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I've been wanting to get some packing cubes but am almost overwhelmed with the range of sizes. I ordered a mixed set (one of each size, basically) so I can play with them and see how my clothes/other supplies will fit into them.
For those who use them -- which are the most useful sizes in your experience?
Ideally, I'd like to use one to contain a change of clothes neatly packed in my carryon (a small duffel) for trips when I check my luggage. I'm also planning to use them to store out of season clothes in my suitcase (which stores under my bed when I'm not traveling).
Is this for a move? I'm not sure I'm familiar with the term.
What are you storing? Is it for storage or travel? What is going in them?
I didn't know what they were either and had to look it up on Amazon. They're nylon bags with a mesh top. They get really good reviews, but after reading the reviews I don't really understand the point of them. I guess mostly to better organize your stuff? Some reviews say it allows you to pack more, but they don't look like they would compress your clothes down any.
But after reading so many great reviews I'm interested to hear more about these things. I was almost tempted to buy them to see what the big deal is.
I use ziplock bags for my travel. They're cheaper, easier to find in any grocery stores, come in many sizes, and work just as well. Plus they protect my belongings from potential spill and such during transit.
Nah, I am not fond of them. I try to travel light - one piece of luggage must do the trick, and packing cubes (although very neat to look at) can be a hindrance rather than a help.
For me it’s a lot easier to stuff rolled t-shirts, socks, and underwear in the remaining cracks after I have packed everything else, than it is to confine them to a blocky cube, leaving wasted space on the sides.
Except you have luggage made just for them, so they fit perfectly into a paired side pockets, and no space is wasted.
But all depends on your needs, and how nice and organized you want to travel. Obviously, they help with organization and sometimes allow more efficient use of space in bags. However, I can't get over the notion that they, technically, are extra material and thus extra weight.
And nowadays with the luggage weight limitation, I tend to eliminate everything that adds an empty weight, or waste space.
If I really need to organize some of my stuff, I rather pack them into a ziploc bags, than beefier nylon-and-zipper style packing aids.
I use them, and really like them. I don't know that I can fit more in my suitcase with them, but it is definitely easier to fit everything I do pack when I use cubes. They also provide some protection in the event of a suitcase zipper malfunction, and they make it easier if airport security chooses to search the bag. If I'm going on a short trip and will be living out of the suitcase, I organize the cubes by day/outfit so I can just pull out a different cube each day. For longer trips when I know I will be able to unpack everything into a dresser or closet, I pack by article of clothing - all shirts together, pants together, etc...
As for choosing sizes, it all depends on the bag(s) you're taking. I have Eagle Creek bags, which are more expensive than other brands, but they are also sturdier. I measured my suitcase, and figured out which cubes would maximize the space in my bag. I ended up with two half cubes and four half tubes. Together, these fit perfectly in one half of my standard roll-aboard, with the tubes fitting on the outside of the handle tracks and the cubes fitting in the middle. I leave the other half open for non-clothing items. I eventually bought a full cube as well, but I prefer the smaller cubes for compression and organization. I can fit clothes for one day in a half cube - jeans + t-shirt + socks/underwear.
We love the packing cubes. I initially purchased a 3 pc set for myself, then husband insisted that he wanted a set, too. They are incredibly lightweight and thin, taking up no extra space really. And the organizational techniques that can be utilized with these things are amazing.
I find that the medium size is the best for my clothes, but use the large one for pants and dresses. The smallest size is perfect for our bathroom stuff, makeup, etc.
If I were going to purchase more in a specific size, I guess it would be the medium. But I'd probably end up buying another mixed size 3 pc set instead.
People who have never used these things just don't get how great they are. So much easier to pack and unpack, and the clothes don't wrinkle or shift. We also use them to keep the dirty clothes away from the clean clothes.
We travel for 2-4 weeks with one carry on bag each and one small daypack (mostly filled with our prescription drugs, camera, phones, tablets and anything else we don't want out of our sight). Yes, on longer trips we do laundry. Yes, we pack formal wear for our cruises, and still only have carry on. We NEVER check luggage unless they offer at the gate.
I'm curious about them. We travel quite a lot and have done our last two trips with just roll-aboards and a small carry-on that fits on top (for rolling.) I'm a pretty good packer, and have tried all the techniques, and kind of wonder how easy it is to actually use the cubes while you're travelling. Yes, if you were on a short trip having things sorted by outfit would be great, but on longer trips it seems to me you'd be packing/unpacking the cubes quite a lot. I watched a youtube video of t-shirts and pants being stuff into the cubes, but how easy is it to extract one piece from the middle without disturbing the whole thing?
I might experiment and buy enough for one roll-aboard. I'm wondering as well as the OP exactly what sizes I need to fill my 22" case, including the expansion area on top.
Oh, and I saw some systems have a flat carrier for folded things like shirts and pants--has anyone tried these? Sounds like it might be fine for business travel, but needlessly bulky for leisure travel, although it would be nice if my husband's shirts weren't so wrinkled.
I'm also betting that when you pack to come home, your cubes are just as disorganized as my suitcase usually is, although it would be nice to be able to pack dirty clothes in one cube instead of a grocery bag!
Nope, the cubes work great on long trips, too. We put pants/dresses in the big one, shirts/blouses in the middle size. Just pull one item from each, and the rest just stay put. Underwear/socks/night gowns can be rolled around the edges of the large or medium cube, or you could use the smaller size for that stuff (we do the former). We have also used the small cube for bathing suits, so if they are still wet when we leave, they are okay in the small cube.
Nope, when stuff is too dirty to wear again, we refold and put it into a large cube. Just keep stacking it on top. When that cube is full, we use another. Typically, we pack so little that everything we bring home has been worn and needs washing.
I'd suggest buying a set of the mixed sizes instead of just one size.
I'm using packing cubes by Dot&Dot in assorted sizes when traveling. They are available on Amazon. I usually place bulky clothes (sweaters, jackets, jeans) in the large one, tops in the medium and underwear in the small size. I have double sided ones. I place clean clothes on one side and dirty clothes on the other. Or sometimes, I place all dirty clothes in one cube. I'm able to pack more because by using cubes, the clothes are somehow compressed against each other, no space is wasted. For storage, maybe you could use large cubes.
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