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What is the benefit to packing cubes?


mamasylvia
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I keep seeing references to using packing cubes. Those of you who use them - can you explain what it accomplishes? I've never used them and it looks to me like it would make packing harder, since you have to accommodate different-sized objects in the suitcase. I can see using the packages that compress clothes into a smaller size, but would like to learn what the attraction of packing cubes is.

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For me, it's a matter of rolling items and putting like items into the same cube. It also helps prevent my suitcase from getting trashed if TSA decides to rummage through things. I don't like my undies being presented to bored tourists waiting in line. Things don't shift inside the suitcase when using cubes Basically, they get used for rolled tops, undies and socks, scarves, slacks, swimwear and toiletries (sealed in ziplock bags). Then I fold those other things like jackets or finer tops like silk or chiffon using tissue and dry cleaner bags. Shoes can go into those cubes as well.

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Organization. Especially in duffle bags. Keeps clothes neat when packed into a rather empty suitcase.

 

Search 'cubes' in the Fashion and Beauty board. Tons of threads.

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By now it's clear that some travelers love them, and some don't. I'm in the "don't leave home without them" category. My bag for checking on the plane is actually designed to perfectly fit the ebags cubes. Couldn't be simpler. Rather than try to explain how they make my packing and unpacking more efficient, have a look at some of these youtube videos. Here are a few, or search youtube for yourself.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8Aw-DNzbCo

 

 

 

Edited by Shorex
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I don't find them useful either. It's better to take the right-sized suitcase for your clothes than to take a partially full bigger case. I've also done a side-by-side comparison of packing with or without cubes and I can get more in my suitcase without using them. Plus, I pack very carefully, fitting clothing into the space with the fewest possible folds -- I then end up with very few wrinkles.

 

For those who use cubes due to fears of TSA "pawing" their things -- what's to stop TSA opening the cubes and still handling your stuff, especially if they're looking for something? :confused:

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[quote name=cruisemom42;52532677

 

...

 

For those who use cubes due to fears of TSA "pawing" their things -- what's to stop TSA opening the cubes and still handling your stuff' date=' especially if they're looking for something? :confused:[/quote]

 

Very good point - of course if TSA opens a bag to see what's in it, they will also want to open the inner packages.

 

Also, leaving things in the cubes when you "unpack" and simply putting the cubes in drawers or cabinets really means that you are just half unpacking.

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Very good point - of course if TSA opens a bag to see what's in it, they will also want to open the inner packages.

 

Also, leaving things in the cubes when you "unpack" and simply putting the cubes in drawers or cabinets really means that you are just half unpacking.

 

 

Cubes also take away the fun of playing TETRIS when you pack...

 

bosco

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Cubes also take away the fun of playing TETRIS when you pack...

 

bosco

 

That's true. I make my DH leave the room. I then take everything out that he has put in the suitcases. I don't care if that is exactly the same spot I would have put it. Out it comes. Then I fold and roll everything I can. Socks go in every orifice there is. Shoes are filled with breakable or spillable things. I leave no corner or inch alone. By then my DH is nearly dying from the agony of packing those same suitcases. I ask him to make my breakfast. He does that then watches me some more. But I digress. Tetris is for me. I can't stand not unpacking even if it is for an overnight stay at a hotel so all would come out and I'd have to spend the time to refill those darned cubes.

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I've recently started to use them and love them...I place them in the bottom of the suitcase and then put the hard items ( toiletries, shoes, flat iron and then top off everything with beach bags hats etc...super fast to pack as well.

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I don't find them all that useful for a one stop vacation, like a cruise. They are extremely useful for a land vacation moving every couple of days. Its a very easy way to keep shirts, slacks and dresses nicely folded and to access one or two items without going through everything in the bag. I didn't believe it until I used them for 3 weeks in China. Now I always pack with them.

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By now it's clear that some travelers love them, and some don't. I'm in the "don't leave home without them" category. My bag for checking on the plane is actually designed to perfectly fit the ebags cubes. Couldn't be simpler. Rather than try to explain how they make my packing and unpacking more efficient, have a look at some of these youtube videos. Here are a few, or search youtube for yourself.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8Aw-DNzbCo

 

 

 

 

I've never used the cubes, but after watching your video suggestions, I think I may be hooked!!! :D I'm an organization freak and not sure why I never tried these. ;p Thanks for the info !!!

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Thanks so much for the responses, both pro and con. Since I already have a toiletries bag (which I actually never unpack, it stays in my suitcase for the next trip and opens and hangs in the closet when I am travelling) and shoe bags, it doesn't sound like they would help me. A half-empty suitcase is never my problem, I'm the one sitting on mine to get it to close. lol But I would always rather understand the benefits to decide whether something would work for me.

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I have been using packing cubes for almost 10 years and would never pack without them.

 

They come in different sizes, so they don't make packing difficult at all. They also somewhat compress your clothing if you pack them full.

 

I also have a permanently packed toiletry bag. :)

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Very good point - of course if TSA opens a bag to see what's in it, they will also want to open the inner packages.

 

Also, leaving things in the cubes when you "unpack" and simply putting the cubes in drawers or cabinets really means that you are just half unpacking.

 

 

TSA will xray the bag again, then X-ray each individual cube to find what they want. Voice of Experience (Vancouver v square metal clip ship magnet)

 

Cubes also take away the fun of playing TETRIS when you pack...

 

bosco

 

 

Makes for a quicker game of Tetris.

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I got the tip of using large gallon and three-gallon zip lock bags years ago here on CC and LOVED it. Then cubes became the rage and I bought a bunch of them in all sizes and desperately wanted to love them. They're so much prettier than zip-locks and i had even gotten them in different colors. I'm now ready to admit that I'm a lover of the ugly zip lock bags. I can compress them for the undies. I can pack an entire outfit of shorts, t-shirt, undies in one to just toss in my carry-on or the bigger suitcase. I can put a swimsuit, cover-up and flip flops in one, giving me my outfit for an excursion on water or for a sea day. I can put my SHOES into the zip locks so my clothes that I lay in the suitcase folded in half don't get soiled. BONUS: when I have an outfit that is dirty, I take it off, put it in the empty zip lock, mark a big X on it (signifying it's dirty) and just toss it in the suitcase (under the bed) each day. By the end of the cruise, I'm practically packed and don't have to spend the last day/night packing everything. I've tried packing with the cubes and with the zip locks. I can get WAY more into the suitcase with the zip-locks. Also, unpacking is a breeze and I can more easily see everything in the zip locks as I'm unpacking. Most of the stuff in the zip locks stay in the bags until I lay out what I'm wearing the next day and I just get it out off the zip lock and hang it up...then the dirty outfit goes in that zip lock with the big X and into the suitcase. I have an entire suitcase that I don't use filled with the packing cubes that i no longer use. Just not for me, bu others love them.

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I only like them for small items like underware and socks. I don't think they save room by any means infact just the opposite unless you use them kind of like compression bags but then all your stuff has a tendency to get wrinkles. Also I figure if my zipper fails my under things aren't going to go flying across the airport. And the tsa can have a more contained way of looking through my stuff I guess. But they do appeal to the organize obsession I have. I have the urge to put everything in their cubes but that just doesn't work well for me and is just more work.

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They come in different sizes, so they don't make packing difficult at all. They also somewhat compress your clothing if you pack them full.

 

I also have a permanently packed toiletry bag. :)

 

Ding, ding, ding! This is one of the major advantages of packing cubes (IMO), especially if you roll your clothing or bundle wrap. I can easily get a week's worth of clothing, a couple pairs of shoes, toiletries, etc., in a 19" carry-on using the cubes, and I don't have to force the lid closed or use the expansion to zip it up. I couldn't believe how much wasted space there was not using them. They increase the packing efficiency of your suitcase.

 

Again, just my opinion, but they're inexpensive enough on Amazon to purchase and try them out for yourself. I was truly amazed at the difference they made in the way I pack. ;)

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Ding, ding, ding! This is one of the major advantages of packing cubes (IMO), especially if you roll your clothing or bundle wrap. I can easily get a week's worth of clothing, a couple pairs of shoes, toiletries, etc., in a 19" carry-on using the cubes, and I don't have to force the lid closed or use the expansion to zip it up. I couldn't believe how much wasted space there was not using them. They increase the packing efficiency of your suitcase.

 

Again, just my opinion, but they're inexpensive enough on Amazon to purchase and try them out for yourself. I was truly amazed at the difference they made in the way I pack. ;)

 

As I said earlier, I did a side-by-side comparison of packing with and without cubes. I actually was able to get more in my suitcase without. Perhaps I am just a very efficient packer with a good system already....:cool:

 

I don't think anyone can universally say they are better. It's just down to individual preference and experience.

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As I said earlier, I did a side-by-side comparison of packing with and without cubes. I actually was able to get more in my suitcase without. Perhaps I am just a very efficient packer with a good system already....:cool:

 

I don't think anyone can universally say they are better. It's just down to individual preference and experience.

 

(hi cruisemom!!)

 

I work equally well with and without. I can pack a suitcase like a St. Regis Butler (if you stay at one, you have to have them unpack/repack ONCE to see how it is done). I can pack a suitcase like a frazzled last-second packer stuffing things wherever I can stuff them. For me, I like the compartmentalization that I get with the cubes. If I decide to keep my stuff in the luggage during a trip ( my usual mode), I can easily see what is where with the cubes/folders and just pull what I need and then put it back without reshuffling. If I decide to "unpack", I just pop out the cubes/folders and put them as-is in the dresser. As someone who travels small and light, it just works for me. If you are a big packer, you might not get the benefit as much.

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As someone who travels small and light, it just works for me. If you are a big packer, you might not get the benefit as much.

 

This is probably why there is so much disagreement between whether or not to use the cubes. Packing is very individual--what some people insist they have to have for a trip I can gladly do without, and vice-versa. Since I like to travel a lot and don't want to get bogged down by too much baggage, I travel light (generally 1 carry-on and a backpack) and find the cubes help me to do so. Others, though, will have 3-4 suitcases for a 7-day trip. Neither is right or wrong in their methods; it is just preference. :cool:

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Thanks for all the thoughtful comments. I agree personal preference is a big part of it. I refuse to take along a second suitcase, so it's a point of honor for me to get everything I need (clothes, toiletries, TENS unit) in my suitcase. Then I always have to get the weight down. lol So I'm very interested in trying compression bags (and I see no reason why baggies wouldn't work for that purpose as well) but I think the cubes just don't suit my style. I am not finding 3-gallon baggies anywhere though, only 2- and 2.5-gallon.

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