Eagle Creek Pack-It Folder
Sick of dress clothes getting wrinkled in a suitcase? This is still the answer, and Eagle Creek still makes Pack-It folders, which puts this review among the small number here you can act on directly.
What it actually does, and why it beats rolling or cubes for this job: a rigid folding board gives you one single crease in a consistent place, rather than the random creases that come from stuffing. Shirts and trousers come out of it needing a shake rather than an iron.
How to use it properly, which most people get wrong:
- Layer alternately. Shirt facing one way, next shirt facing the other, so collars and sleeves are not stacked on each other.
- Put the heaviest items at the bottom of the stack, nearest the board.
- Fill it. A part-full folder lets things move, and movement is what creases them. Pad it out with a t-shirt if you are short of formal clothes.
- Pack it flat against the back panel of the bag, not on top of a pile of shoes.
Folder or cubes? They do different jobs and the answer is often both. Cubes sort and compress soft clothing; a folder keeps a small number of structured garments presentable. If you travel for work, the folder earns its space; if you travel in t-shirts, it does not.
The change since this review is that the whole packing-organiser category went mainstream, so there are now good cheaper alternatives. The folding board is the part that matters; a cube-shaped bag without one does not do this job.
Part of the guide to packing and organisation.