indigo Aeronaut to the current colors.