Packing "revolutionizing" baggage?

Luggage can be expensive enough. Now buy little bags (which add up to a
good sum) to make "better" use of that luggage!
--------------------------------

LOOSE WIRE
By JEREMY WAGSTAFF


The Art, and Technology, of Packing
April*22,*2005

This column is about technology but it's also about innovation: How do
we do things and can we do them better? This week's technology is simple
enough -- a bag -- but it's more about new ways of using the bag. It's
called packing. Or more specifically, modular packing.

I'm a journalist. I don't travel as much as I used to but I do travel.
I've learned a few tricks over the years. And what has struck me is how,
on the surface, not much has changed in thousands of years. Early
business travelers would grab their stuff -- a spare bearskin, a backup
club, a few flints -- and throw it into some sort of primeval pouch,
hitch it over their shoulder and hurry after migrating mammoth prey, who
were already pulling out of the terminal gate. (OK, I didn't do much
research for this bit.)

Nowadays (which I have researched extensively), things aren't much
different. We leave everything to the last minute, throw it into a bag,
sit on it while getting the spouse to call a cab. Sure, our wheeled
carry-on may look more sophisticated, but the technology is basically
the same as that used by our hirsute forebears: A container, all our
stuff, a mad rush and a mess.

LOOSE CONNECTIONS

Packing: The Experts Speak

So how can we do it differently? To me the big innovation in packing is
the module. The thinking is simple: Why collect all the individual
things we are going to take with us on our trip and then lump it
together? Most of us, if the flight is not actually about to depart,
make little piles of our underpants, socks, shirts, etc on our bed
before cramming them into the suitcase, hoping they fit, squeezing a
sock-ball here, a handkerchief there. At the other end, we throw the
case on the bed, rummage around inside, with shirts, vests, scarves and
boots flying everywhere in a sort of reverse action replay. It's
horrible, and if we then have to move room, hotel, or continent again on
the trip chances are not a single item of clothing looks anything like
when we bought it.

Packing Awareness

So technology's answer to this problem is: Stay at home. Let someone
else do the trip. No, actually, it's modular packing, sometimes called
packing cubes. It's simple enough: Instead of throwing everything into
one bag, you put them into smaller sub-bags, which then go into the big
bag. So the big bag, instead of being a pile of sundry items in varying
degrees of crumplitude, is a neat collection of different size sub-bags,
or modules.

This may not sound like much of an innovation, and some of you may do
this already (in which case I'm sure I'll hear your strong views on the
subject at some point), but extensive scientific research of my friends
in the pub revealed a very low level of modular packing awareness. Even
many campers don't seem to do this kind of thing to the extent I
imagined, unless I happen to have some really hopeless camping friends.
Which could be the case.

Modules simplify things immensely. But it's not just about the modules,
it's about how they're designed and how you use them. The modules have a
zip-around top, usually webbed so you can see what's inside. They come
in different sizes and shapes. UK-based Lifeventure
(www.lifeventure.co.uk) offer what they call "packable mesh cubes" (I
can't see me calling them that halfway up a mountain either), while
California-based Eagle Creek (eaglecreek.com) sell the Pack-It Cube
(slightly better name) and have recently introduced a new range with
padded sides, so they keep their shape better and don't squash the
contents too much.

Then it's up to how you use them. The best way to pack most kinds of
clothes is to roll them, rather than fold them. Roll up a T-shirt and
you'll find it's much less creased when you pull it out. Rolling also
makes them easier to pack in a cube. Underpants, socks and smaller items
can be folded over before being rolled into little balls. Eagle Creek
does a series of special shirt and pants containers, where, if you
follow their folding instructions to the letter, you end up with
clothing that survives a long trip in surprisingly good condition. For
geeks, Eagle Creek makes some nice padded bags that are great for
stuffing all the digital detritus you may bring with you but don't want
to put in your laptop bag. (More on what gadgets to take with you and
how to pack them in an upcoming "Loose Wire" column.)

Respectful Security

One of the great things about packing cubes is that you can then unpack
without really unpacking. Pull out the cubes from the big case, throw
them in a drawer and you're unpacked. Or, if you're short of space,
leave them in the case. If you need to get something out while you're on
the road, in the hotel lobby or on the airport runway, you won't have to
pull everything out. Also, I've noticed that airport security see your
baggage and tend to be more respectful, since unmatched panties and bras
don't spring out immediately when the case is opened and land on their
head.

An innovation I've developed myself (I call it the VariCube) is to avoid
the logical choice of putting all your undershirts in one cube, your
socks in another. That's fine for a short trip. But if you're going to
be moving from place to place, it makes better sense to divide the trip
into segments, clothes-wise. Each sub-bag, then, contains enough clothes
for each part of the trip, so you only need to open one cube at a time.

Modular packing is a great innovation and I've tried to convert everyone
I know. Including you, now that you've read this. There are
side-effects, however. One is appalling smugness. Another is that I'm so
mobile I tend to change hotels, or hotel rooms, at the drop of a hat. If
I don't like the view, the carpet or the way they folded the toilet
paper, I'm out of there, knowing I can throw my cubes into a case in a
second. It's empowering, but can be somewhat irritating for any anyone
traveling with me. Unless they're fellow packing cuboids themselves, in
which case they're probably already checked out and waiting in the cab,
the engine running.

--Send comments to

Loose Connections

Packing: The Experts Speak

I'm not the only guy who's obsessed with packing. Ed Hewitt of Web site
Independent Traveler (www.independenttraveler.com) says: "I have one
rule -- everything in the same place for every trip. Keys are always in
the same pocket, same stuff goes in carry-on every time, same stuff is
packed deep. I even have some 'traveling clothes,' things I wear almost
exclusively on the road for reasons of comfort and presentation, and
tend to keep these clean, pressed and ready to go."

Doug Dyment, author, programmer and designer of packing-system Web site
One Bag (www.onebag.com), goes modular but only uses a cube for laptop
gear, and a nylon pouch. (I'm guessing a cube will also do.) A core part
of Mr. Dyment's packing involves something called bundle folding, or
bundle wrapping (explained at length on his site): "For my clothes
(other than ties, socks, and underwear), I don't use a cube at all," he
says. "I use one section of the bag itself for my bundle wrap."

I asked Doug for some counterintuitive tips, and here's what he offered:
"Avoid luggage with built-in wheels. I understand the appeal, but most
of those who buy them clearly don't understand the trade-offs." (Check
out the section on his site, "Wheels: A Poor Alternative" for why.)
Another suggestion: "Have a packing list ... Checklists are a standard
engineering practice (for good reason), but most travelers just wing it
each and every time." Good idea. More tips and links at
loosewireblog.com.

A revolution that is over a decade old?



poldy wrote:

Luggage can be expensive enough. Now buy little bags (which add up to a
good sum) to make "better" use of that luggage!
--------------------------------

LOOSE WIRE
By JEREMY WAGSTAFF


The Art, and Technology, of Packing
April 22, 2005

This column is about technology but it's also about innovation: How do
we do things and can we do them better? This week's technology is simple
enough -- a bag -- but it's more about new ways of using the bag. It's
called packing. Or more specifically, modular packing.

I'm a journalist. I don't travel as much as I used to but I do travel.
I've learned a few tricks over the years. And what has struck me is how,
on the surface, not much has changed in thousands of years. Early
business travelers would grab their stuff -- a spare bearskin, a backup
club, a few flints -- and throw it into some sort of primeval pouch,
hitch it over their shoulder and hurry after migrating mammoth prey, who
were already pulling out of the terminal gate. (OK, I didn't do much
research for this bit.)

Nowadays (which I have researched extensively), things aren't much
different. We leave everything to the last minute, throw it into a bag,
sit on it while getting the spouse to call a cab. Sure, our wheeled
carry-on may look more sophisticated, but the technology is basically
the same as that used by our hirsute forebears: A container, all our
stuff, a mad rush and a mess.

LOOSE CONNECTIONS

Packing: The Experts Speak

So how can we do it differently? To me the big innovation in packing is
the module. The thinking is simple: Why collect all the individual
things we are going to take with us on our trip and then lump it
together? Most of us, if the flight is not actually about to depart,
make little piles of our underpants, socks, shirts, etc on our bed
before cramming them into the suitcase, hoping they fit, squeezing a
sock-ball here, a handkerchief there. At the other end, we throw the
case on the bed, rummage around inside, with shirts, vests, scarves and
boots flying everywhere in a sort of reverse action replay. It's
horrible, and if we then have to move room, hotel, or continent again on
the trip chances are not a single item of clothing looks anything like
when we bought it.

Packing Awareness

So technology's answer to this problem is: Stay at home. Let someone
else do the trip. No, actually, it's modular packing, sometimes called
packing cubes. It's simple enough: Instead of throwing everything into
one bag, you put them into smaller sub-bags, which then go into the big
bag. So the big bag, instead of being a pile of sundry items in varying
degrees of crumplitude, is a neat collection of different size sub-bags,
or modules.

This may not sound like much of an innovation, and some of you may do
this already (in which case I'm sure I'll hear your strong views on the
subject at some point), but extensive scientific research of my friends
in the pub revealed a very low level of modular packing awareness. Even
many campers don't seem to do this kind of thing to the extent I
imagined, unless I happen to have some really hopeless camping friends.
Which could be the case.

Modules simplify things immensely. But it's not just about the modules,
it's about how they're designed and how you use them. The modules have a
zip-around top, usually webbed so you can see what's inside. They come
in different sizes and shapes. UK-based Lifeventure
(www.lifeventure.co.uk) offer what they call "packable mesh cubes" (I
can't see me calling them that halfway up a mountain either), while
California-based Eagle Creek (eaglecreek.com) sell the Pack-It Cube
(slightly better name) and have recently introduced a new range with
padded sides, so they keep their shape better and don't squash the
contents too much.

Then it's up to how you use them. The best way to pack most kinds of
clothes is to roll them, rather than fold them. Roll up a T-shirt and
you'll find it's much less creased when you pull it out. Rolling also
makes them easier to pack in a cube. Underpants, socks and smaller items
can be folded over before being rolled into little balls. Eagle Creek
does a series of special shirt and pants containers, where, if you
follow their folding instructions to the letter, you end up with
clothing that survives a long trip in surprisingly good condition. For
geeks, Eagle Creek makes some nice padded bags that are great for
stuffing all the digital detritus you may bring with you but don't want
to put in your laptop bag. (More on what gadgets to take with you and
how to pack them in an upcoming "Loose Wire" column.)

Respectful Security

One of the great things about packing cubes is that you can then unpack
without really unpacking. Pull out the cubes from the big case, throw
them in a drawer and you're unpacked. Or, if you're short of space,
leave them in the case. If you need to get something out while you're on
the road, in the hotel lobby or on the airport runway, you won't have to
pull everything out. Also, I've noticed that airport security see your
baggage and tend to be more respectful, since unmatched panties and bras
don't spring out immediately when the case is opened and land on their
head.

An innovation I've developed myself (I call it the VariCube) is to avoid
the logical choice of putting all your undershirts in one cube, your
socks in another. That's fine for a short trip. But if you're going to
be moving from place to place, it makes better sense to divide the trip
into segments, clothes-wise. Each sub-bag, then, contains enough clothes
for each part of the trip, so you only need to open one cube at a time.

Modular packing is a great innovation and I've tried to convert everyone
I know. Including you, now that you've read this. There are
side-effects, however. One is appalling smugness. Another is that I'm so
mobile I tend to change hotels, or hotel rooms, at the drop of a hat. If
I don't like the view, the carpet or the way they folded the toilet
paper, I'm out of there, knowing I can throw my cubes into a case in a
second. It's empowering, but can be somewhat irritating for any anyone
traveling with me. Unless they're fellow packing cuboids themselves, in
which case they're probably already checked out and waiting in the cab,
the engine running.

--Send comments to

Loose Connections

Packing: The Experts Speak

I'm not the only guy who's obsessed with packing. Ed Hewitt of Web site
Independent Traveler (www.independenttraveler.com) says: "I have one
rule -- everything in the same place for every trip. Keys are always in
the same pocket, same stuff goes in carry-on every time, same stuff is
packed deep. I even have some 'traveling clothes,' things I wear almost
exclusively on the road for reasons of comfort and presentation, and
tend to keep these clean, pressed and ready to go."

Doug Dyment, author, programmer and designer of packing-system Web site
One Bag (www.onebag.com), goes modular but only uses a cube for laptop
gear, and a nylon pouch. (I'm guessing a cube will also do.) A core part
of Mr. Dyment's packing involves something called bundle folding, or
bundle wrapping (explained at length on his site): "For my clothes
(other than ties, socks, and underwear), I don't use a cube at all," he
says. "I use one section of the bag itself for my bundle wrap."

I asked Doug for some counterintuitive tips, and here's what he offered:
"Avoid luggage with built-in wheels. I understand the appeal, but most
of those who buy them clearly don't understand the trade-offs." (Check
out the section on his site, "Wheels: A Poor Alternative" for why.)
Another suggestion: "Have a packing list ... Checklists are a standard
engineering practice (for good reason), but most travelers just wing it
each and every time." Good idea. More tips and links at
loosewireblog.com.

"The Rev Gaston" wrote in message
...
On 2005-04-24 01:14:42 +0200, poldy said:


So technology's answer to this problem is: Stay at home. Let someone else
do the trip. No, actually, it's modular packing, sometimes called packing
cubes. It's simple enough: Instead of throwing everything into one bag,
you put them into smaller sub-bags, which then go into the big bag. So
the big bag, instead of being a pile of sundry items in varying degrees
of crumplitude, is a neat collection of different size sub-bags, or
modules.

Technology's answer to this problem is to use plastic supermarket bags -
price: zero.

G;

I don't think that they are free in Ireland and they certainly are not free
in Switzerland.

JohnT

Even older. This just sounds like an expensive equivalent of sticking
yoru socks and undies in your shoes, folding or rolling your clothes
up, and all the other space-saving tricks my mother taught me.

Unlike the space-filling tricks newspaper columnists have to develop..

PJW

On Sun, 24 Apr 2005 05:20:34 GMT, "Frank F. Matthews"
wrote:

A revolution that is over a decade old?



So technology's answer to this problem is: Stay at home. Let someone
else do the trip. No, actually, it's modular packing, sometimes called
packing cubes. It's simple enough: Instead of throwing everything into
one bag, you put them into smaller sub-bags, which then go into the big
bag. So the big bag, instead of being a pile of sundry items in varying
degrees of crumplitude, is a neat collection of different size sub-bags,
or modules.

"JohnT" wrote:


"The Rev Gaston" wrote in message
...

Technology's answer to this problem is to use plastic supermarket bags -
price: zero.

I don't think that they are free in Ireland and they certainly are not free
in Switzerland.

They are not free in Ireland: they are subject to a 15 cent tax. So,
when we travel we make sure that we do some supermarket shopping in
order to stock up on plastic bags.

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED

The Rev Gaston wrote:

On 2005-04-24 11:04:26 +0200, Padraig Breathnach said:

"JohnT" wrote:


"The Rev Gaston" wrote in message
...

Technology's answer to this problem is to use plastic supermarket bags
- price: zero.

I don't think that they are free in Ireland and they certainly are not
free in Switzerland.

They are not free in Ireland: they are subject to a 15 cent tax. So,
when we travel we make sure that we do some supermarket shopping in
order to stock up on plastic bags.

Do you take an extra Pack-It Cube to put them in?

No. I make sure to go travelling before my stock is exhausted, and I
take one with me to put the new ones in.

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED

poldy wrote:
Luggage can be expensive enough. Now buy little bags (which add up to a
good sum) to make "better" use of that luggage!

I pack by the outfit putting the underpants and sox in the pants
pockets and folding them inside the shirt.
__________________________________________________ _________________
A San Franciscan whose reverence for each god is equal.
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ - http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 --- IClast at SFbay Net

poldy wrote:
Luggage can be expensive enough. Now buy little bags (which add up
to a
good sum) to make "better" use of that luggage!

I've been using a lite-weight, modular packing approach for some time.
I don't go to the extremes of onebag.com (e.g. washing and dring
clothes each night) but I have cut out a lot of the "want to haves" and
gotten down to the "must haves". I never travel with more than a 22"
TravelPro rolling bag and a carry-on gym bag. The clothes are all
subpacked into light zippered bags, some of which double as laundry
bags. My wife loves to tell her friends what a tyrant I am; limiting
her to just four pairs of shoes for two weeks in Italy. On the other
hand, she did take advantage of the situation to buy a whole bunch of
new easy-care, travel clothes from Travel$mith. 8-/

Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

In article ,
poldy wrote:

Luggage can be expensive enough. Now buy little bags (which add up to a
good sum) to make "better" use of that luggage!

I have been using Eagle Creek Pack-It Cubes and Pack-It Folders for
years now... I love them... "everything has a place and everything in
its place". Invaluable are the Compressor bags (I use Coleman) with
their one-way air valves that both protect and reduced volume by huge
amounts.

http://eaglecreek.com/packing_solutions.html

jay
Sun Apr 24, 2005



--------------------------------

The Rev Gaston wrote:

On 2005-04-24 01:14:42 +0200, poldy said:


So technology's answer to this problem is: Stay at home. Let someone
else do the trip. No, actually, it's modular packing, sometimes called
packing cubes. It's simple enough: Instead of throwing everything into
one bag, you put them into smaller sub-bags, which then go into the
big bag. So the big bag, instead of being a pile of sundry items in
varying degrees of crumplitude, is a neat collection of different size
sub-bags, or modules.


Technology's answer to this problem is to use plastic supermarket bags
- price: zero.

G;



To give the devices credit they do hold things together (velcro straps),
reduce wrinkling, and do assist with organization. I do tend to use
them mostly for shirts. My wife uses them for her suits.