You’re Using Packing Cubes WRONG! (And How to Fix It)

You might be using packing cubes the wrong way. I've been using packing cubes for years and they come with me on every trip. But after all those years, I've recently came to a realization of a big problem that packing cubes have. This problem is something that most people are currently dealing with and may just be preventing you from getting the most out of your cubes. In today's video, I will be talking about how you can better use your packing cubes to actually change the way you pack, all while avoiding the big problem packing cubes have. We will go over all the different kinds of packing cubes, ask big questions like, do they actually save space? And most importantly, show you what I discovered to be the best way to use your packing cubes. So if you are somebody who is not using packing cubes but looking to start, or if you're somebody who is using packing cubes but want to learn the tips and tricks on how to better use them, this video is for you. I need to show you something. These are all my packing cubes. Let me quickly go over some options you have when it comes to packing cubes. There are really two main styles of packing cubes. You have compression packing cubes and you have not compression packing cubes. Packing cubes that don't have compression are pretty simple. They have a zipper that opens and closes. You put your stuff inside, you close it up and you are good to go. Whereas a compression packing cube, though it looks very similar and also has a normal zipper that opens and closes, they also have an additional zipper here, usually on the side that kind of wraps all the way around that is going to allow you to expand your packing cube, but like so, but more importantly, allows you to, once you get your stuff inside, zip that close to compress all of your clothes inside. Packing cubes are also made of all different types of materials. You see this one here has this like mesh see-through top, whereas this one has more of a almost see-through, but more kind of water resistant material, whereas this last one has more of a stretchy kind of softer feel to it. Packing cubes can also come with a lot of different features. Though these are both packing cubes, they operate very differently. For example, on this side here, we have a compression packing cube with a nice handle. It's a really nice handle, a little bit different material, whereas this one over here has a few different features, including this nice open pull tab here, so you don't have to utilize those zippers. And then also on the backside, it has a side for dirty laundry. So depending on what packing cubes you invest in, they might come with different features and is something that you should be aware of. Don't forget about zippers. They come in all shapes, sizes, and quality. So there are obviously lots of different options when it comes to packing cubes, but for the most part, no matter the kind of packing cube, what is one of the big questions people have most when deciding if they're going to use packing cubes? And this is the same question I had when I first started using packing cubes, and that is, do they save space? So let's test it. For the side-by-side packing test, I basically am just packing for a long weekend, so like three or four days, and this is how I would typically pack for a trip like that. So for me, that's just a backpack. You're gonna see on the left side of the screen, we have our packing cubes demonstration, and then on the right side of the screen, you're gonna see no packing cubes. I'm not really doing anything fancy here with the packing cubes or with the no packing cubes, just kind of starting to put things in to see if there's much of a difference between the two tests. And I don't know about you, but from this last image here, it's really hard to tell if there's much of a difference. So here's the problem. Most people start using packing cubes to save space, and the reality is that even with compression cubes, though you might save a bit of space, it might not be enough to change the way you pack as we just saw from our side-by-side test. So you're not saving space, and you're packing more because you think you can, all because you invested in those nice compression packing cubes. This leaves a lot of people confused and disappointed trying to figure out why their suitcase or backpack does not have more space and is heavier and just overall more uncomfortable. If this is you, I will tell you what you are doing wrong. Now, I love packing cubes, and I still use them on every trip, but it's not because they save me space. And to be honest, this is more of a recent reflection after years of using packing cubes and not really knowing why I like them so much. And I may even be a bit of a hypocrite because in previous videos, I always told people that they save you tons of space, but the reality is it's not that much. The real reason I love packing cubes, like I said, is not because they save me a ton of space, but rather they keep me organized. So let me show you what works for me when I use packing cubes. That also may work for you, but more importantly, maybe change your mindset and expectations on how packing cubes can help you better pack for travel. For this demonstration, I'm using the packing cubes from Trip Travel Gear. It's their compression set and their National Park version. I'm starting by putting all of my socks and underwear in one packing cube. As you can see here, they come in all different shapes and sizes. This is a nice long one. The next packing cube, I am putting my bottoms in, and I typically organize my packing cubes by tops, bottoms, socks, and underwear, as well as some bulkier items, which you'll see in a second. I typically roll my shorts and bottoms, just being that they do that really well and they pack down nicely that way. This next one is going to be my tops. As you can see here, I have them kind of folded in this square shape, which I do that to protect the collar, and I actually have made a whole video about how I fold my clothes and different ways to fold your clothes for travel, so I'll make sure to link that below if you're interested. Next, I have my bulkier items like jackets, pants, jeans. I find that if you're using compression packing cubes for these bulky items to lay them super flat in your packing cube. That way, the compression works really well. I've tried rolling them in the past and they get really wrinkly. Also, the compression part doesn't work quite as well when they're all bunched up in there. So with my bulky items, I try to just make sure that they lay really flat. And there it is. I have a packing cube for my bulky items, my bottoms, my tops, my socks, and underwear. And don't forget about that laundry bag because it's nice to have a plan for your dirty laundry when you're traveling, so that way you're not mixing it with the clean clothes. Also, if you have items that are extra bulky, don't feel like you need to put them in a packing cube. This is not a all or nothing situation, and that's definitely the case for me. There's some trips that I just don't put things in packing cubes, and that is totally okay. As you can see here, I'm packing them away in my backpack and they fit really nicely. And that way, when I get to my destination, they are ready to go and I know exactly where everything is. So if you are somebody who is not using packing cubes, but looking to start, I would recommend to not buy them with this idea that they will save you tons of space and give you the ability to pack more. Rather, think of them as an opportunity to keep you really, really organized and save you a bit of space. Let me know down in the comments, do you use packing cubes? What do you like about them? Or maybe what do you hate about them? Thank you so much for watching this video. If you enjoyed it, please, please, please give it a thumbs up, as well as subscribe to our channel for more content like this. We will see you in the next video.