Good morning to all, and Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends. This is a quick post on quick packing, very much to the point as I’m currently in Venice, bags packed and ready to embark on an eight-day cruise down the Adriatic. This is a first for us, as the Entertablement household is more of the “figure it out yourself” persuasion. 🙂 Very good friends from the Cape are seasoned cruisers and we were persuaded to set aside our cranky independence and join them on this adventure.
The six of us were chatting over dinner last night about favourite packing methods, and I thought it might be useful to readers to share some of ours. Several years ago I tried out some packing cubes by eBags. They come in different sizes and colours, so I bought a few and gave them a whirl. We haven’t looked back since.
The beauty is once you figure out what fits into your particular suitcase, there is no more guesswork about how much to take. The big one on the left holds all my pants. The bottom right is shoes; the upper right is sweaters. In between is a long, narrow one for scarves. You get the picture.
The range of colours makes the cubes really useful for families. I bought differently coloured sets for each of the kids and grandkids one year for Christmas, with bright polka dots or stripes for the little girls. Now the parents just have to toss a couple of packing cubes for each child into their suitcases and there’s no more wondering which pair of socks belongs to which kid. Unpacking is a breeze. Just unzip the top of the cube and place it in the dresser drawer when you arrive at the hotel. The trend these days is to provide no storage in hotels, so I find the cubes to be really useful for keeping clothes organized when only an open shelf is offered.
For shirts and blouses, I use a different method. I leave them hanging on wire hangers and then cover the bundles with dry-cleaner’s plastic. The bit of air trapped in the plastic helps keep the items from creasing. Bundles of about five items work well. The method works equally well for men’s shirts. Simply fold the bundle into thirds and place it into the suitcase. Our suitcases come with a separate compartment in the top, into which I zip the hanging items.
All packed and ready to go. These pictures are from a couple of years ago. There’s my hat with the fur pompom, all ready to keep me warm at a vintage car event.
Sorry to post and dash, but we have very poor internet. I’m hooked up to my phone, using “Roam Like Home” and time is of the essence. As internet opportunity arises over the next week, I’ll keep everyone up to date on our progress as we visit several cities in Croatia, Kotor in Montenegro, and Sicily, Sorrento and Rome in Italy.
I’m sharing this post with Between Naps on the Porch.
Thank you for sharing your opinion about eBags…I tried them years ago and found they are invaluable for packing and keeping clothing organized. Another advantage is that you can leave items (for example under garments) in them so the clothing is not directly in contact with the cruise cabin or hotel drawers. Love using them! Happy Thanksgiving to Canadian readers! Have a lovely vacation and cruise!
Hi Alayne,
EBags are great, aren’t they? Like you, I just leave the clothes in them – just unzip as needed. It keeps everything together.
Thanks for your good wishes. We had smooth sailing overnight and are at our first port of call!
Best,
Helen
Great packing tips, Helen! I’ve never seen the packing cubes before, but they look fabulous. I’m totally going to try this next trip. We love cruises – hope you have a great time on yours! ❤️
Thanks, Barb. So far, so good!
We went on our first cruise last February and loved it. It was a sort of trial run with my cousin and her husband for cruising. Loved it! We’re headed fo rEgypt on a cruise next year. I discovered packing cubes when packing for our very independent family trip to Europe last summer. I love the idea of getting some of our grands. Which ones did you buy for them?
Hi Linda,
I went with Ebags for everyone. There were enough combinations, colours and patterns that I could get something to suit everyone.
Oooh – Egypt! How wonderful. Have you read the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters? They’re lots of fun.
Best,
Helen
Dear Helen, I’ve never tried cubes but can vouch for the dry-cleaner-bag method–I’ve used it for years to keep OH’s business suits wrinkle-free. Also, his crisply ironed shirts are folded with tissue paper. Have a wonderful time in Croatia–it’s magical! Hope you get to see Split and that the weather holds up. (Our favorite restaurant is Dvor, overlooking the water, where they make a spectacular salt-baked sea bass. P.S.: We don’t do arranged travel, either.
We are going to be touring Split today, Beatrice. I’ll let you know how it goes. Back on board ship by 4:30 pm, though, so may not have a chance to try the Dvor, unless we get there for lunch!
Hi Helen,
Hope you enjoy your cruise..it is cold here in The Netherlands but hear the weather is good on the Adriatic!
Love your Blog and being a designer and creator of dinnerware myself, I follow you avidly on Pinterest for ideas. My photographs are never as good as yours .. nor my table settings.. but yours always encourage me to do much better.
Have a great trip and may you be inspired by all the colours you see – especially by that beautiful scarf in your luggage 🙂
Kind regards
Penny
Thanks so much, Penny! I just had a look at your website and your tableware is gorgeous! I especially like the Safari and Harvest in Provence. (Ideas start percolating….)
It’s a lovely day here in Split – we’ve been lucky with the weather. I’m taking a lot of pictures and have indeed been inspired by the beautiful palette of the Venetian buildings we’ve seen up until now. Those stunning and rich terra-cotta colours are so inviting. The colors should be getting deeper and brighter now, I suspect as we work our way south and back into Italy. Sooo much to see.
Chat soon,
Helen
What a wonderful trip with friendsHotel Bellevue Syrene in Sorrento is one of my favorite hotels, in one of my favorite spots, of all time! Dinner on their terrace, table overlooking the sea, impeccable service, and delicious food; if you are only there for a moment, you will love it! Of course, as much as you all travel, you may have your own favorite spot in Sorrento. Also,, if you haven’t seen it previously, visit A. Gargiulo Januzzi, one of the loveliest and well-stocked linen shops I’ve experienced. It’s right on the main plaza of this delightful town. Oh how I wish I could be packed in one of those cubes in your suitcase; I’m quite foldable! Have a glorious time! Cherry Kay
Hi Cherry Kay! I’m back in the land of connectivity. Thanks for your patience in waiting for a response. We touched down in Sorrento on our way to Herculaneum, so didn’t get a chance to do much touring around, unfortunately. We’ve been to Positano a couple of times and liked it a lot. What I saw of Sorrento during our brief stop makes me want to go back. The main plaza looked intriguing and now that you’ve told me about the linen store, I’m even more eager to return!
Best,
Helen