Packing Method: Folding Versus Rolling Versus Packing Cubes! Which is the best?

Hey there, today's travel tip video will compare the rolling method versus folding method versus packing cubes. We will test each packing method in a carry-on suitcase. One of my viewers requested this video, so I think it will be helpful if you have to pack in only a carry-on suitcase for your next vacation. Step one is to lay out your vacation outfits on the floor or on the bed. That step is going to help you mentally know ahead of time what bulky items you need to pack versus the thin items that need to be packed in maybe a different way. A how-to video is going to pop up that's going to teach you how to fold, how to roll, how to do the KonMari method or the army roll. Today we're going to just test which packing method is going to help you for your trip. Number one, we're going to start with the folding method. I needed to pack travel outfits for a 10 day river cruise. I am folding two shorts that will go with each top, but if you do not wear shorts, I want you to choose two pairs of pants or capris that will mix and match with these tops. For summer, you can pack more bottom pieces. One travel tip is to be very strategic with your airport outfit because that can also be versatile and worn several times with the other outfits you're going to be packing. In the first comment, I'll have my 10 vacation outfit ideas for you that you can watch sometime. If packing in only a carry-on suitcase, you need those clothes to be folded in a compact way. Fold them twice if it helps make them smaller. Another tip that I do is I press them down once I fold and then I press them down again after folding again. You can see that when I just fold my shorts in this rectangular shape, they do seem to take up more space even though I only have like five pieces of clothing right there. In my opinion, the tighter you can fold or the tighter you can roll will help open up more space so you can pack more if you need to. Since I'm sitting on that end of the suitcase, I pull everything up to maximize the space that's in my suitcase but those can easily be squished in there if I needed them to. I also had space to throw in a pair of exercise shorts. Then I add the pants. I have two pairs of pants. Usually, I'll try to stick with one. One travel tip is to drape the bulkier items like these wide leg pants but it works just as fine for me to fold them down several times in that bottom space and then I can still fit undies in there. Notice what I did with the pajamas. I folded them and took them out of that set and packed them along the length of the suitcase. Just keep testing and see how much space is filled in your suitcase and then how much open extra space you have in that part. I have already maximized space with my carry-on by packing my cashmere sweater in the bottom of my tote bag for the trip. Now to compare the folding method with the rolling method, I'm going to use the same pieces of clothing. The goal of the rolling method is to roll as small and compactly as you can. It takes me so long to roll and I think that is why I really do not do it. It's not worth my time. One travel tip you can utilize for the rolling method is to roll lengthwise. So I'm going to fold a shirt for example halfway lengthwise like a hot dog let's say but once I have folded the shirt lengthwise, I'm going to roll it lengthwise. I'm not going to roll it down and then I can do two things with that shirt that I have rolled. I can pack it lengthwise along the length of my suitcase or I can bend it and make it fill all the way to the corner of that suitcase. Can you see how the shorts are kind of bulky? I think that's just maybe because of the pockets but I have to have those pockets. So there are some things that I want you to ask yourself when packing for a 10 day trip let's say in only a carry-on suitcase depending on which packing method you end up using. Can this item be worn only once during my vacation? If yes, then do not pack it. Number two, do I need these outfit pieces because they are the most comfortable and most versatile items from my closet that I could choose? I do have a list of my top five pants, my top five best shirts that are made for travel in my opinion, top five shoes, toiletry items in a video that I'll have in the first comment for you. But for me, that's where I am going to pack my bulkier items. I'm going to drape my wide leg pants that I'm packing. One travel tip if you're packing in a carry-on suitcase for cold weather is to pack cashmere or merino wool. They are thin to pack and they are scientifically effective in keeping your body heat in so you can pack fewer items but still be warm. My tip is to invest in two solid color cashmeres. I love investing in the Nordstrom brand cashmere sweater. They're going to come into stock in July or late June as well as in the fall and then they're going to be gone like right now. They are soft so you can wear them by themselves but they're easy and thin to pack and they keep you so warm. We can see that after I've packed these clothes I still have space in the bottom of my suitcase for my extra clothing that I need to pack but watch what happens when I compress those clothes. I pull them near the top of my suitcase. I have even more space available to pack. I can roll some more shirts, just a few. I don't have to roll that exact number and then put them on the upper layer because there is a layer of space available. With the compression cubes packing method, I wanted to tell you that I bought like three different brands five years ago and tested them out and this one, the Tripped brand, it's in the first comment. They have the best zippers and the best quality. I got two large cubes in a set of six. One tip when packing in a compression cube is to not let it be lopsided. Like you want the clothing to be in here in all one flat level and that's the way it's going to make it easier on you. And on vacation, before our vacation, we cannot be bothered to be stressed. One question that travelers ask me a lot is, are compression cubes going to make my clothes have more wrinkles in them when I get to my vacation? And I may have to iron one dress. Like when I went to Cabo San Lucas, I had to iron one dress out of all of my outfits and one blouse, that blue blouse. But I choose, here's my hack, I choose shirts or a dress that is going to be easy to iron. It's going to take me maybe 30 seconds and I'll just do that one morning when I have a slow morning and I'm done. I think the rolling method, the folding method, or using compression cubes, you are going to have some wrinkles regardless. Many people feel like they can get more in if they roll their clothes and put them in a compression cube. Some travel hacks to compress your clothes are to use a gallon baggie. I've also tried that at home with a vacuum cleaner and it does like make it like vacuum seal but I'm not going to have a vacuum cleaner on vacation. You can also use an old Amazon bag that an item came in or you can use a soft-sided lunch box as a cube and then you can smush it as you pack things on top. I've packed my socks inside my shoes but for my pajamas I'm going to choose thin pajama pieces. One frequently asked question from my Travel Tips by Lori viewers is what do I do with my dirty laundry? And there are several options. I stuff my dirty clothes in one of the pockets of my suitcase or I'll just throw them down in when it's in the closet of my hotel and then at the end of my vacation I really just stuff them all in my suitcase because all of my clothes are dirty since I rewore them throughout the trip. Some of the dirty clothes will stay in those thin shallow pockets and then most everything is in the hole of the suitcase. Like I don't even use my cubes because I'm not needing to organize my clothes. I just stuff them all in. Just so you know, I used packing cubes for about four years and then my viewers from my YouTube channel talked me into trying compression cubes and now I'll never go back. And now it's faster for me so that's what I tend to do. Here are some ways that people organize their compression cubes or packing cubes. One way that you can organize is you're going to have one pair of pants or bottom pieces with three or four shirts that are going to be worn with those bottom pieces or those capris or those pants or those short shorts that you've packed in there. Remember you're also wearing your airplane outfit pants. You can also organize your outfits by color scheme. Pack all of the blue shirts in this cube or in this part of the suitcase. You can also organize all of the tops for your whole entire vacation in one section and then pack your bottoms together. I usually pack my exercise shorts and shirt, my undies and my pajamas or swimsuits in one compression cube. I have to tell you a travel hack that I just figured out in 2024. Out of my set of six compression cubes, I usually use the two large ones. That's very important to me. I tried this new packing method. I packed in only the small cubes like this size. It was amazing how much I could pack in those little cubes. So just think of that if you have gallon baggies or a small bag that you want to try. I'm testing it out and I've been flying and packing in only a carry-on suitcase for 20 years and I just figured this out because I tested it. Notice on the other side of my suitcase, it is completely empty. When you pack your vacation outfits using the method that works best and easiest and quickest for you, you're going to move things around because now you have to fit in the extra stuff, right? Your curling iron, your shoes, your toiletry kit, your liquids bag maybe. It's really like Tetris. Tell me if you have ever played that and I'll know how old you are. And it's also like a puzzle. You're fitting, you're mixing, you're squishing. And do not forget the tip that helped me get 100,000 extra subscribers in two weeks on Instagram. And that is because airlines are running out of overhead bin space because they have like six priority boarding groups before you get to get on the airplane, they might have to check your carry-on suitcase to the belly of the airplane, which is fine if you're going to one location. But if you're connecting through another city to get to that final country or destination spot, there's a little risk that the airline could lose your luggage. So you're going to have a gallon baggie or a compression cube and you're going to pack one shirt, two pairs of undies, and one pair of socks. And that way if it is lost, you're good for a couple of days. For packing in a carry-on suitcase, the main tip is to pack less. So when you are finished packing all of your outfits or laying all of your outfit pieces out on your bed or the floor, I want you to take out one item. Let us know your thoughts on that tip. Alright, skim through the list of my comfortable, supportive, and somewhat water-resistant shoes for cobblestone roads before you go. And say hey! Thanks for your time.