Travel must have: Packing cubes

When I started my working holiday in Australia I did a layover of a week in Bangkok. Here I discovered these packing cubes in the Smart Travel/ North Face shop at Siam Discovery shopping mall (3rd floor).

I was curious about these cubes so I decided to buy the pack of 3 different sizes of Eagle Creek. Back in the apartment I started to repack my backpack and not much later I went back to buy some more and haven’t regretted it ever since!
Still wondering why I didn’t found these earlier!

What are packing cubes?

But first of all, what are packing cubes?
Well, packing cubes are relatively small containers made of fabric, often in a rectangular shape, used for packing clothing.

Why should I buy packing cubes?

Living out of a backpack has its challenges. Believe me, I did it for a year straight! It has happened so many times before that I needed something from the bottom of my backpack and had to get everything out and then start all over again to fit everything in my backpack. This always happens when you need it fast and/or running late and then all of a sudden your stuff doesn’t fit anymore.

With packing cubes you can easily organize your clothes in the different sizes that are available. This means that it makes it easy to pack, repack and find your stuff! In the whole year that I traveled with the packing cubes I never lost anything because I always put everything back where it belonged. I have seen many girls and boys getting panicked because they can’t find their stuff because it has been laying everywhere for a whole week or so.

You can also use it as a pillow! We all know that not every hostel (!) and even some hotels have the best pillows. But even for camping you can use it.

How I use them.

I have 6 cubes in total (2 big, 2 medium, 2 small).
The two big ones I used for the bigger clothes like pants and cardigans.
One medium one I used for t-shirts, tank tops, etc. The other medium I sometime used to put in my small backpack aka carry-on while traveling so I always had some extra clothes if something happened to my backpack.
Then the smallest cubes, I used one for my underwear and socks. The other one I used to store my electronic cords, extra plug , etc. and I still do!

Which packing cubes do I buy?

There are so many different kinds of packing cubes. They all vary from brands and sizes. I bought the eagle creek and even here you have different ones. I would highly recommend doing your research and look what is best for you.

Other brands:

– Ebags
– Shacke pack
– Bago
– Amazon, here you can find many more.

Conclusion

I think I am very clear that I just love packing cubes but only for backpacks. I tried them in my carry-on when I did a city trip and suitcase but discovered I am not a big fan about them then. I had the feeling it took up more space.

The reason I didn’t choose the Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter cubes is because for me they looked very breakable and I thought that my clothes wouldn’t breath. Now that I think about it I should have chosen these ones because they are indeed very strong, light and water resistance.

However, I am very happy with the ones I bought 🙂

Also I have only used them while traveling to warm destinations. I will let you know how I like them after Canada 😉

Have you ever used packing cubes? How did you like them?