Packing Cubes are NOT What You Think They’re For

Packing cubes. Are they useful or a waste of space? This is the age-old debate among travelers, especially one-bag travelers. And if you're skeptical about whether or not they are actually useful, I've used them and not used them. So here are my thoughts and it's probably not what you think. First, I think packing cubes are a little misunderstood. So let's get into it. I think initially most people use them because they're advertised as space-saving, which they are, but only if you use the compression style. The truth is, they're not going to solve your overpacking problems. Yes, they will help you bring a few extra shirts, but for me, packing cubes are more about organization and keeping me sane when I'm traveling, especially if I'm moving from place to place. I use them because cubes make it faster and more intuitive to find things without unpacking and repacking everything back up or having to rummage through your bag to find things. Think of them as bringing your own drawers with you so that you don't have to use the hotel drawers, and I'll get to why in a second. For instance, if you're moving hotels or Airbnbs every two or three nights, or if you're on a tour, sometimes you're only spending one night in a hotel. So sometimes I pack each cube by type of clothing. For example, tops in one cube and bottoms in another cube. And other times, I'll pack cubes by outfits or type of travel. This is especially useful when I'm doing different types of activities throughout my trip. For example, I might pack one cube with activewear if I'm going hiking or doing excursions or sightseeing during the day. And then if necessary, evening outfits go in another cube. And then in a separate cube, I'll pack loungewear, pajamas, and then maybe swimsuits if I'm planning some beach or pool time. This way, you can just pull the cubes out from your bag without having to rifle through everything, grab your outfit, and then pop it back in your suitcase. Using packing cubes also helps you avoid putting your suitcase on the bed, and that's a big no-no for bed bug reasons. I've also been hearing that bed bugs can now spread if you use the wooden drawers in hotels, so another plus for just using your packing cubes. You can just lay those out on a hard surface in your hotel room and then use those as an alternative to drawers to keep yourself organized. Also, if you're prone to getting your bag searched by the TSA at the airport, it is so much easier to repack your items after they open up your bag, and then you don't have to worry about a pair of random undies falling out. And speaking of airports, have you ever had your flight delayed? Well, you can just pull out your softest cube and then you've now got a pillow. Another reason why it's better to fly with just a carry-on. There's also something just oddly satisfying about packing your cube and then having it slide in perfectly into the same size space as your suitcase. Or is that just me? Now, here's the best way to pack your packing cubes. If you're using regular cubes, either rolling or bricking your clothes is the way to go, since this way you can push them together and then the more you pack in, it squeezes the air out so you get the most room possible. If you're using compression style, what you want to do is lay your clothes flat, but fold them in a way so that they're the same size as the footprint of the cube. You could also try the lasagna layer method. This is where the garments are laid flat on top of one another, and then smaller items are rolled and stuffed around the edges. If you do need a set of cubes, I like these ones. They've been with me on multiple trips. I like them because they open all the way up, so they're really easy to pack, and then it's also easier to see what you've got inside. Also, getting a set with different sizes gives you options when So this set comes with eight pieces. There's three different sizes of cubes, a smaller bag, which I use for either hotel slippers or flip-flops or socks or undies, and then also a drawstring bag, which can also be used for shoes or dirty laundry. And I like having a laundry bag with me on a trip, even if I'm not using packing cubes or moving hotels, because this way you can just keep your dirty clothes separated from your clean clothes. You also have to get yourself one or two of these because with these you can slide them into the little crevices in your suitcase that usually end up as wasted space. You know, like between the trolley spines or even between other packing cubes. I've also used this set of cubes from Tripped Travel Gear, which I did recently feature in a previous video. They didn't ask me to make or include them in this video, but I have used them a couple of times now and I do really like them. I love that they have handles, so they're very convenient if you're changing on the go in like maybe a bathroom at the airport or something. And then also they're machine washable, so when you get home you can just toss them in the washer and they're ready to go for your next trip. This set also comes with this laundry dry bag, but I actually found this bag works really well for packing something like a big jacket. You can actually throw it in here and then it compresses down into nothing. And if you're cheap, you could try gallon size Ziploc bags. Technically those do work, but they're not really going to last. So if you're only going on one trip and never going traveling again, you could probably If you plan to go on a few trips, then cubes are going to be so much better long term. If I'm going to be staying in one hotel the entire trip and doing things where I'm going to be wearing a lot of the same type of clothing, I probably won't use them because I only need to unpack and pack up once. And usually at the end of the trip when I'm just going home, I don't really worry about keeping things organized. And then this way you do have the freedom to pack any way you want, whether that's rolling or folding or a combination of both. If you're wanting to pack extra shoes or a pair of bulky shoes, instead of using the small cubes, you would just stuff those shoes full of your socks, undies or other small soft items. Same with if you want to pack a sun hat. That's not really going to leave you a whole lot of room for cubes since you do have to place everything around it. That being said, I kind of lied a little bit. I always use some form of packing cubes. I might not always use them for my main clothes, but I always use one or two small cubes for socks and undies and slippers. So what do you think? Useful or useless? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next one.