9 Packing Cubes for One Bag Carry-on Travel | Eagle Creek, Peak Design, Gonex, and more

Packing cubes are one of the smartest ways to optimize space while you're traveling with just one bag. In this video, we're going to talk about some of our favorite choices for compression, durability, sustainability and beyond to help you find the best option for you. I'm Tom from Pack Hacker, your guide to better gear. If you're new to the channel, consider subscribing and ringing that bell icon for notifications. We've tested a ton of packing cubes on trips across the world and even during daily use. The ones we've chosen for this video are all solid picks There's no best packing cube for everyone, so it's best to choose the packing cubes that fit your needs and specific travel style. Make sure to check out our guide on packing cubes over on packhacker.com that will help you choose the best packing cubes for your specific use case. Link down in the description below and let's get into the video. We're getting serious right out of the gate with GORUCK packing cubes. If you're familiar with GORUCK, you know they are known for their rugged, durable tactical gear. And these packing cubes are no exception. They come in two variations and in this video, we're looking at the full version. The small one has a 10 liter capacity and the large has a 20 liter capacity. They're made with some thick 200D nylon and they open up fully clamshell to two separate compartments with zippered mesh dividers so you can see what's going on inside. Each side features a different colored zipper pull so you can quickly tell them apart. These cubes are designed to be used with GORUCK backpacks like the GR2. But of course, you can use them with whatever pack is your favorite. At the time of this video, they are available in strictly black. And if you've been following us for a while, you'll know that black on black is totally our aesthetic. Lastly, there is a place for a patch on the front that you can use to infuse your own personal style or to label each cube so you can tell what's going on inside. These things are still going strong after a month of testing on both domestic and international trips. Next up, we have a mouthful. The Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate Packing Cubes. Eagle Creek is basically a household name when you're talking about packing cubes and the Isolate are my personal favorites in the Pack-It line. I used the original version, the Spectre Cubes, during my two-year trip around the world and the Isolate Cubes are the leveled up version. They're lightweight, versatile and just overall solid. The way the zippers are angled creates a small tub shape, which is easier for packing and there's a nice variety of sizes available from extra small to a laundry bag and a roll-top shoe sack that I've used on a trip through the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. It was nice to keep my hiking boots isolated from the rest of my gear. Some of the cubes in this line are compressible too. It's pretty magical how much you can fit inside and how much they shrink down when compressed. Patagonia's Black Hole Packing Cubes offer some versatile organization that we don't see in every other packing cube. They're available in small, medium and large but the small cube feels more like an organizer pouch and can easily double as a tech pouch or a toiletry bag. All the cubes have daisy chains that allow you to attach them to a larger bag, attach smaller items to them or attach them to one another. And they open up clamshell with YKK zippers. It's like a cute mini suitcase with mesh dividers where you can separate your clothing between the two sides. We also like to keep our essentials in here when traveling and stow it underneath the seat in front of us or the plane for easy access. And this is nice due to the more structured material used in these packing cubes as opposed to the thinner, swishy material we see on others. The quick-grab handles make it easy to pull out without bothering our neighbor and everything stays tidy. Some of the color options are a bit wild so if that's your thing, go for it. We also dig that the fabric here is made with recycled materials which isn't a surprise when it comes to Patagonia. At the time of making this video, the Peak Design packing cubes are my personal favorites. They're always pushing the boundaries on what can be done and innovating. And these packing cubes are a great example of that. Case in point, the Hypalon pull-tab quick access system. Just pull the two tabs apart and it will open the whole cube pretty much instantly like magic. They open up clamshell so they're easy to pack. And there's even a separate compartment for dirty clothes. They come in small and medium sizes and have been designed to be used with the Peak Design travel backpack. The small equals one Peak Design unit, the medium, two units, and the large with their camera cube is three units which takes up the entirety of the Peak Design travel pack. But feel free to use these with any backpack. These are super popular over in our Pack Hacker Pro community and many members have indicated that these are their favorite packing cubes as well. Our Pro members are always sharing their gear recommendations, tips and hacks on how to travel better. So if you want to get in on the conversation and that sounds interesting to you, head over to packhacker.com slash pro, link down in the description below to learn more. The Gonex compression packing cubes are the budget pick that turned out to provide so much more value than their price tag. We're usually wary of cheap gear but these have actually held up well for us. Our team has packed these out to their absolute brim from trips to Detroit, LA and the United Kingdom. And we haven't really run into any problems yet. These come in small, medium and large, all of which compress down to about half their original size. Just load them up, hold onto the reflective tab for some leverage and zip them up. Each cube has a carry handle on top in case you want to carry them around independently. It's also a convenient way to grab them out of your bag. We don't expect these to survive the zombie apocalypse but with a lower price tag, we are happy with the performance. No, this is not a plastic bag. It is a Hyperlite Mountain Gear Pod. One of the lightest packing cubes that we have tested to date. And when we say lightweight, we mean that it pretty much floats when it's empty. Even though it's thin and light, the Dyneema composite fabric it's made out of is very strong. And it's still looking good as new but a little bit crinkly after a month of testing. Hyperlite Mountain Gear boasts that Dyneema has a tensile strength 15 times greater than high quality steel. And these things look totally futuristic like an astronaut would use them to carry their stuff. The materials as well as the YKK weather resistant zippers help with any light rain if you're using these for more outdoorsy activities. And there's a little white area on the outside of the cube where you can write in what's inside so you can keep track. The fabric is crinkly and crunchy and we were able to fit up to eight extra large t-shirts in the small size, which is pretty impressive. The futuristic Hyperlite Mountain Gear Pods are some of the more expensive packing cubes on this list but it's a dependable investment that's lightweight and built to last. The Osprey Ultralight Packing Cube Set is a great choice for one bag travelers. It comes with a small cube which is great for underwear and socks. A medium cube for t-shirts and shorts and a large cube for pants and sweaters. As the name suggests, these are incredibly light thanks to the 40D nylon ripstop fabric. The material itself has been siliconized to add a little bit more structure and it's still easy to pull these out of the bag with the included handles. The zipper is slightly off center and opens up half clamshell making it easy to cram as many clothes inside as possible. And it zips faster than a fully clamshell cube. After using this set for over a month we didn't notice a single sign of wear and tear on them and we weren't exactly gentle during our testing either. Osprey is a well-known brand making gear at an affordable price point. You probably don't need completely waterproof packing cubes unless you're looking to swim through the ocean to get to your accommodation. But if you're that kind of traveler we recommend the Nite Ize Runoff Waterproof Packing Cubes. When we say waterproof we mean you can throw these into the ocean and nothing inside will get wet as long as you close the zippers correctly. Nite Ize actually developed the TrueZip Toothless Waterproof Zipper which is featured on all the products in their runoff line including a toiletry bag and a waterproof wallet. Beyond its supreme ability to keep out water the Toothless Zipper also does not get caught on clothing which is a problem we've had with some other packing cubes. They come in two sizes, medium and large. The large is pretty massive so it's better suited for packing chunky sweaters and jackets in the winter. These also have a clear window so you can see everything going on inside as well as a tab to attach a carabiner and a hefty nylon handle. Overall the fabric is a bit crinkly and stiff and the zippers get sticky and hard to maneuver over time but that's the price you have to pay for a truly waterproof packing cube. Lastly we've got the Turtle Packing Pods on this list because they're a little bit different than the rest of the packing cubes we featured. The teardrop shape of these things are interesting and while it's probably not very reasonable for optimizing space inside of your bag it does come in handy if you want to hang these up at your accommodation. Ordinary rectangular packing cubes aren't really set up this way and if you hang them up they're likely to tilt in weird ways and potentially dump some of your stuff out of them. Hang these babies up and you've got easy access to your clothing as long as you've folded them up vertically. Also these pods have attachment points where you can add a strap to carry them as a duffel or clip it onto the nylon webbing on the back to convert it into a sling or if you want to get really freaky hook them onto one another to create a hanging closet at your destination. So there you have it. A roundup of nine great packing cubes that you can use to optimize your bag while you're traveling. We would love to hear what your favorite packing cubes are down in the comments below even if they weren't mentioned in this video so be sure to let us know. Thanks for keeping it here at Pack Hacker your guide to better gear. We'll see you in the next video.