I learned the roll method, or what I call "the burrito method" as a way to pack more clothes into luggage and I've preferred doing it for years. Though my T-shirt burritos aren't as tight or as neat as this one. I also do underwear/pants the same way.
For the pack, Marines need to waterproof everything. We fold or roll, plave in freezer bags, squeeze the air out, and throw it in the pack. Clothes take up even less space than rolling like that and everything is waterproof
Eielson AFB chow hall...morning chow...bunch of Marines are wandering around with their food trays looking for the scullery. Nobody in the AF was there because it was 7:30AM on a Saturday...Finally someone comes out to inform us to just leave everything at the table; they have bussers who will clear everything...
Used to do something similar. Take a pair of underbritches, socks and your tshirt and roll them neatly together as you can then take the open end of one of those socks and pull it over everything else. Now you've got a full change of clothes in 1 pack, minus your cammies, which don't count. "Grunt roll"
You take one out of the bag, unroll it, if it's not the one you wanted, reroll it and toss it back in the bag. Repeat until you have the one you wanted.
Can confirm... this is for packing your ruck sack ("backpack"). Only clothes in there would be undershirts, socks, skivvies, and a second set of cammies. Only time your undershirt would be unique is if it was a "unit shirt" (has unit name/logo on the front/back), but nobody I knew would wear those in the field
Retired Marine reporting in: Never once in my live have I ever folded light that. I've rolled t-shirts before but never that precise. Roll three t-shirts or t-shirt, socks, and skivvies; put them in a 1-gallon ziplock freezer bag; flatten all of the air out; and seal the bag. Compact: check! Easy to find what you need: check! Waterproof: check!
I was never in the military but I traveled 40+ weeks a year for well over a decade for work, and I learned this somewhere along the way to maximize space while packing.
Except it’s not efficient. I did this for years in the army, and my versict has been loosely folded clothes ALWAYS fit more in a smaller space, because clothes conform to the shape of a bag or luggage. Army rolled crap is just a little obnoxious tube that leaves gaps all around. It at least works partially in the military because everything is the same size, but with civilian clothes you’re not generally bringing 8 shirts with identical sizes and cuts.
I learned this method, but you can go one step further. Now pick it up from the sleeves height and fold the bottom under to close in the arm. Then fold THAT over again. Stuff them into your drawer with the bottom down. They'll keep each other stood up and you can see the front of the shirt to see which is which. VERY few wrinkles for how compact they become.
Army here, can confirm. This is how we did it in the infantry. I'm not sure if everyone does it this way, but we lived out of our backpacks, so for field MOS, I would assume they were taught this way too.
I feel ya, I travel once a month for work and don't want to check a bag just because I don't want something list that I need so my carry on gets quite the work out, which is real fun as a short person with Delta Air's overhead compartment doors on some h in nge system that keeps them mostly closed
TilSovngarde
We did 6” squares when I was in AF basic.
IslaNublar
I learned the roll method, or what I call "the burrito method" as a way to pack more clothes into luggage and I've preferred doing it for years. Though my T-shirt burritos aren't as tight or as neat as this one. I also do underwear/pants the same way.
beaubrent
This stretches the hem and creates a flare effect I dislike.
BullittGT
Marines taught us the "JCPenney's" fold.
BandannaNinja
Small shirt 6" square, Medium shirt 6" square, Large shirt 6" square, X-large shirt 6" square...
Dociousaliexpilisticfragicalirepus
🥹And now I know why my army medic father taught us to roll a towel this way…
Calicious
Not the military I was in
veesee
Why does that shirt look so soft?
whitey211
I usually pack my cloths the same way for vacations. You can usually fit a good bit more in your luggage.
thetickcannothaveaspoontoobig
That is the logic behind the roll technique, more room for booze in your bag. :)
blinkonceforyes
My 2xl shirts are gonna be a tad larger
MechKelly
Well here's how t-shirts are folded in my house........they aren't.
Ivain
I bet those are pretty thin and stretchy. That would not work for most of my shirts, which are significantly thicker and not at all elastic.
Goblinpunker
What kind of shirts are those?
wargames
in the army but navy/marines does folds
gablestout
For the pack, Marines need to waterproof everything. We fold or roll, plave in freezer bags, squeeze the air out, and throw it in the pack. Clothes take up even less space than rolling like that and everything is waterproof
5Mac0
Air Force does Army rolls....Space Force probably vacuum seals theirs.
rusrsdude
You can do something similar to your underwear
quintessentialrob
Must be Army. He said the T-shirt was a nice square shape when it is clearly a rectangle.
QuartzPoker
Wrap your socks around it!
cambriago13
Did the same with every individual sock.
ProfXomox
Pairs, yeah roll and tuck so there is a smile. :D
VinnyVeritas
Not in the AR FORCE. Our valet or manservant took care of such things....
gablestout
Eielson AFB chow hall...morning chow...bunch of Marines are wandering around with their food trays looking for the scullery. Nobody in the AF was there because it was 7:30AM on a Saturday...Finally someone comes out to inform us to just leave everything at the table; they have bussers who will clear everything...
thetickcannothaveaspoontoobig
USAF Vet, this was the deployment/C-bag, you are going somewhere style. Personal locker/closet in dorms was 6x6 inch square trifolds.
tandr087
You won’t have time to wear the shirt boys, not with all the folding you’ll be doing 👍
sgtjim
Used to do something similar. Take a pair of underbritches, socks and your tshirt and roll them neatly together as you can then take the open end of one of those socks and pull it over everything else. Now you've got a full change of clothes in 1 pack, minus your cammies, which don't count. "Grunt roll"
Magnar1183
I'm too fuckin' stupid to ever be able to master that!
whosbestmom
What if you want to see what's on the front/back? I understand y'all all wear the same color; but I do not . . .
zagibu
You take one out of the bag, unroll it, if it's not the one you wanted, reroll it and toss it back in the bag. Repeat until you have the one you wanted.
gablestout
Can confirm... this is for packing your ruck sack ("backpack"). Only clothes in there would be undershirts, socks, skivvies, and a second set of cammies. Only time your undershirt would be unique is if it was a "unit shirt" (has unit name/logo on the front/back), but nobody I knew would wear those in the field
DaisyfromDownunder
How to guarantee wrinkled shirts
8gigsofshark
And one part of the hem weirdly stretched out. Also if you do it with tees with a design on them, you'll wreck it quickly.
gablestout
Retired Marine reporting in: Never once in my live have I ever folded light that. I've rolled t-shirts before but never that precise. Roll three t-shirts or t-shirt, socks, and skivvies; put them in a 1-gallon ziplock freezer bag; flatten all of the air out; and seal the bag.
Compact: check!
Easy to find what you need: check!
Waterproof: check!
Marine0311
Rah.
sgtjim
Yut.
Cooper1977
I was never in the military but I traveled 40+ weeks a year for well over a decade for work, and I learned this somewhere along the way to maximize space while packing.
figuringeights
This stretch the fabric of the garment though?
c0dengo
For use on cheap and disposable clothes
LazyUsername99
Except it’s not efficient. I did this for years in the army, and my versict has been loosely folded clothes ALWAYS fit more in a smaller space, because clothes conform to the shape of a bag or luggage. Army rolled crap is just a little obnoxious tube that leaves gaps all around. It at least works partially in the military because everything is the same size, but with civilian clothes you’re not generally bringing 8 shirts with identical sizes and cuts.
Cooper1977
I wear undershirts with almost every single shirt I wear, this works fine for undershirts.
Cooper1977
Also I RARELY wear just tshirts. Usually (legit 99+%) I wear button up shirts.
Sayagain
I've used it with underwear and pair of socks wrapped in it. Grab and go type deal.
SledgeGTR
Malinut
What t-shirt?
circlebreaker
MidnaDS
philmoregraves
Hah boobs (I felt it necessary)
FookinPrawns
Birdman79
Huh.....?
PineappleLoopsBroether
gumblemuntz
Kind of confusing... I had to watch six or seven times!
datphone777365
Now fold the bra.
phoony
Hell yeah!
PikaChunin
I learned this method, but you can go one step further. Now pick it up from the sleeves height and fold the bottom under to close in the arm. Then fold THAT over again. Stuff them into your drawer with the bottom down. They'll keep each other stood up and you can see the front of the shirt to see which is which. VERY few wrinkles for how compact they become.
ConsummateConundrum
Must be an army thing. I still fold mine the way I did the in navy 45 **cough** + years ago. Flat.
Tatsumaru004
Things also could have changed in 45 years, master chief.
gablestout
Marine Corps:
1) Roll (but not that precise, FFS
2) place in 1-gal ziplock freezer bag
3) squish down and seal the bag
lrateyourrig
How's that? On another sailors washboard abs?
4etherling
Army here, can confirm. This is how we did it in the infantry. I'm not sure if everyone does it this way, but we lived out of our backpacks, so for field MOS, I would assume they were taught this way too.
RawSugarPackage
It changes every few years, so the recruits can't practice.
KingOfTheImgurians
Same. I learned the "Navy way™" in 1996, and it's worked just fine for years.
jaqque
Same thing I thought. That’s not the way the Navy folds undershirts
JohnSmithterms
https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1a2J6OWw3eWhsaHJzdGJ3c200aXRrNG5lYjF0YnZnNW0wZjg3eHJ3YyZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/RlriHsdup813zsiY62/200w.webp
ProfXomox
Drills always wanted to see smiles in the morning when they did locker inspection.
GandalfTheGhey
I thought folding your clothes "the Navy way" meant on a fellow sailor's buttocks 🤔. **KIDDING** ᵖˡᵉᵃˢᵉ ᵈᵒⁿ'ᵗ ᵏᶦˡˡ ᵐᵉ
GangOfNahr19
Very Army thing, literally called it ranger rolling when I did it
ImSilverTongue
I fold mine the same way I've done for years, without military training. In a pile on a chair.
CatShadowleaf
Can confirm that ₂₀ ₒᵣ ₛₒ years ago we still folded 'em flat.
ANALMUFFIN
I got out of the Navy 10 yrs ago. Last I knew it was still a rectangle.
muliphen
It wasn't a thing for the AF either.
Ajierene
I remember rolling them but not tucking like that, we tucked the socks. I still roll my t-shirts and socks when packing and they take up less room
muliphen
If I'm going on an extended trip with limited bag space, I do the same.
Ajierene
I feel ya, I travel once a month for work and don't want to check a bag just because I don't want something list that I need so my carry on gets quite the work out, which is real fun as a short person with Delta Air's overhead compartment doors on some h in nge system that keeps them mostly closed
keyblader1985
That's a nasty cough.
zafner
Agent Orange
BarryTheCyborg
Not service related, sorry.
ConsummateConundrum
Tell me about it.
HandoB4Javert
IAmTheBadW01f
We have determined it's not service related
TheThorniestBerry
Ouch. That hit home.
ConsummateConundrum
Ah, yes. The motto of the Veterans Administration.
MajorasTerribleFate
Virtually Every Trauma, Exigency, Ruin, Affliction, or Need Suffered After Fighting For America Isn't Related to Service (VETERANS AFFAIRS)