Are Packing Cubes Value It? How you can Use Packing Cubes – Eagle Creek

A staple for any frequent traveler, the common-or-garden packing dice is a hero product that takes the stress out of organizing and transporting your stuff. Earlier than you attempt rolling, stuffing, and shoving issues into your suitcase, find out how journey execs use packing cubes so it can save you room when packing your baggage. 

Maybe you obtained packing cubes as a present, otherwise you picked some up primarily based on rave critiques from different vacationers. Now what? Are they only sitting in your closet, or possibly you’re utilizing them for dwelling storage?

Worse but, possibly you tried to make use of the packing cubes haphazardly on a visit they usually simply confused you! In case you don’t actually perceive the best way to use packing cubes, learn on for the definitive information to what they’re—and the best way to finest arrange your packing listing utilizing packing cubes of all completely different sizes. When you study ideas and methods to get essentially the most out of a packing dice system, you’ll study to like them. Right here’s the whole lot you’ll want to know.

What are Packing Cubes?

Packing cubes are organizational instruments on your suitcase that are available varied sizes and shapes. Made out of sturdy and light-weight supplies, most traditional packing cubes are an oblong form and shut with a zipper. Packing cubes work with both the rolling or folding methodology of journey packing.

Packing cubes are primarily used to prepare garments whereas touring, however the vary of sizes (not simply rectangles!) make them preferrred for additionally organizing digital camera gear, your electronics (akin to cords and equipment), and extra. They differ from nylon or plastic compression luggage as a result of they will accomplish that way more—compression cubes can compress similar to a bag, however they will additionally maintain and arrange every other gear on the highway. 

Briefly, something you set in your baggage can doubtless be organized with a packing dice!  

Do Packing Cubes Work—are They Even Value It?

With regards to packing a suitcase, it pays to be slightly obsessive. In case you are likely to rearrange your suitcase a number of instances on a visit, guaranteeing it’s as organized as potential, then packing cubes are useful and effectively well worth the funding. Utilizing packing organizers is a fast, straightforward strategy to carry order and concord to your bag—and to your journey.

And since packing cubes are available all shapes in sizes, you should utilize as many or as few cubes because it takes to prepare your gear. Which means you may select simply two medium sized cubes and a smaller sized dice to pack for a seashore trip to Thailand’s islands, metropolis apparel for Beijing, and mountaineering garments for just a few nights in Yangshuo’s rice terraces. 

Within the winter although, compression cubes and bigger cubes are well worth the funding—these useful cubes save area and cinch-down these bulkier objects. Each of those sized cubes are value it for vacationers packing for long-term journeys, or for households becoming plenty of gear in a single bag!

For the true organizational fan, spend money on a set of packing cubes and a set of packing sacs to begin—that method you might be selecting the correct cubes on your sort of journey and you’ve got a useful vary of choices. 

How you can Use Packing Cubes 

Pack Like With Like

Whenever you pack for a visit, your garments, footwear, and equipment come from well-organized drawers, cabinets, and closets. However on the highway, all these objects should share the identical restricted actual property inside your journey pack or highway journey duffel.

Listed here are two approaches to utilizing packing cubes:

Group objects such as you would at dwelling. You don’t hold your underwear along with your footwear, or belts and electronics in a drawer along with your pants. So separating them in your journey bag simply is sensible—and there are packing cubes particularly designed for packing every completely different sort of substances. Assume: shoe cubes, toiletry luggage, bra cubes, good shirts, and extra.

Pack by exercise. You could possibly pack a beach-weather dice—together with cowl ups and linen attire—by rolling them in neat rows, arranging them as shut collectively as potential. Swimsuits are simply scrunched into the identical medium packing dice across the neat rows of outfits, or put them in a water resistant slim dice. Contemplate the identical strategy on your mountaineering wardrobe—admittedly simpler contemplating it might encompass simply leggings, sports activities tops, skinny mountaineering pants, and shirts.

As famous, the most effective packing cubes are available a broad number of kinds, shapes, and materials, they usually act like compact drawers and cabinets in your bag, holding comparable objects collectively and separating them into classes.

Questioning the way you truly pack a packing dice?

In observe, which means you may roll your socks, scarves, belts, and underwear and put them right into a small, further small dice, or slim dice. Then roll your t-shirts, compress, and zip them right into a medium packing dice. Giant cubes work effectively on your pants, bigger shirts, and hulking objects—though actually you must look to compression cubes in case you’re packing sweaters and winter gear. 

A packing starter set is an effective way to begin your assortment with a wide range of sizes.

Use Packing Cubes That Match Your Baggage

Upon getting the cubes packed, it’s time to suit the cubes into your baggage. That is when vacationers usually get frazzled as a result of, admittedly, if you place the cubes in your bag, they take up all the suitcase. However, in case you compress them sufficient—and in case you packed the whole lot into them—then all of it suits. On the finish, suit your footwear on prime (even higher in case you place them in their very own packing bag) after which wedge any smaller packing sacs with remaining journey equipment into further areas across the cubes (these slip into the areas created by handles and wheel wells). 

What are these smaller objects? Your jewellery, small electronics, cords, headsets, pens, notebooks, belts, digital camera, and sun shades. Packing Sacs are available a wide range of sizes to make packing these things straightforward. 

Don’t get flustered in your first time with packing cubes, they do take some finagling, however you’ll shortly study precisely the proper configuration on your particular journey gear.

Completely Include Soiled Garments Stink

All too usually a squished bag of soiled garments accumulates and takes up extra space than obligatory when touring. Separating dirty from clear clothes has all the time been a problem for vacationers. One answer is to launder dirty garments each day, however that may get tiresome. When you’re completed sporting one thing, if it’s soiled, don’t crumple it right into a ball, however relatively toss it in a laundry sac, or roll it up and place it again in your Pack-It Clear/Soiled Dice—these characteristic one breathable compartment, and a second water resistant compartment to carry in moisture and management odors. The containment packing dice set is your pal in these conditions.

In case you hold the rolling method, you may keep a strict stage of group in your suitcase till you get dwelling. Sweaty smelly health club garments? Moist bathing swimsuit? No drawback. Clear/Soiled Cubes make sure the unused, clear garments stay simply that—clear—so you may shortly establish unworn outfits to both use on the rest of your journey, or if you get again dwelling, the soiled garments to pluck out and throw within the wash. This methodology ensures the whole lot stays smelling recent on your total journey. 

Keep Organized Throughout Your Journey

Upon reaching your lodging, you may select your dice of selection, hold up all of your clothes (or in case you’re shifting inns all through your keep, simply take out one or two outfits) with out disturbing the remainder of your suitcase. It’s that easy. As soon as you utilize packing cubes, you save a lot time by not rearranging your suitcase time and time once more.

15 Finest Packing Dice Suggestions

Within the curiosity of offering an much more complete overview of how finest to make use of a packing dice, prime journey bloggers share their prime ideas for organizing your suitcase with packing cubes.

Phase Small Electricals

Photographer Ben Horton makes use of packing cubes to phase small electricals—one thing made simpler with the eTools Professional. “I take advantage of small and medium packing cubes to prepare my digital camera cables and batteries once I don’t need to take a complete digital camera bag out on location with me. It means I can journey mild and seize small equipment with ease as a substitute of getting to empty the contents of my pack in an effort to discover issues.”

Arrange Digital camera Tools

Jeremy who blogs as Journey Freak opts to prepare digital camera gear in his packing cubes. “Digital camera lenses will match inside medium-sized Gear packing cubes. Different sturdy packing cubes can be utilized to pack your digital camera physique or every other valuables that you could be want whereas touring. Don’t overlook; by no means pack costly gear in your check-in baggage. You must all the time hold your valuables in your carry-on.”

Shield Fragile Units

WIll from The Broke Backpacker suggests utilizing velcro dividers to guard fragile gadgets. “When utilizing packing cubes for digital camera gear or fragile electricals, it is key to make use of the stiff Velcro dividers built-in into your Gear Shield-It cubes. Use these dividers to create separate compartments inside your cubes for every bit of kit.” 

Simply Differentiate Children’ Belongings

Victoria from Bridges and Balloons makes use of packing cubes to maintain her children organized whereas touring. “I used to be already a packing dice fanatic pre-kids, however they’ve change into much more helpful now we journey as a household. Children include plenty of further baggage and the cubes assist hold all of it organised. They’re particularly helpful on flights or within the automobile after we use them to separate snacks, toys, and spare garments. For the children’ primary baggage, I’ve completely different colour packing cubes so I simply know whose is whose.”

Cut back Plastic Waste

Meg of MappingMegan.com makes use of sustainable packing cubes to cut back plastic waste. “I really like my water resistant packing cubes, which defend the opposite contents of my baggage. And I take advantage of them to cut back plastic waste. You may be tempted to separate your soiled clothes, toiletries, or different objects in plastic luggage, solely to discard them upon getting used them. However this sort of utilization of plastic luggage causes a lot waste and it’s turning into an more and more prevalent environmental drawback. Use packing cubes and sacs as a substitute!”

Arrange Your Toiletries

Journey author Tim Leffel makes use of a toiletry organizer when on the highway. “I have been utilizing Eagle Creek gear since I first went backpacking around the globe within the mid-90s, together with one in all their hanging journey toiletry kits to maintain these objects organized and hold them up in loos with out sufficient counter area.”

Keep in Form

Storyteller Emily Lush makes use of packing cubes to remain in form. “I even have a relatively uncommon use for my packing cubes—I weight them with toiletries and use them as dumbbells once I’m touring. Every morning I do reps of various workout routines to strengthen and tone. As a long-term traveler, it has been an essential a part of my routine to maintain match on the highway.”

Shade-Code Your Packing System

Jarryd and Alesha from Nomadasaurus have a color-code to prepare their packing cubes. “Having lived out of a backpack for the higher a part of a decade, packing cubes are completely important to how we arrange our gear. It might sound slightly obsessive, however we have now completely different coloured cubes for varied objects. Blue cubes for underwear and socks, inexperienced for shirts, crimson for pants and shorts, and black for cold-weather gear akin to a fleece, thermals, gloves, and a hat.”

Simply Say Sure to Wrinkle-Free Garments

Maggie from weblog The World Was Right here First layers clothes in packing cubes to keep away from creasing. “My accomplice and I each use and love the Eagle Creek Compression Cubes. One factor that works finest for me relating to getting essentially the most out of these particular cubes is to ensure my issues inside are as flat as might be. I discover that many different folks counsel rolling garments to maximise area within the cubes, nonetheless, I’ve discovered this to not be practically as efficient as folding them flat and stacking them as a substitute. It helps with the compression, maximizing area, and in addition limits the variety of wrinkles I get in my garments.”

Use Packing Cubes for Carry-On Journey

Amber from FoodDrinkDestinations.com retains a packing dice of journey necessities in her carry-on. “We purchased an authentic Eagle Creek packing dice in 2008 earlier than our first round-the-world-trip. Since that point, we place the identical packing dice fastidiously in one in all our carry-on luggage. We check with it affectionately as The Dice. Inside we retailer all of the small, however usually essential, stuff that we don’t need to lose. At anybody time The Dice safely holds a bag of random currencies from around the globe, transit playing cards from cities we frequent, random cellular sim playing cards, a transportable wifi system, ear plugs, headphones, enterprise playing cards, further images for visa purposes, immunization information, a backup bank card, and the rest small. The deal with makes it straightforward to slide out and in of the carry-on bag. And, as a result of it’s a delicate packing dice it doesn’t take up a ton of area!”

Separate Seasonal Clothes

Sustainable vacationers Max & Oksana from DrinkTeaTravel.com use packing cubes to categorize winter and summer season clothes. “As full-time vacationers, we discovered the worth of our Eagle Creek packing cubes a few years in the past and now don’t go anyplace with out them. As we regularly journey for lengthy intervals of time and in numerous climates, generally, half method by way of the journey, we’ll reorganize our folder packing cubes. We’ll put away our “winter” garments in a single dice and tuck them deep in our suitcase and hold all of the “summer season” garments in one other one. This retains our suitcases neat and tidy!

Pair Packing Cubes with Rubber Bands

Kimmie of Adventures & Sunsets maximizes area in her packing cubes with rubber bands. “Packing cubes have been my lifeblood whereas touring and backpacking by way of 65+ nations. I journey with two massive cubes and one smaller one, which I discover match completely, vertically in my 65L backpack. This packing dice tip is definitely from my mother who works as a flight attendant; to suit as a lot as potential in your packing cubes attempt rolling garments up with rubber bands! I hold a stash of rubber bands with me and roll all my garments up tightly and place them like Tetris into my packing cubes.

Maintain Delicates Separate & Protected

Bruna, journey blogger at Maps ‘N Luggage separates her delicates in small packing cubes. “I often journey with three packing cubes. One for tops, one other for bottoms, and a 3rd packing dice for socks, underwear, and bras. As a result of the final one is the smallest I’ve, and I don’t need to harm my underwired-bras, I tuck the cups within one another and stack them. Lastly, I put the socks on the backside, contained in the cup to carry its kind. It really works like a allure.

Maintain Your Cruise Cabin Tidy

Sandy from Boulevardsandbyways.com retains her cruise cabin tidy by utilizing packing cubes. “When packing for a latest 10-day cruise to the Caribbean I made a decision to buy a set of packing cubes. With packing cubes in hand, I organized the various kinds of clothes I’d put on at varied instances throughout the cruise. Bathing fits and canopy ups went in a single, dressy tops and slacks in one other. Shorts, t-shirts and tank tops stuffed bigger packing cubes, and bras and underwear slot in a smaller sized dice. Due to the shortage of drawer area, I stored the stuffed cubes in my suitcase. Each time I wanted an merchandise, I’d pull my suitcase out from below the mattress, pluck out the wanted objects and I used to be able to go.”

Arrange Your Street Journey Provides

Jackie The Globetrotting Instructor makes use of packing cubes to keep organized on a highway journey. “I really like utilizing packing cubes for highway journeys. Earlier than leaving, I arrange outfits and what I want for the evening, like pajamas and my toothbrush, in my packing cubes accordingly. I even have a dice for toiletries and one for medicines and first assist provides. Then, as a substitute of a suitcase or a big bag that takes up a lot area, I use a trunk organizer, a bin or drawers to retailer my packing cubes in my car. As a result of the whole lot is separated, I can choose and select what I take right into a resort or unpack in a tent. It’s a lot simpler than hauling a suitcase out and in of the automobile on daily basis.”

No matter how trendy or easy your packing strategies are, when you give packing cubes an actual attempt—no half-heartedness like some first makes an attempt—you’re going to like them. In fact you may freewheel it and attempt to arrange your bag utilizing outdated shoe bins or zip lock luggage, however homespun options often simply add to the chaos. Face it, until your garments, gear, and journey equipment are correctly corralled, they have an inclination to wander, and earlier than it, you’re touring with a bag that appears like a rummage sale.

When you’ve acquired your bag full of packing cubes—and when you successfully perceive how packing cubes work—will probably be essentially the most compact, organized suitcase of your life. You’ll be so proud it’s possible you’ll not even need to unpack it upon arriving at your vacation spot. However belief us, that is when packing cubes actually shine.

Irrespective of the place on the earth you’re touring—or the sort of bags you’re packing—use the Eagle Creek Pack-it System to remain organized and journey higher.

By Jillian Dara and Charli Moore