Anonymous wrote:NP who has also been curious. I couldn’t figure out which ones to buy before our last family trip, so I used fabric shopping bags instead. It was sort of helpful to have things separated by family member and type (bathing suits and undies for Kid 1 in one bag, shorts and t shirts for kid 2 in another bag), but I discovered that I would want clear packing cubes if I decided to buy. And I wasn’t sure it was useful enough to purchase them for future trips. For those who love them, how would I change my use to make them a must-use?

Each kid and dh and I have a set in a different color. One for pjs and underwear. One for shirts/pants (kids). One for work out stuff for DH. One for shirts/dresses that roll up and maybe one for pants but if its jeans we pack those separately. I usually have a cube for dh and me swim and kids swim. I use the hotel/airbnb dressers and just put cubes in the dressers. They also condense the space needed in the suitcases. and i can tell as im packing what im missing. With little kids i also bring a cube with spare clothes on the plane. If it doesnt fit in cubes then i packed too much and i scale back.

Some packing cubes have a compression feature (a second zipper) that allows you to really compress the contents of the cube for maximum space efficiency.

NP who has also been curious. I couldn’t figure out which ones to buy before our last family trip, so I used fabric shopping bags instead. It was sort of helpful to have things separated by family member and type (bathing suits and undies for Kid 1 in one bag, shorts and t shirts for kid 2 in another bag), but I discovered that I would want clear packing cubes if I decided to buy. And I wasn’t sure it was useful enough to purchase them for future trips. For those who love them, how would I change my use to make them a must-use?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel dumb: how do I use them? I travel solo. One outfit per day in a cube? I'm open to the idea but feel like I don't get how to use them!

I pack into the cubes generally tied to how I will probably put myself in the hotel dresser (if you're into that). So, for example -

underwear / bras / sleepwear

gym clothes and socks

casual clothes / base layers / etc.

dressier clothes

You use the hotel dresser?

Was just in a hotel that didn't have a dresser because of people like PP who don't use them. It was so annoying!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel dumb: how do I use them? I travel solo. One outfit per day in a cube? I'm open to the idea but feel like I don't get how to use them!

I pack into the cubes generally tied to how I will probably put myself in the hotel dresser (if you're into that). So, for example -

underwear / bras / sleepwear

gym clothes and socks

casual clothes / base layers / etc.

dressier clothes

You use the hotel dresser?

Anonymous wrote:I feel dumb: how do I use them? I travel solo. One outfit per day in a cube? I'm open to the idea but feel like I don't get how to use them!

I pack into the cubes generally tied to how I will probably put myself in the hotel dresser (if you're into that). So, for example -

underwear / bras / sleepwear

gym clothes and socks

casual clothes / base layers / etc.

dressier clothes

Anonymous wrote:I feel dumb: how do I use them? I travel solo. One outfit per day in a cube? I'm open to the idea but feel like I don't get how to use them!

Underwear in one, shirts in another, dirty clothes in another etc

I have 3 children, and often pack one large suitcase with stuff for the 4 of us. DH takes a small suitcase for himself. Each child gets a cube, plus one for my workout clothes/underwear and bathing suits. It keeps the stuff organized, and also forces me to only pack the essentials for them. It’s really been a game changer for family travel.

If it’s just me, I don’t use them.

I feel dumb: how do I use them? I travel solo. One outfit per day in a cube? I'm open to the idea but feel like I don't get how to use them!

PP updating to add:

The longish skinny ones are great for ES aged kids clothes. For a week long trip my ES DCs clothes can fit into two of the longer small cubs. Four of the longer small cubes fit nicely into a carry on size wheelie bag (long size of the cube to the short side of the suitcase) with extra room for some additional items on top.

They are a complete game changer!!!!

You can get any brand (that has good reviews) and I recommend (I'm not sure all may have them) ones with handles on them. The only thing that I would change about what I bought would be to buy a couple different colors to make it easier to identify what's inside or whose clothes (if you are sharing a suitcase) without opening the cube.

They really help to fit more in the suitcase by keeping clothes compressed and also make it a pleasure to unpack! Many times I just put the packing cubes directly into the drawer of the place we're staying and it helps keep things organized.

Anonymous wrote:Which ones should I buy, with a link please?

Whichever ones have the color you like on amazon. Also make sure the size you get fits in the suitcase you want to use. Everyone in my family has a different color.

That's exactly when we would use them. When there are different legs of a trip and we need to shuffle part way through. One cube for that first night - pj's, one change of clothes per person so you don't make a mess of the whole bag when you arrive.

I would put that in the carry on with other absolute essentials like a bathing suit, in case the other luggage doesn't make it. I speak from unfortunate experience.

We pack pretty light - light enough to share suitcases - which makes the cubes even more essential for us to easily separate and find individual's things.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it keeps my things folded nicely, separates clothes of different family members, ensures nothing gets lost if security unpacks my bag, etc. I usually use one as a hamper for dirty clothes too.

Agree with all of the above. I just started using them in the past couple of years and love how much easier it is to find items in my suitcase once I am at the hotel.

Which ones should I buy, with a link please?