packing folders

[Dale Caldwell]

I would like to make my own pack-it folder (Eagle Creek) type pieces for urban travel. I read on another thread that some replaced the factory pieces with wal-mart cutting boards. I'm thinking this is a good start. I have some scrap tyvek laying around too and would appreciate any other ideas for not only material, but also assembling.

[John Canfield]

I use a USPS mailer. Free! I put a plastic binder inside and call it good.

JC

[Nick Gatel]

Dale,

They really don't do a good job of keeping the wrinkles out. The best way to pack shirts or trousers is to lay them on top of each other, place dry cleaner's plastic between each garment and then fold them as a single unit. Fewer wrinkles and easier to fill the void spaces in luggage… sort of like not using stuff sacks for all your gear.

Signed,

Road Warrior

[Dale Caldwell]

Why the dry cleaner's plastic?

I'm a very casual dresser and don't usually wear any button-ups. I mostly wear merino wool t-shirts and long sleeve shirts and nylon pants (though sometimes jeans or khaki like pants). The merino wrinkles so easy though. I used to roll the merino individually but that didn't seem to help much. Folding merino also leaves lines. Someone suggested carrying a one ounce spray bottle and spraying the wrinkles after you unpack to sit overnight. I can definitely see how folding them all together could reduce wrinkles, just not sure I understand the function of the plastic. Also, I know this may sound crazy but I am going to try and use my zpacks exo for urban traveling and figured the clothes could use the light but hard plastic sheets around them (like the pack-it folder boards) while in a backpack of this type.

Thanks for the advice!

[Nick Gatel]

When I am traveling with luggage it is for business. Suits, dress shirts, and ties. The plastic seems to reduce friction between layers so it is more difficult to develop wrinkles.

When I am traveling for business and my dress will be business casual, then I use a TNF Flyweight Rucksack, but still pack items the same. Less space taken up and less weight. I can travel for a week and have a different change of clothes for each day. Don't want to wear the sames clothes twice when working with corporate clients. Image reality of corporate business.

I have a lot of the dry cleaner plastic because suits and dress trousers go there after a trip.

[david]

I think packing folders did a good job keeping wrinkles out of shirts, but I was using them in a backpack.

Since packing folders are just two slabs of fairly stiff plastic with clothes compressed between them, I'd look at cutting weight from the plastic and either use tyvek + velcro or maybe just shock cord if you don't need the wraparound.

[d k]

I use the pack-it folders for urban travel and love them. Making them with cutting boards and Tyvek sounds like a great idea; you might not even have to do any stitching, just use Tyvek tape to add the piece for the pocket where the "card" is inserted, and use stick-on velcro (or would that work on Tyvek?).

Come to think of it, you probably only need a single cutting board per folder (they usually have 2, one on each side of the clothing stack). One of my pack-its only has one anymore, and it works just fine. That would save on weight too.

[EndoftheTrail]

Dale:

I use EC folder (15" or small size) and they're great for:

1. keeping clothes "not too wrinkled" — good enough for casual travel wear
2. saving some pack space
3. serving as "virtual frame" when inserted into the backpack nearest to the back.

A store-bought folder weighs 11oz.

I replaced mine with silnylon (got a fellow BPL poster to do the work for me but he's not sewing anymore) and two "paper thin" plastic cutting boards. The new weight is now 3.9oz.

[Chris Lucas]

The first thing I did with my Pack-It Folder 15 was toss it on my gram scale. The second thing I did was remove and ditch the superfluous thicker plastic sheet that resides in the center panel of the diamond. I can't recall now how many ounces that saved but it was significant. I could not detect any decrease in effectiveness with or without that plastic stiffener. Tyvek and rollable plastic cutting board sounds like a perfect solution to me.

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