The ranger roll is the most space-saving way to fold your shirts. Over the last 7 years I’ve used this extensively while traveling, and today I’ll teach you how to do it properly whether you want to use it for your drawers, or your suitcase.
1. Lay the shirt with the front facing upward
To start ranger rolling a shirt, we start by laying the shirt out flat on a preferably even surface. Since it is easiest to perform the fold with the front of the shirt facing up, we will do it this way.
2. Flatten out uneven fabric to avoid wrinkles
Since the ranger roll is a tight fold, it can easily wrinkle your shirts unless we even it out properly before we start folding. Taking a second or two to make sure everything is nice and straightened before we start will pay off when you decide to wear the shirt later on.
3. Make a pocket at the bottom of the shirt
Fold the bottom of the shirt inside out. For a regular-sized shirt, you will need to fold the bottom out 2-3 inches (or 5-7 cm).
You want to make sure that the pocket is even on both the front and the backside, otherwise, the fold won’t hold later on.
4. Fold both arms in
Fold both arms in. If you have a t-shirt you can fold the arms in so they face towards each other. If you have a long-sleeved shirt, fold in one arm first so that it meets the other side, then fold the other arm over the top of the other arm.
For sleeveless shirts, you can obviously skip this step.
5. Fold from both left and right side one-third of the width of the shirt
Here comes your first real option for how you want your ranger roll to be formed.
We are going to fold both sides into the middle.
Option 1: If you want a long and thin roll, you can fold both sides one-third of the way so that one side overlaps the other all the way.
Option 2: if you want a thicker and shorter roll. you can fold both sides one-fourth of the way inward on both sides so that the folds meet in the middle of the shirt
Both options work great, in the end, it just depends on how your drawer or bag is formed. In general, I go with the first option for t-shirts and other thin shirts, and with the second option for thicker shirts like sweaters and the like.
Pro-tip: The first option will easier stand vertically on its own in your drawer. I talk more about this in my folding course
6. Tightly roll from the neck down to the pocket
With both hands start rolling the shirt from the neck down all the way to the end of the pocket we created in step 3. The tighter you roll here, the more space you will save. But also know that you also increase the risk of creasing the shirt if there are uneven areas of fabric on your shirt.
I usually roll it at a happy medium, which is when you feel a very slight tug on the fabric at the back of your roll, but you can experiment with what you prefer.
As you roll you want to press down on the roll a little. See the video if you want some more references than the illustration.
7. Grab the whole roll with one hand
Scoop up the entire roll with one hand. You want to hold the roll slightly over the middle point while holding on to the entire bottom so it doesn’t unravel. We are going to work with the top of the roll first.
8. Fold the pocket over the roll with your free hand
With your free hand, you can now flip the pocket (inside out part of the bottom shirt) that we created in step 3 back over the rest of the roll. This will result in the shirt being turned the correct way again and locking the part of the roll.
This is the most tricky part of the fold, so don’t be discouraged if it is hard the first few times you try. It is even harder when folding shorts!
9. Grab the whole roll on the folded side with your now free hand and turn the roll around
Grab hold of the part you just folded over with your free hand in the same way you’re currently holding the roll with your occupied hand. Now turn the roll around so that the part with the pocket folded over faces down, and the unfolded part of the pocket faces up.
10. Fold over the lose pocket with your new free hand
Now you essentially repeat the same process as you did in step 8. Fold the rest pocket over the roll. This side is usually a lot easier to fold over the other side we already did but make sure to take your time the first few times you do this roll.
11. Make adjustments with your thumbs
Now you have the roll locked securely in the pocket. We are going to make some minor adjustments, as you get experienced with the roll you can often skip this step, but for now, follow along. Stick your thumbs or index fingers inside the pocket, while holding the roll. Gently even out the roll so that it looks neat and uniform. I usually move my fingers back and forth a few times and make sure the edges of the roll sit nice and secure over the roll.
12. Place in dresser or bag
You can stack these horizontally in your drawer if you wish, or just let them rest on the long side. I made a whole guide on organizing your clothes with ranger rolls and similar rolls. Feel free to check that out next.
They hold together really nicely in a bag or briefcase too. Here’s how to do the fold on underwear.
Here is a simplified free cheat sheet for ranger rolling shirts that you can print out if you want.
