Packing Tips From the Pros

Bundling

Great for:

• A structured suitcase. Bundling doesn’t work as well with weekenders or duffels.
• Condensing a lot of options for a long trip. “This method requires layering all your clothes around a core object, like an organizer pouch, so there are no hard creases,” says Doug Dyment, the creator of the travel-advice website OneBag.com.
• A mix of unstructured and tailored clothing
• People who really hate wrinkles.
  
  

How to Bundle

Lay Out All Your Clothes
You can bundle everything besides underwear, swimsuits, and accessories. Each garment should be buttoned or zipped and placed faceup (but jackets should be facedown). You’ll need a core, like a packing cube, to bundle around. (Try Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Half Cube; $14, eaglecreek.com.) Dyment fills a 7-by-10-inch pouch with socks.

Follow the Right Order
Start with tailored garments that wrinkle easily (they’ll be on the outside of the bundle, cushioned by both the other clothes and the core). Then add pieces that are less likely to wrinkle (these will be near the core). To keep the bundle balanced, lay short dresses and tops vertically, alternating north and south, and long dresses and bottoms horizontally, alternating east and west. Here’s the general sequence from the outer layer in: jackets, short dresses, long-sleeve shirts, short-sleeve shirts, pants, long dresses, skirts, sweaters, knits, and shorts.

Add the Core
Then, starting from the top of the pile, wrap each garment around the core.

See step-by-step instructions on How to Bundle Clothing.