We hit on a trick years ago for maximising cheap bags. We use large light soft walled wheelie bags from the local market cost circa £19.
Stage one. Iron and fold your clothes into blocks eg the size of a pair of jeans/trousers folded 3 times. If intending to lie on the beach, lay your beach towel in the bag in such a way that it will wrap around the whole of the contents when fully packed.
Stage two. Pack socks etc into shoes to make them solid. Wrap each shoe in a Tesco bag. Lay the shoes in the ends of the bag with the soles facing outwards, using the sides of the bag if you pack lots of shoes (Tinbashette lays out the stuff, I pack, there are lots of shoes, and bags, believe me).
Stage three. Next, fill in the gap between the shoes with the handbags and underwear.
Stage four. If there is any room left, consider other clothes at this point. Pick up each 'block' of clothes and lower in the bag, cram them right up to teach end, fill in the gap in the middle. Roll dresses that do not crush and fill gaps with these.
Stage five. Fill the bag to the top and keep pulling up on the sides of the bag so that it fills uniformly. The idea here is to keep the bag as slim as possible so that it will go through the check-in tunnel. When the bag is full, pull the ends of the beach towel up and fold over the top as tightly as you can. Stick an address label on top of the folded towel. If you are not taking a beach towel, use bubble wrap, it's lighter!
Stage six. Right. Zip up the bag. Weigh yourself on the bathroom scales and note weight. Pick up the bag and stand back onto the scales, get your wife or other skivvy to stick their head between your legs and under the bag so that your combined weight can be seen.
Stage seven. Do the calculation..... scream "BUG*ER, it's all those fecking bags and shoes", unzip the bag and start taking stuff out!! (It happens every time, no joke!)
Stage eight. So, you've finally got what she wants in the bag (inside the weight) and what you're not being able to take in a separate pile ready to be rehung in the wardrobe....
Stage nine. Right, you're on your way, arrive at the destination, unzip the bags and everthing is still (well, mostly everytime) in the nice neat blocks you put together. One person unpacks, the other hangs up, some are creased, some are surprisingly not.
It works every time I've found, just don't panic when you get to stage four!
Oh, I forgot. We use electric cable ties to secure the zips. You can immediately see if anyone has tampered with your bag. When I want to cut them off I've a nail clipper hidden in the place where the retractable handle goes, just pull it out on its piece of string and Bob's you uncle!
On the return trip, use the block method but pack all the soiled underwear and small bits (sorted into dark and light) in separate Tesco bags ready for lifting out and putting straight into the washer.
And yes, I know I'd make someone a good wife, but I've already got one of these and one is quite enough thank you, but my domesticity generally affords me a quiet life.
Well, generally...........
Happy packing.
MTB