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Wrinkle Free Packing: Men’s Suit, Shirt and Pants

Written by T.I. Cruiser on February 21, 2012 · Leave a Comment

One of the issues I have to deal with while cruising is that I actually enjoy formal nights. I understand that not everyone does formal night (and even less as time goes by), but I don’t dress up all that often so I don’t like to pass up my opportunities. The problem I have is I live in the Northeast United States meaning, for most cruises I have to fly to the port of embarkation. I’m sure that many of you know what a pain packing formal clothes can be when catching a flight is a necessity. This is especially true when you are a guy and you have to pack a suit.

Sure you could always rent a tuxedo on board the cruise ship for formal nights, but I also have a decent array of really nice suits that get almost no use. So it just makes sense for me to pack my own suit for the cruise. My own suits are not only my style, but also fit like a glove (relatively speaking), two characteristics that can’t be overlooked. So how does one overcome the fact that it is nearly impossible to pack a suit without having it turn out wrinkled and nasty looking?

My top tips for packing aren’t nearly as awe-inspiring as the video but here are my top tips for packing for a cruise.

Do not over-pack: If you cram as many items into your suitcase as humanly possible, other than exceeding the luggage weight allowance the only thing you will accomplish is wrinkling every article of clothing you bring. Always pack less than you think you will need, not only will lighter packing result in less clutter for your cabin it will also help keep your clothing wrinkle free.
Use plastic bags: One thing that I’ve learned over the years is that friction causes wrinkling. That is one of the reasons why dry-cleaning bags are made of plastic, to reduce wrinkling. Now I’m not saying all clothes should be placed in plastic bags, I don’t care if my in port or poolside clothes get wrinkled. However, I do like my evening wear to be relatively unwrinkled so they get individual plastic bags. It really does help keep your clothing in the same condition they were in before you put them in the suitcase.
You will want some clothes to be wrinkle-free while others aren’t so high on the priority scale. Those clothing items not high in priority should be rolled rather than folded to keep them as pristine as possible. I’m speaking mainly about T-shirts, shorts and jeans when I talk about rolling your clothing.
When packing the actual suitcase you will want to place the neatly folded and packaged items in the center of the bag. Around the outer edges you will want to place the rolled items around the folded and packaged items. Any empty spaces should be filled with socks and undergarments. While shoes and other heavier items should be placed at the bottom of a suitcase (bottom position while the suitcase is being stood up) so as to not wrinkle the more delicate items.

Hopefully, with these tips you will be able to stay wrinkle free on your next cruise. Now, obviously everyone has there on tips and tricks on packing and how to remain wrinkle-free and feel free to share yours in the comments.

Esteam Travel Steamer – Amazon Lightning Deal

Written by T.I. Cruiser on December 1, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Today it looks like Amazon is having another lightning deal that may be of interest to some of you. It looks like starting at 11:00 am EST today (Dec 1) the Jiffy Esteam Travel Steamerwill be one of the lightning deals. What this means is for a limited amount of time you will be able to pick up one of these items at a reduced price. Usually the reduced price is 15% or more but this will only last from the start time (11am) until either a predetermined time elapses or a certain number of units are sold.

The Jiffy Esteam Steamerhas great reviews on the Amazon.com website and I will be picking one up, assuming they don’t run out before I can get to it. Although I don’t always partake in formal nights, when I do I like to look my best. The problem is sometimes its impossible to get out some travel wrinkles using conventional methods. That is where the Esteam will come in handy. Since I am a pretty light packer I shouldn’t have a problem fitting the 2 pound unit into my luggage. The unit that is on sell is from their pink breast cancer awareness series.

Due to the color and the fact that it’ll probably get confiscated by my girlfriend as soon as she see’s it, I’ll probably end up wrapping it up and stuffing it under the tree for her. If you are trying to put together a travel kit that involves finding a way to stay wrinkle free, you might want to click over to Amazon.com just before 11 am to pick up a Jiffy Esteam .

Please note the sale price will not show until 11am EST at which time you will be able to select the Esteam at the lightning deal price.

Quick Tip: Wrinkle Resistant Packing

Written by T.I. Cruiser on May 20, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Although I am not really one to worry about being perfectly presentable while on a cruise, I also don’t like the idea of my clothes being so wrinkled that it looks as if I took a nap in them. So over the course of time I have picked up a couple of tips on how to minimize the amount of wrinkles in my clothing.

The first thing you want to do is lay out everything you plan to take on vacation. Remember to lay out your non-clothing items as well. It’s not unusual to have a stack of clothing that you are sure will fit in your luggage only to be foiled because you forgot about items such as toiletries, personal grooming items and other comfort items. Chances are when you look at the pile of clothing sitting next to your suitcase you’ll reconsider at least some of your items. Remember the idea of vacation packing isn’t to be ready for any possible scenario (you don’t need that themed outfit for disco night); it’s to be as efficient as possible.

When packing your clothes be sure to roll your clothing, this method is key to preventing wrinkles. When you fold clothes you voluntarily create creases which tend to set in more than the bend created by rolling. Wrinkles created by rolling for some reason seem to fall out a lot better than those made by folding which usually require an iron to fix.

If possible layer similar clothing before folding. The theory behind this is the bigger the roll the less severe the bend, the less severe the bend the easier the wrinkles fall out. I usually layer dress shirts and pools with t-shirts. I like to put the dress shirts on the outside with a polo next in and a t-shirt as the innermost shirt (since it doesn’t matter if they get a bit more wrinkled). I layer my pants on top of shorts which will form the center of my roll. Once everything is rolled you are ready to pack the suitcase.

Be sure to pack in layers with the first layer being any clothing that wasn’t suitable for rolling. This can be things like shoes, bathing suits and belts. You will place the rolled items on top of the unrolled items. Ideally you will have some rooms left in your bag, under no circumstances should you over-pack, over-packing is one of the major causes of wrinkles.

If you take these steps you should experience a lot less wrinkle than normal. This is not to say that you will not experience any wrinkling but the minor. Since the clothes were rolled instead of folded no creases should have set in and will be fixable by simply shaking out your clothing or by following the instructions on the bottle of Wrinkle Free Clothing Fabric Spray (I recommend always having a travel sized bottle with you). One last tip they can also help in a pinch is you can fill a water bottle with hot water. Lay out the clothing item and roll the hot water bottle over the clothing which behaves like a makeshift low power iron. Good luck!