vacuum storage bags......

[hazeyjane]

ok this might be a completely stupid idea, so I am prepared to be knocked down straight away!

If we took bedding etc in vacuum bags, and took a fully charged hand held vacuum (or a car vacuum? - we haven't got one, so would have to get a cheap one) so that we could compress them when packing up at the end of the trip - would that work? Am I being daft?

(Dh thinks I am, but I am determined that this will be The Best Idea Ever)

I think the problem is what to do when you get there! Where will you put the clothes? I find clothing a stuff in general a real pain camping and have semi solved it by giving each of us a soft duffel bag for everything, everything lives in the bags and is stored in and taken out as needed from the car. Of course by the end of the trip most of it has migrated to the tent but it does keep some semblance of order.

We did this last year and can't believe we didn't think of it before! It saved us so much space.

At the other end, we unpacked it all, made up the beds with the bedding (sheets / pillows / duvet for me). Clothes that needed hanging were hung up and stuff that didn't (underwear etc) went into coloured boxes, one for each person.We also tried microfibre towels for the first time and they saved us loads of space too.

When packing up we used the pump that we used for the airbeds to compress them down again. Worked really well. Not a daft idea at all OP

We have some that don't need a vaccuum. We just put the stuff in, roll from one end, and the air comes out through a one way valve. They are suitcase sized. Don't know if you can get duvet sized ones. They are packmate grand, and amazing.

Packmate Brand....

Ooh, off to google packmate, thankyou.

Glad it isn't an idiotic idea!!

I've looked at our airbed pump, which we kept from knackered airbed, but don't think there is a deflate function. Have been looking at little car vacuums and wondering whether dh could just do a garage run at the end and use the car vac there!

Apocalypse (great name!) - its mostly bedding, which obviously would be on beds when we get there, but clothes get thrown into pop up bins.

I bought bags on amazon that come with their own hand pump

So easy that even at home I use the hnad pump rather than bother getting the vacuum out

these ones

We are doing this, have ordered the Lakeland bags and will buy
m.ebay.co.uk/itm/152068249467

Even with no EHU there is normally a socket somewhere.

I love Mumsnet... just bought some of your recommendation Albuspercival. Thanks!