My Two Favorite Packing Methods

At least one weekend per month, I go on a little trip. These are almost never thought out. I usually have 24 hours to plan and execute my travel, if that. I've become adept at packing my duffel bag quickly and efficiently, even as I dream of one day being the kind of person who prepares for a vacation weeks in advance. Even under these circumstances-which, again, are my fault-my clothes and necessary items are always packed just right, wrinkle-free, and ready to unload on my arrival. Here are the two methods I prefer for packing clothes and saving room for other essentials.

Packing method 1: rolled bundles

My mom taught me when I was a kid that rolling clothes, not folding them, would ensure they didn't wrinkle within a suitcase or bag. Having your clothes in a longer tube shape also makes them a little more malleable, so they can be stuffed around larger things in the bag. I still roll my clothes, but I do it a little differently than she taught me: I roll them around each other and put something valuable or fragile in the center. For instance, I'll wrap my sunglasses in my swimsuits, then wrap my beach clothes around those. I'll wrap my sandals in the outfit I plan to wear with them. You get it.

By making these larger burritos, I keep the center items safe while reducing wrinkles in the clothes. The especially important ones, like the dress I plan to wear to a wedding or the outfit I want to wear to a nice dinner, go on the outer part of the roll, so they are spread the most and least likely to wrinkle. Less important things, like swimsuits or tank tops, can go toward the center, where they're wrapped tighter.

I can then line the bottom of my bag with the rolls and keep space at the top for whatever else I need, like toiletries and larger shoes. The bundles are tight, so nothing gets messed up in transit, and they take up less space than each item would if it were folded and placed in the bag on its own. A few considerations, though: I sometimes wrap each bundle in plastic grocery bags, in case anything spills in there, but also keep liquids like makeup and sunscreen in their own bag for additional safety. In the absence of a toiletry bag, the bottles fit snugly between bundles, using all available space and staying secure.

The nice thing about this method is that when I arrive to my destination, I just pull each bundle from the bag and set it in the drawer or closet. Because I roll similar items together, the outfits are ready to go.

Packing method 2: compression bags

My mom also taught me about compression bags back in the day. These are best for longer trips, which aren't really the kind I take, but on the rare occasion I'm gone for longer than two or three days, they come in handy because they save so much space. You can buy ready-made vacuum storage bags. You use a vacuum or hand pump to pull the air out of them, compressing them into much smaller bundles.

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The one above even comes with a hand pump to make it that much easier. When my mom taught me how to do this, we just used garbage bags and the hose of her vacuum and it had the same effect, although the flimsy bags were prone to ripping while we were away and it wasn't always feasible to re-vacuum them when we were in a hotel somewhere, so the bags on the return journey weren't nearly as well packed. The hand pump is the superior option here if you actually want to use the bags again on the way home.

Again, pack these with some kind of system, like putting each day's outfit in its own bag, so you don't have to open them all at once on your arrival.