Do You Struggle Organizing Your Bag?
- Do you have to dig through your bag to find what you are looking for?
- Do you have to take out clothes to find clothes?
- Is that one shirt you want always at the "bottom"?
- Is the inside of your bag a mess?
I Hear You
If this is you, you are not alone. It’s frustrating when you have to dig through your bag to find the shirt you want — that’s always seemingly at the bottom. You worked so hard at packing your bag and now you’re unpacking it just to get to that ONE shirt. Not cool.
The good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way! You shouldn’t have to unpack and repack half your wardrobe every time you need something from your bag. Rather, a simple way to stay organized, allowing you to access your clothes with ease.
I'm here to guide you step-by-step
Hi, my name is Luigi and I love packing cubes. I use them on all my trips to travel easier. And now I’m here to teach you the packing cube ways — to help you become the traveler you always wanted to be.
The Get Organized Plan
1
Learn how to pack like a pro with packing cubes
2
Buy a set that fits your bag
3
Use them to organize and access your clothes with ease
What packing cubes will do for you
Packing cubes are essentially clothing containers. Turning your pile of free-roaming travel clothes into an organized system. Think packing Tetris: different shapes, sizes, and colors — all visual cues to the whereabouts of each clothing piece. In addition to being memory aids, when you “Tetris pack” your clothes, you simply remove the cube of your favorite shirt without disturbing the contents of the other cubes, keeping everything neatly nestled.
Effectively use packing cubes like so,
Generally, the rule of thumb for packing cubes is small cubes for “small clothes” (underwear, socks), large cubes for “large clothes” (shirts, pants, sweaters). However, what I find works best is the following method of organization.
Pack all your clothes into one large packing cube.
This is how I roll. I fit all of my rolled clothes in one large packing cube (we are here to One Bag Travel after all). This is great because it reduces the number of cubes you need to bring, thus saving space, while still keeping your clothes organized and segmented by the structure of the cube. Plus, it keeps things simple and helps you pack less — if it fits, it ships.
Look for this in a packing cube
Transparency
Transparency is everything. If you can’t see what’s inside, then you are going to be opening and closing every cube to find what you’re looking for. Rendering your method of organization, just as bad as it was before the packing aids. For this reason, choose a packing cube set with see-through tops, particularly a holey mesh. Mesh is perfect because it has the added benefit of breathability. Allowing air to easily circulate between your clothes and air them out — this is especially good in humid environments to avoid musty, damp clothes. Yuck.
Shape
Rectangular shaped packing cubes work best with rectangular shaped bags, as they will fill the corners of your bag better than curved ones. Plus, their shapes naturally allow them to be super stackable. Pack like you’re playing Tetris. Being able to stack left, right, up, or down makes it easier to stay organized, find what you are looking for, and utilize more practical storage space in your bag. Leaving less space wasted. Remember, curves cut capacity.
Durability
Choose a ripstop fabric (easily identified by its square pattern). This is commonly used amongst mid-tier to higher-end packing cubes as it’s all in the name. If a rip forms on your packing cube, the ripstop fabric will “stop” it from spreading, allowing you to still use the cube to its full capabilities. Whereas if a tear forms in traditional fabric, unless you do something about it, that rip will get larger, rendering your cube toast.
Size & Capacity
Size variation is an easy reminder of what cube has what. Packing cubes come in three sizes: small, medium, and large. However, these sizes are all relative to each company, as there is no industry standard. Meaning, one company’s medium is another’s large. My advice is this: before you buy any of these organizational wonders be sure to cross-reference the measurements to the inside of your bag. This will ensure a good fit.
Color
Cubes of different colors are an easy way to quickly identify the contents. For example, you may keep all your underwear and socks in a white cube. The only caveat to this is that cubes usually come sold in sets of one color. Therefore, typically the most affordable way to get in on this benefit is to mix n’ match sets with a travel buddy or find packing cubes sold individually — Spoiler alert, I have 😏.
Pack packing cubes like this
Fold VS Roll
Don’t fold, roll your clothes — This is truly a game changer. Rolling is the best not only because it saves you space and reduces wrinkles, but because the thickness of the roll will prevent you from stacking clothes, keeping them on the same level, so to speak. Making it easier to access exactly what you need at a glance, as you can see all your clothes at once. Whereas when you fold clothes, because of the thinness, you stack them on top of each other. Obscuring everything beneath the one on top and forcing you to dig through them to find the shirt you’re looking for.
Better together
Rolled clothes also have the added benefit of naturally holding themselves together and not coming undone. So you won’t mess up neighboring t-shirts as you would digging through folded shirts.
👉 Click here to learn how to roll shirts, pants, dresses, underwear, and socks.
Show me the cubes
So what’s next? Well, you are probably wondering where you can buy the best packing cubes?
I’ve combed through the internet to bring you what I believe are the best packing cubes that I can find. I am extremely picky when it comes to selecting pieces that are as minimal as possible — Meaning little to no exterior branding, elegant timeless pieces / colors that won’t go out of style, high quality items made to last, and they simply looks good. I’ve done all the hard work so you don’t have to, because I am here to help you succeed!
Below you will find links to my top recommendations. Please note that some links are affiliate marketing links and some are not. If the brand had an affiliate marketing program I used it to pay for my time, but if they didn’t then I didn’t worry about it. I just want to bring you great content that helps you succeed on your journey in traveling with one bag or less.
Luigi's Best Packing Cubes
Best Packing Cubes
You before lessification
- Digging through your bag to find what you are looking for
- Folding and refolding your clothes
- The inside of your bag is a mess
- Unpacking half your wardrobe to find that ONE shirt
You after lessification
- Finding the shirt you are looking for with ease
- Seeing all your clothes at a glance
- An organized and tidy bag
- Rolled clothes that will save you space and reduce wrinkles
Love the Lesson?
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Dunn, N. (n.d.). Frequent travelers, what’s your take on using packing cubes? What do you like about them? What do you dislike? Quora. Retrieved February 7, 2020, from https://www.quora.com/Frequent-travelers-whats-your-take-on-using-packing-cubes-What-do-you-like-about-them-What-do-you-dislike
Coverdale, N. (2020, February 5). Best Packing Cubes for Travel [Blog post]. Retrieved February 7, 2020, from https://packhacker.com/guide/best-packing-cubes/
MUJI. (Photographer). (n.d.). GUSSET CASE L BLACK. [digital image]. Retrieved February 7, 2020, from https://www.muji.us/store/gusset-case-l-black-4550002868956.html