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Packing Cubes


ChuckL88
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Hi all

 

I am planning for my first cruise and just want to get opinions on packing cubes.

 

a) Do you use them and why?

b) Where did you get yours and price range?

c) How do you pack them e.g. rolling or folding?

d) What do you pack in them and how do you pack what you don't pack in them?

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There is a very long thread in this section about packing cubes.

 

Some people swear by them, others are ho-hum.

 

I travel a lot for work, mainly internationally, and have no use for them. I DO use the Pack-It folders for shirts and suits.

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Yes, because I have a family of 4 and everyone has their own cubes, one large and one medium size. Makes packing and unpacking much easier especially if you have multiple cabins. Also maximizes space to cut down on luggage.

Amazon, about $5 each.

Folding.

Toiletries have their own bag, with lots of zip top bags. Shoes go wherever. Jackets we wear or keep in carry on. All important things (meds, electronics) go in carry on.

Just watch the suitcase weight. The cubes make it easy to pack too much in a large suitcase, they manage space so efficiently.

Enjoy your cruise. :)

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I use them - on long haul flights/cruise travel - and for my carry on bag ONLY. I can't find an advantage to them in checked luggage.

 

The reason I swear by them is because for long haul flights (I routinely fly to Australia from Boston, 22 hours in the air), I check my suitcase and keep one bag with me. In that bag, I have 3 packing cubes - one medium sized one (goes at the bottom of the bag) contains pajamas, fresh undies, minimal toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, travel mouthwash, deodorant), slippers, and medication. Before I get on the transpacific flight, I slip into the airport restroom, change into pajamas and slippers, and brush my teeth....just like I'm going to bed. It tricks me into sleeping for the first half of the flight.

 

That being said, those are the exact same items I would need for a night in a hotel prior to a cruise. So, doing that means I don't have to dig into my carefully packed checked bag until it's on the ship.

 

The other two small cubes I use for snacks and one for computer peripherals (I like classic video games, and I bring controllers to play on my laptop, plus a charger and a hard drive packed with movies and TV shows).

 

If you are confined to a small space (like an airplane seat), packing cubes make it quite easy to get into your bag, get the one item you need, and not have a "stuff explosion."

 

I like them. Not everyone does. I grabbed mine on Amazon, set of 6 for around $20-25, I think....I won't pay absurd prices for them.

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I love packing cubes, I have all sizes and have been using them for over 10 years.

 

I roll some things, bundle some, and fold some, whatever works.

 

My luggage has all packing cubes, I have nothing rattling around. Our trips are usually several months. The cubes make it so easy to live out of a suitcase.

 

Ebags has a good assortment of bags.

Edited by SPacificbound
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There is a very long thread in this section about packing cubes.

 

Some people swear by them, others are ho-hum.

 

I travel a lot for work, mainly internationally, and have no use for them. I DO use the Pack-It folders for shirts and suits.

 

Thanks for the advice SRF

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Yes, because I have a family of 4 and everyone has their own cubes, one large and one medium size. Makes packing and unpacking much easier especially if you have multiple cabins. Also maximizes space to cut down on luggage.

Amazon, about $5 each.

Folding.

Toiletries have their own bag, with lots of zip top bags. Shoes go wherever. Jackets we wear or keep in carry on. All important things (meds, electronics) go in carry on.

Just watch the suitcase weight. The cubes make it easy to pack too much in a large suitcase, they manage space so efficiently.

Enjoy your cruise. :)

 

Thanks for the advice fatcat

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I use them - on long haul flights/cruise travel - and for my carry on bag ONLY. I can't find an advantage to them in checked luggage.

 

The reason I swear by them is because for long haul flights (I routinely fly to Australia from Boston, 22 hours in the air), I check my suitcase and keep one bag with me. In that bag, I have 3 packing cubes - one medium sized one (goes at the bottom of the bag) contains pajamas, fresh undies, minimal toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, travel mouthwash, deodorant), slippers, and medication. Before I get on the transpacific flight, I slip into the airport restroom, change into pajamas and slippers, and brush my teeth....just like I'm going to bed. It tricks me into sleeping for the first half of the flight.

 

That being said, those are the exact same items I would need for a night in a hotel prior to a cruise. So, doing that means I don't have to dig into my carefully packed checked bag until it's on the ship.

 

The other two small cubes I use for snacks and one for computer peripherals (I like classic video games, and I bring controllers to play on my laptop, plus a charger and a hard drive packed with movies and TV shows).

 

If you are confined to a small space (like an airplane seat), packing cubes make it quite easy to get into your bag, get the one item you need, and not have a "stuff explosion."

 

I like them. Not everyone does. I grabbed mine on Amazon, set of 6 for around $20-25, I think....I won't pay absurd prices for them.

 

Thanks for the reply bensonfan

 

I am wondering what you mean by not being able to find an advantage in your checked luggage

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I love packing cubes, I have all sizes and have been using them for over 10 years.

 

I roll some things, bundle some, and fold some, whatever works.

 

My luggage has all packing cubes, I have nothing rattling around. Our trips are usually several months. The cubes make it so easy to live out of a suitcase.

 

Ebags has a good assortment of bags.

 

Thanks for the reply Jeannie :)

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I have used them and they were ok, Great for organization but didn't seem to save any room for me. Almost seemed to take up more space. On my last trip I tried compression bags, they are like a big ziplock bag, they worked great and I could tell they really saved space. I got them on Amazon https://amzn.to/2NFavd9

 

Thanks for the advice W2N

 

I don't believe that they packing cubes will save me any space necessarily just make the space used better

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We use packing cubes to keep everything organized it the suitcase. They also keep TSA from going through everything if they do open our suitcases. And they are easy to remove from the suitcase and place directly in the hotel room dresser for longer stays.

 

We fold or roll the clothes depending on the item. We bought some very lightweight cubes on Amazon for around $20 for a set of 4.

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We use packing cubes to keep everything organized it the suitcase. They also keep TSA from going through everything if they do open our suitcases. And they are easy to remove from the suitcase and place directly in the hotel room dresser for longer stays.

 

We fold or roll the clothes depending on the item. We bought some very lightweight cubes on Amazon for around $20 for a set of 4.

 

Thanks cruisin' along :)

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Thanks cruisin' along :)

 

Love, love, love packing cubes! I have bought them on Amazon and in Walmart and TJMaxx. I love them because my suitcase is organized. I use one for trousers, one for shirts, one for underwear, another for sweaters, etc. I find that I can just place them in the suitcase and then put my shoes in the packing cubes for shoes. When I get to the cruise or hotel, I can just take them out and put them on the shelves/in drawers or hang up what I need to (use tissue paper to prevent wrinkles). I put all my electronics in one cube and that goes in my carryon. Other little things (extra hand sanitizers, kleenex packs, snacks, little things, etc.) go into another cube so they are not rolling around the suitcase. So much easier to pack and stay organized, no matter how long the trip. Good luck!

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  • 1 month later...

I've been a confirmed light packer for years and have done several month long land/sea cruises with only a carry-on bag so packing cubes are essential. Actually I use compression packing cubes and I find them extremely useful for my travel needs.  Yeah, on these month long trips I may have to do laundry once or twice and the packing cubes help separate my dirty laundry from my clean.  As far as where I got them or how much they cost I really don't remember since I purchased them so long ago.  

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I'm another huge fan of packing cubes. I have a variety of different ones from different places. My favorite ones are Eagle Creek and Rick Steves. My Ikea set is probably my least favorite, as it came with too many super small packing cubes. They make packing so much easier. I spent 3 months backpacking around Europe and would change cities (or sometimes just accommodations) every few days. Knowing exactly where everything went and how it all went together made repacking each time a breeze. It also makes unpacking into say a cruise ship so easy. Take out the packing cubes and put them on the shelves or in the nightstand. I can see what is in each one, which is nice now that we are a family of 4, as even the kids can tell which one is theirs. I use the smaller packing cubes for socks/undies or small electronics, or smaller items in my carryon that I want to find on a plane. I tend to roll my clothes but pack my kids flat in outfits.

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On 9/12/2018 at 10:12 PM, ChuckL88 said:

Hi all

 

I am planning for my first cruise and just want to get opinions on packing cubes.

 

a) Do you use them and why?

b) Where did you get yours and price range?

c) How do you pack them e.g. rolling or folding?

d) What do you pack in them and how do you pack what you don't pack in them?

Never seen a need for them, but Amazon seem to have them at a reasonable price.

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I tried the packing-cube approach, and found it of no benefit to packing neatly or compactly.  It didn't make packing or unpacking easier.  Fortunately, I didn't spend a lot on my packing cubes, and now someone else is using them.  I do use small bags to hold together small things compactly - like cords and hair accessories.

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Unless you have a specific set of cube sizes available, I've found that packing cubes, while helping organize the contents of your suitcase for easy retrieval, don't really save space. You're likely to end up with unused little spaces within and between the cubes.

 

I do have a carrier for folded shirts that keeps them wrinkle-free and organized but for socks, underwear and the like I think that quart or gallon ziplock bags work as well if you aren't inclined to just stuff them into a corner of the suitcase.

 

Before getting the shirt folder I would carefully fold them and stack them inside a 2-gallon ziplock that I'd then squeeze the air out of. Organized and space saving.

Edited by Underwatr
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  • 3 weeks later...

I use ebags packing cubes to keep things organized.  It's especially helpful for socks, underwear, tshirts, etc...  I use compression packing bags for large things such as heavy coats.   Once on the ship I just toss the bags in the closet and push the suitcase under the bed!  Oh and when I do laundry on board, I just fold and put right back in the cube which makes it easier to carry all your laundry back to your cabin.

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I'm in LOVE with my packing cubes! I would agree that I'm not so sure about space savings, but you can't beat the organization of cubes, IMO. Even on short trips, or overnighters, it allows me to pack in a duffle bag or backpack and still keep everything neat and tidy!

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We bought them originally for our teenage son traveling without us on school trips.  One day's clothes in each cube - dirty clothes go in when clean clothes come out.  The hope was he returned home with everything he left with.  It also helped assure the clothes matched each day!!!😉 

 

The cubes worked so well for him, now he uses them every time he travels more than a day or two - one day's stuff in each bag planned out before he leaves home.

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