Please forgive this hopelessly naive question from a newbie. I understand that this site espouses bundle packing. However, what is the take on packing folders? Do they have a use or are they totally incompatible with the bundle approach? I've only read rave reviews about people using the folders, but it is a self selective group. I'd welcome any feedback with pros and cons. Thanks.

I haven't used the folders. Lots of people like the Eagle Creeks. I would think bundle and folder are pretty much mutually exclusive. A folder might help you use a bag with no hold-downs or a bag or pack that is not really intended for use as a suitcase.

I have good results with packing folders - 20" works best for me. The 22" and >20" did not work as well. I tried the bundle method with and without the folder, but I got more wrinkles in my work clothes that way. Maybe it works better for a size M or lower, but my shirts need to be folded somewhere to fit in the bag. At least with the folder the creases are straight and uniform.

One note, I've taken to putting my shirts in the folder first, then the folding sheet (plastic thing) then the pants/shorts/etc on top of that. The shirts are kept neat between the plastic sheets. If someone could help be fix my bundle wrapping I would give it another go. Why carry the extra nylon and plastic - I just haven't been successful.

For me, the question is one of the degree of formality of the trip: if it is business suits and shirts, then I put the shirts in a packing folder because I can have them ironed at home and they come out not needing any touch-up. For a less formal trip, bundle packing - probably with less shirts and ones where starch or a crease or two is pretty irrelevant - seems better.

I have tried the bundle approach and find that while I can make a really nice bundle following the instruction sheet found on onebag.com, the bundle is too wide to fit in a bag like the AirBoss or the Aeronaut. I am probably doing something wrong but I cannot figure out how to make my shirts (long sleeve, button down the front) narrow enough so that the entire bundle is not at least 22-23 inches wide without adding another fold somewhere. So, I use folders. If someone can enlighten me as to what I might be doing wrong, I'd be grateful. I do like the idea of the bundle as it seems it would work and is easy to do.

I'll give it a try and see if the extra fold is problematic. The Aeronaut cube seems like it would require some major folding. As I have some time this week, I will put together a bundle for the large Aeronaut cube and see how well the shirts hold up. Thanks for pointing out what I should have been able to figure out!! Sometimes my brain gets stuck;)

I've had little luck with packing folders. At 6'5" and 240 lbs, my clothes are bigger than normal & I can pack more with the bundle method than the largest packing folder.

Maybe this will sound funny to some, but it works for me. I bundle my clothes, and then put it in one of the folders. So you can do both. I find that it actually helps cut down on space more, because the folder compresses the air out of the bundle. You can only do this with so much of course, but if you're taking one bag, you don't have that much to begin with.