How to bundle and roll clothes to maximize packing space

Does bundling clothes save space for packing?

Yes! Putting clothes together reduces the volume of each garment allowing to optimize the space inside the bag.

I like to roll all my clothes and pack them inside my bag. However, when I roll the clothes, each garment has it's own volume, which ends up taking space inside the bag.

Just by rolling clothes I think we can get an excellent optimization for the space inside our bags, but I do think we can take a step further by bundling clothes together, and then, rolling them.

This is the technique I use most of the time when I pack for travel.

If you keep 2 or 3 pieces together in one roll it really maximizes space, because each roll takes less volume, when comparing to the more traditional folding method that everyone uses.

This works very well with a bundle of t-shirts or a bundle of underwear.

Another option is to bundle and roll together daily outfit changes. For example, a t-shirt with socks and underwear in just one roll. 

It not only allows you to put more things into your bag, but also it allows you to have everything organized. You take one roll out and you use the entire outfit.

This is actually my preferred method!

The only thing I try to do, is not put more than 2 or 3 garments together, since after a few pieces the roll significantly increases in volume which takes a lot of extra space.

 

I prepared a video where I explain in detail my bundling and rolling technique:

 

 

Does the type of fabric make a difference to bundling and rolling clothes?

Yes, fabrics make all the difference when deciding to bundle and roll clothes together. The thinner the fabric the more pieces you can roll together without significantly increasing the volume of the clothing roll.

So my rule of thumb is:

- for regular clothes (e.g., cotton polos or t-shirts): I roll 2 together

- very thin fabrics (e.g., polyester t-shirts): I roll 3 garments together

- very thick fabrics (e.g., whool or polyester fleeces): I roll them individually.

- 1 outfit together: regardless of the fabric I can always bundle and roll a t-shirt, underwear, and socks.

 

What are the benefits of bundling and rolling clothes?

In my opinion, there are 2 main benefits of bundling and rolling clothes together:

1) it significantly reduces the volume of each garment when comparing to them being packed separately. Since we are putting clothes together in one roll, the volume added is minor, thus we save space. This is visible in the picture above, where I bundled and rolled 3 t-shirts together.

2) It allows for a good organization of clothes since you know what each roll contains. If you need to take one roll out, the rest of the bag is still organized. This is particularly true if you are bundling and rolling entire outfit together (i.e., t-shirt, underwear and socks).

 

What are the downsides of bundling and rolling clothes?

Every rose has it's thorns, and this method is no exception. In my opinion, the main challenges to overcome are:

1) If you roll too many clothes together the roll becomes significantly larger, which makes it inefficient, since it is thicker and has less flexibility to adjust to the size of the bag.

2) If you roll 3 t-shirts together, when you need one of those t-shirts, you will need to undo the roll take the t-shirt out and then re-do the roll.

How do we overcome the challenges of bundling and rolling clothes?

To overcome the challenges I mentioned above, I think we need to pay attention to the size and shape of our bags, and consider the thickness of the fabric.

If we bundle and roll 2 or 3 garments together, it will not increase the volume and will fit perfectly inside the bag. 

So, depending on the fabric and the size and shape of the bag, you need to determine if you can roll 2 or take it up to 3 pieces of clothing rolled together.

However, if you opt for bundling and rolling entire outfit together (i.e., t-shirt, underwear and socks), it will not significantly increase the volume and you will always have the bag organized. 

Each time we need to take a roll out, we use everything in it, so there's no need to unroll and roll everything back again.

Below is a picture of me bundling a t-shirt and shorts:

 Which later transformed into this:

With practice, I believe this is an excellent technique to reduce the size of our bag. Please take a look to my post on How to travel only with a small 10 liter backpack.

Conclusion

Putting clothes together reduces the volume of the clothes inside the bag, allowing us to optimize the space inside.

It allows for a good organization of clothes since you know what each roll contains.

There might be challenges if you bundle and roll  too many clothes together, since the roll becomes significantly larger.

However, if we opt for bundling and rolling entire outfit together (i.e., t-shirt, underwear and socks), it will not increase the volume and we will always have the bag organized.