If you’re reading this article than chances are you probably have been googling and pinning away at finding the best method for packing a suitcase. I’ve been there and trust me you will get a variety of different answers. Some suggest you should fold and others recommend rolling. While some swear by using packing cubes or other by using storage ziplock bags. However, after trying a half dozen different tricks I finally found the one that works best for our family. Let’s take a look at some different ways to pack a suitcase.

1. Let’s start with the stacking system, one of the most common method of packing. The pros of this method is, its one of the quickest ways to pack and requires the least amount of preparation or additional supplies. When packing your clothes this way use a front-to-back method so you can see your clothing with out digging through your bag. The negatives to this way is that outfits tends to crease and wrinkle. Also, other methods allow more room.

2. Rolling clothing is the next system on the list. This method has some great advantages because it is small and narrow in shape its easier to fit more. Clothing rolled has less wrinkles then folding. On the downside it’s hard to navigate through to find a outfit quickly. To fix this problem roll an entire outfit together. The rolls will be small still for kids clothing.

3. Let’s take a look at the compress or ziplock storage method. This method makes organizing super easy, especially for kids. You can label the bag by day and have shirt, shorts, socks and underwear in each bag. You will save a lot of space using bags. The downside is that while cheap to use ziplock bags it’s not environmentally friendly.

4. Last but not least is using packing cubes to sort clothing in a suitcase. This is a great way to keep things compartmentalized. Folding or rolling clothing into packing cubes moderately prevents wrinkling. Is a safe guard against bed bugs. The flip side to this method is that it’s not space efficient.

5. One last thing to consider…Instead of using a suitcase try packing children’s clothing in a hanging shoe storage organizer. Put outfits and pajamas for each day in a different cubby hole. This is a great way to stow clothing for road trips. Pull the storage system out of the car and hang in the hotel closet.

EXTRA TIP: Don’t back a baby bag that’s purse style. Use a baby bag that is designed to wear as a back pack. They have a lot of compartments for storing and organizing and more importantly comfortable to carry around. Pictures below are of my SKIP HOP bag I bought from BABIES R US.

 

Like most things in life there is no cookie cutter answer, everyone is different and has their own needs and preferences. For my family the best way to pack is a mix of all of these methods. I use bundling to keep large items wrinkle free and neat. Packing cubes for keeping things organization and separated. Lastly, I roll items that need to shrink down or to fill space. Weather using one or a combination of these techniques you’ll have a perfectly packed suitcase no matter what you’re wearing.

I like to lay everything out on my bed by day so I can visually see what I have and what I need. Next, I begin packing. For our train trip I rolled the boys clothing and labeled each bunch by day 1-8. I folded PJs and bathing suits and had a lot of space and everything was organized and looked great!