What is the benefit to packing cubes?

[Pudgesmom]

Haha I thought we were including the folders in our discussion of packing cubes. The folders are awesome as well as the cubes, in fact they are the best part of the whole packing "system." Clothes pack in much less space and come out virtually unwrinkled.

 

I guess if you're driving to the port and not unpacking anywhere but the ship, they aren't worth it. Otherwise I myself wouldn't travel without them.

[daisy-mae]

Although I agree that the use of packing cubes seems to affect the amount of space available in a suitcase, I like to use them to organize my wardrobe a few weeks ahead of a trip. I set aside the outfits that I am planning to take, and store them in packing cubes as I go along. On the day before departure, I take an inventory of the contents and adjust as needed. On our latest cruise there were no drawers in our cabin, so the cubes helped to keep things tidy in the closet and the overhead cupboards.

 

I also do a lot of cycle-touring, and the cubes are invaluable for organizing my gear in my saddle-bags; they make it much easier to unpack/pack, as we typically stay in a different location every night.

[#55worktoplay]

Ohhh I like the folders too, thanks for posting the link to what they were.

 

The mention of saddle bags and the cubes was great as we snowmobile from a to b with saddlebags so this is a great idea that I hadn't thought of.

 

Thanks

[SadieN]

Haha I thought we were including the folders in our discussion of packing cubes. The folders are awesome as well as the cubes, in fact they are the best part of the whole packing "system." Clothes pack in much less space and come out virtually unwrinkled.

 

I guess if you're driving to the port and not unpacking anywhere but the ship, they aren't worth it. Otherwise I myself wouldn't travel without them.

 

 

For the most part, we only sail out of the two Los Angeles ports, about an hour away depending on traffic.

No matter the trip, we pack in variations of cubes, folders, space bags, ziplocks etc.

[mamasylvia]

I am playing with all the stuff I bought, and I have to say the bags aren't working well.

 

Saw the tip about using large baggies, so bought some. Managed to cram a sweat suit into a 2-gallon one, sealed it almost all the way, squeezed the air out, finished sealing it - and it puffed back up immediately. Apparently Ziploc freezer bags aren't airtight. (I seal food items all the time, squeezing out as much air as possible, so I'm quite familiar with the technique.) Scratch this one.

 

Got out the XL Magic Bag. Almost the perfect size for my large suitcase. Packed my sweatsuit in it, following the directions. I was able to lay them out side by side, but when I sealed the bag and started rolling it up to get rid of the excess air, I ran into 2 problems. The first was that it was really hard to roll at all. Might not be a challenge for a normal person but I have health issues. Second, when I did manage to get the air out, rolling it had shifted the contents so they were all lumped together in the bottom or the bag - not the flat result I wanted to make packing easier. I don't care about wrinkles but do need to be able to arrange things in my bag, and lumpy doesn't work for me.

 

Finally,l, I dug out the packing cubes I bought. Fit the sweatsuit and another pair of pants in a cube and zipped it up. (These are all items I bought specifically for the cruise so packing them now for a May cruise isn't a problem.) I am not sure they are taking up less room, we will have to see. But at least they are neatly packed now.

[CocoLocomotion]

Although I have several sets of cubes, my preferred packing aids are lingerie bags. These zippered mesh bags are intended for protecting lingerie in the washing machine. They are less expensive and less bulky than cubes, and are available in various sizes.

 

My usual bag groupings are:

(1) undies, socks, bras

(2) sleepwear, loungewear

(3) casual knit tops

(4) pants, capris, shorts

(5) cardigans, gloves, scarf [if needed]

 

My shoes are always in plastic bags by pairs. I carry a large drawstring bag for dirty clothes, primarily panties and socks. My clothes are always turned inside out after wearing and usually hung in the closet. If an item was worn only briefly, as for a meal, I may wear it again knowing by its inside-outness :-) that it isn't "fresh", but not yet in need of laundering.

 

As I repack my suitcase, the inside-out items are layered in the bottom of my suitcase. Any unworn items remain in or are repacked in the lingerie bags. After I return home, determining what goes into the laundry hamper and what returns to the closet is quick & easy without reverting to inconclusive sniff tests. ;-) I use cubes and zippered cases for lots of odds and ends in both my suitcase and my backpack/tote bag. One packing technique that I want to try sometime is the rolled clothing method. Hard to break the old folding habit though!