packing cubes?

[Dug720]

Does anyone not like the packing cubes? There are 8 of us traveling for a month, although the shortest time in 1 spot is 5 days. That's a lot of money for all those cubes. I often pack by days with everyone's tops for the day packed together. I would have thought we could fit more in if we weren't packing around cubes.

I find two gallon ziplock bags easily (and much more inexpensively) do the same thing.

 

[AndreAggie]

I love our packing cubes for adults. For kids, I found it easiest to pack an outfit (shirt, pants or shorts, socks, undies) in a gallon Ziploc bag and roll the air out. That way when we're getting dressed each morning all he has to do is grab a bag and get ready. I did 8 days to Disneyland and San Diego including makeup, toiletry bag, shoes and clothes in a medium suitcase using packing cubes with plenty of room to spare.

 

[robinb]

I find two gallon ziplock bags easily (and much more inexpensively) do the same thing.

I used to do the ziplock bags too, but I prefer the packing cubes. I like the feel of them when I use them and the look of them in the suitcase and drawers. I like how they fit together to make one even layer. I bought the 3-piece set for $25 so I really didn't think it was all that expensive over as many trips as I used them.

 

[Dan Murphy]

....I did 8 days to Disneyland and San Diego including makeup, toiletry bag, shoes and clothes in a medium suitcase using packing cubes.

One person? Or kids included?

 

[AndreAggie]

One person, but my son's stuff all fit in a carryon sized bag (using ziplocs). I did one load of laundry because we had a condo in San Diego that had a washer and dryer. We went to the SD Zoo and we were sweaty from all the walking! I hadn't planned on washing, but it was too convenient not to.

I could have made mine work in a carry-on, but I wanted the room for souvenirs!

Just fyi...we got our packing cubes on Amazon. Each family member has a different color.

 

[MouseMomx2]

I also prefer the 2-gallon Ziploc bags because they are clear. I do have a set of packing cubes, but mine are 3 of the same size and it is not always easy to remember what is in each one. With the Ziplocs I can easily see exactly what is inside...plus they are far, far cheaper.

 

[owensamo]

We use both packing cubes and space (compression) bags. We tend to use the cubes when we're checking luggage, as we've come pretty close to overweight by using compression bags in the past. Using one, the other or both, we've managed to travel in just carry-ons for multiple 2-3 week vacations (by doing some laundry or hand-washing). Not having to worry about checked bags is awesome, and we plan to travel this way again for our 3 week summer vacation this year. In fact, I'm planning on taking a 2-night work trip with just a backpack by packing in cubes!

I love that everything is organized, and that packing and unpacking is so easy - just toss the packing cubes in a drawer and you're done. We've gotten some Eagle Creek brand from REI (cubes and folders), but have found IKEA actually has some packing cube sets for under $10 that work very well as well! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30235115/

 

[MelSpees]

We use both packing cubes and space (compression) bags. We tend to use the cubes when we're checking luggage, as we've come pretty close to overweight by using compression bags in the past. Using one, the other or both, we've managed to travel in just carry-ons for multiple 2-3 week vacations (by doing some laundry or hand-washing). Not having to worry about checked bags is awesome, and we plan to travel this way again for our 3 week summer vacation this year. In fact, I'm planning on taking a 2-night work trip with just a backpack by packing in cubes!

I love that everything is organized, and that packing and unpacking is so easy - just toss the packing cubes in a drawer and you're done. We've gotten some Eagle Creek brand from REI (cubes and folders), but have found IKEA actually has some packing cube sets for under $10 that work very well as well! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30235115/

I know you have the REI ones, but do you have the Ikea ones as well? It's too bad they don't sell them on the website and don't give dimensions. Thanks.

 

[Crystal O_o]

I just tried packing cubes for my recent disney trip and I have to say I loved them!

 

[Minniemiss]

I know you have the REI ones, but do you have the Ikea ones as well? It's too bad they don't sell them on the website and don't give dimensions. Thanks.

Ikea, click on the product information tab and you will find the dimensions.

 

[wcw57]

I would be interested to see the correlation of people who over pack to those who find cubes useful...
I don't get the whole thing....how hard is it to find stuff in a suitcase? And, as posted above, don't baggies serve the same purpose?
Maybe I should investigate the correlation between cube users and those who are at least mildly OCD..?

 

[jtba]

I would be interested to see the correlation of people who over pack to those who find cubes useful...
I don't get the whole thing....how hard is it to find stuff in a suitcase? And, as posted above, don't baggies serve the same purpose?
Maybe I should investigate the correlation between cube users and those who are at least mildly OCD..?

i am definitely the OCD type but have so far never used packing cubes. however this thread has piqued my interests and i ordered some online yesterday!

 

[jtba]

also, because i do tend to overpack, my suitcase is often stuffed with a gazillion things, so to be able to put them in different cubes / bags sounds really helpful.

i'm guessing there isn't that much difference between cubes vs. ziplocks. as someone noted above, s/he likes the look of cubes better. my justification of buying the cubes is that i'll be helping to keep the economy going, heehee

 

[clten]

I tend to be an overpacker. I know what I have taken in the past and each cruise try to cut out the things I never got around to using. But we had large suitcases and I tended to hit the weight limit all the time. (It got really bad when I saw a report on one cruise line where there was an accident on the pier and luggage was knocked into the water and some that remained on the pier was soaked in water, oil or both. So I started using space bags and large ziplocs to protect my things in case there was a similar accident. Well, once you compress them, I can fit even more in the suitcase!)

About a year ago, I decided the only way I wasn't going to have challenges with the weight of the bag was to get a smaller suitcase. So even if I stuffed it, I would have to be stuffing it with bricks to go over the weight limit. Well, after the first trip with the new luggage (loved the luggage), found it hard to pack the large space bags into the bag. Struggled with that for a couple of trips. About a month ago, I gave in and bought some packing cubes (Eagle Creek compression bags). Went on a 4 day business trip earlier this month and got to test them out. Only took a very small suitcase and a couple of my packing cubes. I really liked them. Made packing easy, organized them based on what I would need each day. I usually never unpack but this made it very easy to move everything out of the suitcase to the dresser drawers. (These stayed as cubes so would fit in the drawers neatly and stack -- something I couldn't do with compressed space bags or ziplocs.) Then I was able to re-pack in small increments as I used the clothing (with space bags or the large ziplocs I tended to wait for days so it was still a chore) so when we were ready to leave, I was already almost packed. Needless to say as soon as I got home, I ordered more.

(About the tie to OCD-ness -- I am not OCD in the slightest. But could see how they could be addictive to the OCD-er's. My sister has a lot of OCD tendencies and she was traveling with me on the business trip and when she saw my packing cubes absolutely had to have them and told just about everyone about them! At least I know what to get her for Christmas this year!)

 

[chirogrrl]

Add me to the cube-loving list! I love them for all of the reasons already stated: organization, streamlined packing, packing more in a suitcase, etc. They are particularly helpful for land/sea vacations or split hotel stays, much easier to pack when you need to move.

I found great deals on sets of cubes at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. I think a set of 3 was $15? I thought that was pretty reasonable. I wanted to be able to mix and match the sizes for each vacation's specific needs, so I bought all the same color. I use a different color of Duct tape for each family member to label what's inside the cubes for easy sorting at our destination.

On the return trip, our large suitcase is reserved for the dirty clothes. As we empty the cubes, the dirty clothes get packed in the suitcase. At the end, the cubes are flattened out and put on top before closing. Easy!

 

[Minniemiss]

I would be interested to see the correlation of people who over pack to those who find cubes useful...
I don't get the whole thing....how hard is it to find stuff in a suitcase? And, as posted above, don't baggies serve the same purpose?
Maybe I should investigate the correlation between cube users and those who are at least mildly OCD..?

I like having my undies and socks all in one place. I pull out that cube, unzip and place in the drawer. My shirts, shorts and pants get hung up so no big deal if they are in a cube or not.

 

[Dug720]

Silly me. I thought they were actual cubes. I just went and looked them up. They are just mini-suitcases!

I'll stick with my ziplock bags.

 

[tinkerone]

i'm guessing there isn't that much difference between cubes vs. ziplocks. as someone noted above, s/he likes the look of cubes better. my justification of buying the cubes is that i'll be helping to keep the economy going, heehee

there is a huge difference. the packing cubes are unzipped all around, think suit case. the ziplocks only open at the top and its possible that you may have to dig deep to get something. the packing cubes are unzipped, top folded under and then placed in a drawer. your items need never touch the inside of the drawers, the advantage being its just a matter of lifting items out. ziplocks on the other hand are a little harder to maneuver in the drawers unless you take your cloths out of them and then your clothes are touching the drawers. when your ready to go home the cubes are ready to be zipped up and placed back in your suit case. it really could not be easier.
before anyone disagrees, I know some people probably do it differently and will not see the big difference but I definitely do. packing cubes all the way.

 

[jtba]

oooh, that is a great point, @tinkerone ! i didn't think of that, the part about the cubes having zippers all around. that does sound a lot easier than ziplocks. i think someone else mentioned they stack nicely too.

now i have ammunition for hubby if he starts grumbling about my new purchase... can't wait to use 'em in a few weeks!

 

[LizzyP]

I love my Dot&Dot slim packing cubes. I use them to pack my undergarments and socks. They surely make packing and unpacking easier.