Packing Cubes
 

Have you used them? Do you like them?

The ultra-organized part of me is thinking of getting some.

Boots

A lot of people swear by them. I personally don't use them. I teach packing classes and always travel carry on only and my feeling -- the packing cubes themselves take up much needed space. I have no trouble organizing my stuff.

But if you want everything contained in cubes - they are a popular item.

I don't like them. I might rewear something along the way- folding and packing in cubes takes a LOT longer than rolling and packing. I wouldn't necessarily say they take up more space for most people but for me they do because it's not a flexible system. If you add or subtract garments along the way, they might not fit in the existing cubes or you'll have to reorganize. Without cubes, you can use every nook and cranny.

One way I do find them useful is to keep underwear, socks, gloves, tights, hats together. So I do use one for winter travel.

I don't use them. I roll my clothes, and put the smaller items in lightweight fabric bags.

I always used to use ziplock plastic bags but for our current trip I bough a set of Osprey 8 litre, "Straightjacket compression sacks. They are made of ripstop nylon and are very strong and very light( 53g) which is a negligee impact on overall weight.

Far from taking up additional space, they really do compress stuff down significantly, I would estimate by 30-50% which is important for us as we travel carry on only, usually for 6 months at a time.

At 8 litres and retangular, I could fit four into my 40 litre pack but only use two, one for tee shirts, underwear and socks another for cold weather gear - merino base layers, fleeces etc. The latter I will only unpack in a few months time when we hit the New Zealand in winter!

I love packing cubes. I find them VERY useful if I'm traveling from place to place. No need to root through my luggage looking for things. They are very light and thin and do not take up much space.

Unless that cold weather gear is really light I would mail it to NZ rather than carry it around for months! When I attended a wedding during a European trip a couple of years back I mailed the wedding clothes and a heavier coat. It wasn't cheap, but it was better than carrying them.

"negligee impact"? haven't had one of those in years!
I have 3 cubes (zippered oblong nylon/mesh)that I like to use; they keep things organized and compact. One for underwear/socks, one for tees/nightgown/accessories, and one for unwashed.
The mesh tops make it easy to see what's inside.

I absolutely love packing cubes and have been using them for 15-20 years. I've used various brands as when I'm in a foreign country, I check the stores to see which ones they carry. My favorite ones are from British India, a Malaysian company that sells clothing, but also carries packing cubes at their clothing stores located throughout S.E. Asia.

British India stores reminds me of Banana Republic stores, but all of their gorgeous clothes have a S.E. Asian, tropical twist to them. I have their original packing cubes, from many years ago, but in 2015 they came out with some new ones and in new sizes and colors and I bought some of them, too. I had contacted them, a good 2-3 years prior, to see if they were going to bring them back and I'm glad that they did.

Right now, one entire side of my large suitcase is only packed with various colors and sizes of packing cubes and half of the other side is also with packing cubes. When I get to my destination, I just toss the packing cubes into dresser drawers. The only things that I hang are a few skirts, blouses, and an occasional dress. When it's time to pack again, I can easily toss the packing cubes back into my suitcase. It's like putting a puzzle together. I never fully unpack when I arrive to a destination no matter how long I'll be there and I can easily be in one place for 3 weeks straight before moving on. I basically live out of the packing cubes.

Back in the day, when Eagle Creek started making packing cubes, they were heavy, but they have improved theirs and made them much lighter, although I still prefer my Asian packing cubes over theirs as the Asian ones are both lightweight and hold their shape. But, I do have a few of the newer Eagle Creek ones and I use the Eagle Creek shoe ones for packing shoes as they work out very well.

Another brand that I started trying out, a few years ago and found in Bangkok, was a brand called, Monopoly Travel. I have several of their packing cubes packed right now. They have a variety of shapes, sizes and colors and in some even throw in a dirty-clothes bag.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mono...mmPGs4lJENOFM:

Way back, before cubes came out, I used to roll a lot of clothes. Back in the 70s, during my university days, I had part-time, holiday jobs teaching people how to pack and taught the roll method and other methods of packing. But, now a lot of my friends have gone to mostly packing cubes and also some rolling of items and other methods of packing. Since most of my clothes are 100% cotton, linen, or silk, I like to neatly fold them and place them into a packing cube and zip up the cube. I usually don't need to do much ironing when I arrive to my destination. With the silk items, I sometimes wrap them in tissue paper and then place them into a packing cube.

Happy Travels!

"schmerl on Jun 3, 17 at 5:33am
I love packing cubes. I find them VERY useful if I'm traveling from place to place. No need to root through my luggage looking for things. They are very light and thin and do not take up much space."


I totally agree. Plus, by having them in different colors and sizes, I know exactly where everything is packed and can also remove one cube without disturbing the rest of the packed items.

Happy Travels!

Interesting comments. I was never a clothes roller. Everything has to be square and linear and packed in piles. Hence the intrigue of packing cubes.

I went ahead and ordered some on Amazon :D

I used to put my underwear and socks in a plastic bag - not anymore! I also like the idea of knowing certain articles of clothing are grouped in a cube so I don't have to root through the piles (like tank tops/camisoles which I often pack quite a few of).

Don't know if I could just throw the cubes in a drawer without unpacking though. That might be asking too much ;)

Thanks for your input,
Boots

Boots08- It's really easy to just live out of the cubes then when it's time to pack up and leave, you're really already packed, for the most part. Smiles. I've been at home packing today and rotating cubes around in the suitcase and am almost totally packed. Which brand did you end up buying as there are so many different brands?

Happy Travels!

I chose Mossio brand 7 Set Packing Cubes. Reasonably priced with good reviews.

I use the cubes from eBags.

I am in the "love" them group, and have tons in all sizes, including the envelopes for shirts. The thin fabric ones weigh no more than a plastic bag. Because they are soft, they squish together - no space lost in the suitcase. Cubes are my favorite travel aid.

I roll some things, like underwear, camisoles, socks, etc. in the cubes, so use the smaller cubes all the time, the bigger ones for sweaters, etc. less. You can easily see what you want, and take out just that cube. If we are staying someplace where we unpack, the cubes just go into drawers or on a shelf.

I use one cube to pack a whole outfit to put in carryon in case checked luggage is lost or delayed. DH and I also each pack one outfit in the other's luggage for the same reason.

boots08:

I’ve bookmarked the ones that I think you bought. There are always folks that are asking me about travel items to buy. Maybe I'll pick up the ones that you bought for my mom.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Portable-...&wl13=&veh=sem

Last night, while recharging one of my old MacBooks, I decided to clear out lots of bookmarks. While doing it, I came across my below, saved link on travel cubes.

https://wiki.ezvid.com/best-packing-...FVA2gQodpWMJhA

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...E5A/ezvid02-20

Happy Travels!

As P. T. Barnum said, 'there's a sucker born every minute.'

There are all kinds of items sold to travellers that fall into the category of 'gimmicks'. Items of limited or no value whatsoever and yet someone always thinks they are a good idea and a 'must have'.

What any individual considers worthwhile does not mean it is worthwhile (or not) for someone else. It all depends on personal preferences and opinions.

So if 50 people do use them and 50 people don't use them, what does that tell you? That's all asking your question is going to result in here.

It actually DOES tell you something though. It tells you they are NOT a necessity or everyone would be using them and it also tells you there is no universal agreement that they are a waste of time or everyone would NOT be using them. And in the end, you're back to square one. LOL

I hardly think someone choosing to use packing cubes is a "sucker".

And how would I know if it's a 50/50 preference thing unless I ask my helpful, savvy fellow Fodorites?

Turns out that 5 liked/loved them, 3 didn't.

Some people travel with a money belt, or a neck pillow, or luggage with combination locks - things that others may well consider unnecessary. But

"It all depends on personal preference".

Boots

All so true.

Based on meeting someone who swore by them, I tried neck pillows a few times and gave them away. I take my own small feather pillow though on most trips. Seeing it tied to my suitcase brings smiles (sometimes laughs) from others.

Since I lnever take anything more than water, umbrella, etc. in a small tote or day pack, I don't need any of those cross body bags with straps you can't cut through. I am pretty casual with my bags, so would probably take it off and leave it somewhere, but if it makes other people feel secure, they should take it.

DH is well organized, especially with luggage with a few pockets and a toiletries bag. I am a very disorganized packer. I start off with everything good, but at the last minute seem to reorder and toss stuff in and out. Even if I repack carefully, the first overnight, I have chaos and it does not get better. With luggage with lots of pockets, I forget which pocket I put things in and end up searching to find stuff. The cubes keep me sane and save time. So it is personal. Like all travel stuff, it depends on what actually works for you.