Packing Cubes ?

[caymancouple]

We travel about a third of the year, and we never check bags. While being careful of the clothes we choose to take, how well they coordinate and how easy to hand wash makes a lot of difference, packing cubes and these: https://www.amazon.com/BAGSMART-Luggage-Garment-Anti-wrinkle-Packing/dp/B00O1UX9LC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1521386251&sr=8-3&keywords=folding+packing+cube help a ton. The cubes are for underwear, shoes, etc, but the folders, oh my, huge change. Last month, we took a week cruise out of Galveston, which is a drive to port for us. I decided to be lazy and not use the folders.... what happened, my clothes did not all fit my normal size suitcase, and so I took a larger one, but more important, my clothes were really wrinkled compared to when I use the folder. I highly recommend you try one. I bet you get more.

[NCHPcruiser]

Both my husband and myself love them-more than we thought we would. They are especially great when we are in a hotel pre-cruise as we will pack what we need for those nights in a separate cube without having to disturb the rest of the suitcase.

[12thAggie]

I use 1 gallon, 2 gallon and 2.5 gallon ZIP Lock bags. They keep clothes flat and prevent wrinkles. They also do not crinkle clothing when bag is checked in security. Helps with bringing home dirty clothing because they are separate from clean clothing. If you pack outfits together it saves room in your cabin. Very inexpensive and they fit your clothing. They also have larger zip locks but I have never had to use them. I travel a lot for business and I have used this for years!!!

[TeaBag]

Love, love, love packing cubes. We got our from eBags also. With the cubes, it's impossible for TSA to make a dog's dinner out of your carefully packed suitcase. We also transfer the cubes to drawers once we are on board. I roll tops, skirts etc in the big ones and then hang them up when we are on board.

[Project_gal]

We do not travel light and I am not firmly in favour of packing cubes for everything except dresses, trousers and jackets (US = coats?). I have a number of different brands and really believe that the dimensions are more important than brand. You need a number of brands to get a good mix of dimensions.

 

I lay out the dresses, skirts and jackets in the case, add the packing cubes and finally fold the rest of the dresses, trousers and jackets over the cubes. This way, there is minimal creasing. On arrival, the cubes can be transferred to drawers and shelves without unpacking. Items can be removed as required. The remaining items hung on hangers. Unpacking is really fast.

 

The important thing to do is to make a list of what is in each cube. Some have windows and I just slip the list in. For those with no windows, I attach a clear plastic bag to the outside of the cube and slip the list in.

 

A further advantage is the you can pack the cubes well in advance, if you wish, making your packing much quicker.

[bboop51]

We do not travel light and I am not firmly in favour of packing cubes for everything except dresses, trousers and jackets (US = coats?). I have a number of different brands and really believe that the dimensions are more important than brand. You need a number of brands to get a good mix of dimensions.

 

I lay out the dresses, skirts and jackets in the case, add the packing cubes and finally fold the rest of the dresses, trousers and jackets over the cubes. This way, there is minimal creasing. On arrival, the cubes can be transferred to drawers and shelves without unpacking. Items can be removed as required. The remaining items hung on hangers. Unpacking is really fast.

 

The important thing to do is to make a list of what is in each cube. Some have windows and I just slip the list in. For those with no windows, I attach a clear plastic bag to the outside of the cube and slip the list in.

 

A further advantage is the you can pack the cubes well in advance, if you wish, making your packing much quicker.

Love the detailed instructions. Thanks [emoji175]

 

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[razzsuki]

I have them and love them. I can put more in suitcase and everything is organized. I keep them in the cubes and keep one or two for dirty laundry. I got mine at a dollar store in Canada but you can get on line for reasonable prices

[Talex831]

The sets we’ve had and used for years came from ebags. My sister gave me a set from TJMaxx and they ripped the first time they were used.

 

 

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[MEcruzr]

I ordered a compression packing cube from RUME this morning. It's on sale... so I'm going to try it. My "large" suitcase is only 25". I'm hoping I can get more in it this time. We'll see!

[dgh203]

I am a firm believer in cross packing for my family of 3. We each have a different color. It makes it so easy. I purchased ebags from amazon. Love them!

[mek]

I bought some years ago and never used them, but I took a trip to Africa in November and stayed in 3 different locations. They were great because I could easily live out of my suitcase. I'm not sure I would use them on a cruise because I like to unpack and put everything away, but I can see where they would be useful to keep things organized for families in the same cabin . I'm getting ready to take a 15 night TA next month and might use a couple for underware and save the drawer/cubby space for other things.

[Silkroad]

Packing cubes are very useful. I have old color coded sets from ebags, and newer sets (Amazon’s brand). Both are holding up very well. We do not have the compression bags. We leave our clothes in the cubes when we place them in drawers and on shelves. The cubes are very handy for the shelves above the bed and in the night stands. I use scarves as wraps in the evening, and I keep all of them in a medium sized cube above the bed. We keep our chargers and converters organized in small cubes. Same with medications, first aid supplies, and other small items. We use cubes to keep our carry on bags organized also.

 

We cross pack our checked bags, so we each pack half our socks in two cubes to go into the two bags. We do the same with all the other categories of clothing. This way, if one bag is lost or delayed, neither of us will be without some useful combinations of our clothing.

 

I always seal small delicate clothing within zip loc freezer bags before placing them into cubes. This includes lingerie, hosiery, scarves and DH’s ties. I also place shoes inside plastic bags, even those having their own cloth bags. I have been extremely thankful to have followed this practice on two occasions:

 

Two weeks after 9/11, I had to fly cross country to SFO because my mother had gone into emergency surgery. At IAD I had the pleasure of watching a surly TSA agent dump half the contents of my checked bag onto the filthy airport floor (I think it was accidental) and then flip the rest of the clothing around so roughly that he seemed intent on destroying it. At least the zip loc bags containing some of my clothing and my lingerie remained intact!

 

Imagine my surprise when waiting for my checked bag after a long flight (LBA-LHR-IAD) only to see a battered, duct taped, barely closed bag on the carousel. I only recognized it by my colorful luggage tag. En route, my bag had sustained a broken bottom hinge, and the contents were wet and muddy! I left Yorkshire in torrential rain, so I assume my poor bag fell off the top of a cart into a mud puddle. However, nothing had been lost, and most of my clothing had been protected by zip loc bags and packing cubes:D. I also invested in a colorful luggage strap after this incident lol.

Edited March 18, 2018 by Silkroad

[luvincruising]

We use a combination of Eagle Creek packing cubes and Target compression bags for clothes, and Ziploc bags for the small items.

 

If you are staying in a hotel pre-cruise, pack a cube with your clothes for embarkation morning. It does keep you organized and reduces stress.

:)

[jkgourmet]

That's exactly what I am using mine for...also I use a small one for the meds I might need and the gadgets like magnets, pool clips, extension cords etc. I have different colors for different things..

 

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I sincerely hope you're not putting those meds in your checked luggage? :eek::eek:

[Kiwifromkiev]

I sincerely hope you're not putting those meds in your checked luggage? :eek::eek:

 

 

 

There are different meds - one’s usual daily and all others for colds, tummy bugs, cuts etc. unless it is life- dependant meds, they can be checked - imho

 

 

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[Fun Redhead]

I sincerely hope you're not putting those meds in your checked luggage? :eek::eek:

No, they are always with me...what were you thinking?[emoji848]

 

 

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[Kiwifromkiev]

No, they are always with me...what were you thinking?[emoji848]

 

 

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Think the perception was younpackbit in a packing cube and then pack the packing cube in your suite case x

 

 

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[GottaKnowWhen]

I am getting ready pre packing for our cruise on the Summit (six weeks from today [emoji572] [emoji1] .. yes I'm excited and very type A.) I have been hearing quite a bit about packing cubes. I see they are not cheap. I'm looking for some opinions. Packing cubes... yeah or ney ? and if yeah, which brand ? Thanks !

 

 

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We like to travel with as little as possible packed in as small a space as feasible. Tried cubes, they take up too much space.

 

My alternative is to use 1-gallon and 2.5-gallon zip-loc freezer storage bags. Socks in one, zip it closed. SS shirts in another, zip it closed. Etc. And of course, when closing, apply compression to squeeze all the air out. Advantages include easy to inspect by TSA without opening things up. Easy to live out of the suitcase if needed. Stuff doesn’t get badly wrinkled.

My wife’s alternative is to neatly fold items, place them in her suitcase. A very small suitcase with very few items. Mix and match. It works.

[katmandu2]

I bought Shacke packing cubes from Amazon and love them! I bought a 5-piece set, a 4-piece set (all different sizes) and some slim rectangular ones. I am an overpacker and find that the cubes help me stay organized when I travel. I was surprised at how much can go into the cubes, larger one gets dresses, medium gets shorts and t-shirts, slim ones get lingerie, toiletries, cords, etc. I've had them for 3 years and they are in great shape and look like they did when I bought them. When I get home from my trip, they all nestle into each other and zip up and take up very little storage space.

[Fun Redhead]

There are different meds - one’s usual daily and all others for colds, tummy bugs, cuts etc. unless it is life- dependant meds, they can be checked - imho

 

 

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I take all of them in my carry on..I am.still not a just carry on cruiser..I have a suitcase as well [emoji4]

 

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[Kiwifromkiev]

We like to travel with as little as possible packed in as small a space as feasible. Tried cubes, they take up too much space.

 

My alternative is to use 1-gallon and 2.5-gallon zip-loc freezer storage bags. Socks in one, zip it closed. SS shirts in another, zip it closed. Etc. And of course, when closing, apply compression to squeeze all the air out. Advantages include easy to inspect by TSA without opening things up. Easy to live out of the suitcase if needed. Stuff doesn’t get badly wrinkled.

My wife’s alternative is to neatly fold items, place them in her suitcase. A very small suitcase with very few items. Mix and match. It works.

 

 

 

Can I ask her you a question then please. How many items do you usually take on a trip (e.g. 3 tees, 2 shorts, 2 evening shirts) and how do you get around a) washing and b) having the same outfits in all photos? Thanks in advance!

 

 

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[josephsschmoe]

FWIW standard practice for the Schmoes is to take the number of changes anticpated between clothes washing events + 1-2 days.

 

We too are avid fans of packing cubes. If you live near an REI, they are always marking down Eagle Creek cubes..we have several. If you have nothing better to purchase, you can use your 20% bonus salwe coupon. Amazon house brand cubes are also fine.

 

Start with a few cubes and see how you like them.

 

For shoe bags, we have multiple vinyl and/or cloth bags distributed as promotional items by local business establishments. These bags typically have shoelace type strings along their sides to to make them usable as back packs. They are useless as backpacks but they make great shoe bags when you travel.

[waterbug123]

how do you get around a) washing and b) having the same outfits in all photos? Thanks in advance!

 

I'm not the one you asked, but for what it's worth, mix and match goes a long way. I generally pack lightly, but coordinate things so they mix and match to make multiple different outfits. Easy to avoid appearing to have on the same outfit in all photos. As far as washing, I don't worry about washing everything after wearing it once. On a cruise for instance, unless I spill something on myself at dinner, those clothes don't really get dirty... I mean, it's not like I'm sitting at dinner, and then sitting in a lounge afterward getting hot and sweaty. So pieces worn to dinner can easily be reworn without washing. For daytime thing that are more likely to get dirty during excursions perhaps, try to pack a few things that can be handwashed and hung to dry, or pack a few things that would be safe to send out to the ship's laundry service.

[garyl62]

I followed along on this post as the packing cubes seem to be a great organizational tool. One poster addressed my main question, which is how efficient the space in your suitcase is used when you have use these cubes. Seems to me you will never have cubes that fit perfectly into the size of your suitcase and therefore you will end up with wasted space. Would love to hear some comments about that.

 

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[Silkroad]

Though rectangular, the cubes are soft, so it’s easy to pack them in the cases in various orientations to minimize gaps. We use shoes (in bags) and other odd items (rolled fleece vests, swim suits, sunscreen) to fill the remaining gaps. I wish I could post one of the photos we took of our cubes packed in cases before our last cruise, but I must have deleted them. I suggest that you purchase one of the less expensive sets of three or four and give it a trial. I do find the largest size the least flexible, so try small or medium first. Also, as I mentioned earlier, zip loc bags are great for packing too. I’ve used them for years. Good luck. Happy travels:)