How do you pack and save space for a mixed weather trip?

In prepping for a mixed weather trip, I started giving thought to how to fit big heavy coats, hats and gloves in with all my warm weather clothes. So I began searching Amazon for travel accessories and low and behold, up popped (name brand and generic) space saver bags.

You know the ones I’m talking about. The commercials (when they were on) show someone putting a big pile of blankets into a plastic bag, zipping it closed, opening the little circular hole and using a vacuum to suck the air out, thus reducing the mass of the bag.

Well, some popped up on Amazon that were specifically for travel and didn’t require a vacuum. You can roll the bag (or sit on it) to remove the air. I had the opportunity to try it out on my recent cruise to Alaska and I ended up sitting on my bag while zipping, so I left a small opening, then used my hands to squeeze the rest of the air out and zip it the rest of the way closed.

I’ll apologize for the unevenness of the bag, but I packed it in a hurry just to get the photos as an example (it was neater when I went to Alaska, I promise lol). If you are neater at layering them evenly, the bag will reduce evenly as well.

But here you go – this particular bag I think I actually found at the Dollar Tree so it does have the vacuum hole also, but I didn’t use the vacuum. Then there’s the stack of items I put in and the before and after the air was removed. Makes quite a difference in how much space it takes in the suitcase!

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So tell me, do you have tips and tricks for saving space when you pack? If so, please share them here!