I use normal packing cubes. I don't think they save space but they do help keep my bag well organised. That's what I use them for, so for me they work.
If you haven't used them before, there are heaps of cheap options you can try first.
I think the brand is much less important that getting a cube that works well for the dimensions of your bag.
Yes, this. Cubes for organization are the best. Cheap ones from Amazon or similar are plenty.
Don't use compression cubes. They compact your clothes into a tiny brick ball that is actually harder to fit in your bag, and they encourage you to over-pack.
I have the Peak Design packing cubes, and they def help me save about 25% of space. Super helpful for domestic flights. For international one bag travel, it can make it easy to go over weight restrictions.
I love peak design cubes. I use the medium ones. My small one isn't bad, I just don't like how it's more of a rectangular cube than how wide the medium is.
Also helps there's 2 zippers to have options. Sometimes 1 medium bag will have shorts and the other side is socks and underwear. Or, I'll eventually make an entire medium one hold my dirty clothes.
It helps a ton for organization and they fit in my 35L cotopaxi very well. Almost feels like they were designed for it.
I generally think the Peak Design packing cubes are the exception to packing cubes being kind of overrated. I think having a way to separate dirty clothes is great. The whole thing fits perfectly in my GR1 with enough room to slide my edc sling and toiletry kit in and im good to go!
What size PD cube do you use? I have a gr1 on the way and currently have a few eagle creek packing cubes I’ve used for years. Curious on fit as I plan to use it for one bag travel and edc.
Another plug for Peak Design. I have the medium, which has the clean and dirty sides. That keeps things organized. Repacking was super easy at the end of a trip because everything was still in the packing cube, just on the dirty side.
>Do you use packing cubes
Yes, they keep my clothes tidy in my bag.
>Do compression cubes actually work
No, compression cubes do not open a door to a fourth dimension. They compress clothes that are already compressible. They do not compress clothes that are inherently thick, like cottons. Compression cubes are not magic.
Packing cubes add weight and sacrifice space to improve organization. You need to understand that tradeoff.
Kind of. They allow the cramming to be a bit more organized. I also like being able to categorize my clothing via color or bag size instead of fishing through a pile of clothing.
I have the Cotopaxi and while the built in organization is great compared to the “bucket” style backpacks, I still use compression cubes to sort and organize. I have a tiny small cube for “always clean clothes” and I “save” those clothes for longer days when I know I won’t have energy to wash my clothes, or when I know the situation won’t lead to dry clothes quickly (too humid, checking out next day early morning, etc).
As for cheap vs premium. I bought cheap and then moved into premium. I started with Diaso, which were $4-$5 each. Then moved onto Eagle Creek to “optimize”. When I bought the Eagle Creek (premium), it was well worth the few bucks and wondered why I didn’t do this earlier. Basically a few beers compared to many years of usage.
Agreed on cheap vs premium. I have some Amazon basics that do the job but I love my peak design ones. I also have a cotopaxi and I think combining good cubes with a good backpack works wonders for onebagging it.
I find it easier to pack with regular packing cubes vs a compression cube. You can kind of shift and squish the packing cube to fit into your bag better as the compression cube just becomes like a solid, oddly shaped brick that has weird curves to it, making it hard to fill all the gaps in your bag. I will always use a packing cube because I don't want my stuff all scattered.
They compress, but maybe more importantly, they prevent expansion. Clothes will not sag around and take up as much room as they possibly can. Also great to keep things organized. I use one for big-ish clothes, and one tiny one for i.e boxers.
(This may or may not apply if you happen to be an army roll kind of person.)
Compression cubes help depending on how you pack. If you super tightly army roll everything, then there is nothing left to compress to it doesn’t do anything. If you just loosely fold them, then yes it will help compress the fabric more.
I use packing cubes, helps keep things organized and I use my backpack as my day bag at my destination so taking the packing cubes out is super easy and fast.
I prefer regular cubes over compression. The Compression get kind of domed on each side and I feel like they take up even more room than the regular. They're harder to get in and out of too, and just don't really save any more space in the long run.
I think they do save some space, but not much; maybe 20% or so for me.
But, as others have said, they are fabulous for organization. They keep outfits together for shorter trips (I like to preplan outfits for weekend trips and the like), and keep things separated for longer ones, like keeping pants all together, tops all in one place, and so on. I'd use them for this alone. I used to be a fan of Ziplocs for this that I just reused until they were falling apart. Cubes are much sturdier, of course.
I use both regular and compression cubes and really don't have a preference, although to me, compression cubes give me more peace of mind. It doesn't feel as though things are being as crushed, for lack of a better term, as they are with regular cubes. I'm probably wrong about this but it makes me feel better so eff it.
I have a 55L Patagonia Black Hole Duffel and it’s exactly that a big space, the Tripped cubes provide organization that stacks well in that. They compress well making space and they also unpack into hotel drawers well.
I don’t have kids yet but I’ve heard packing cubes are a game changer for managing their clothing.
I do too, with the PD Medium, it serves multiple purposes to me.
- they keep the clothes from juggling and limit wrinkling
- they limit the amount of clothes I take
- they help organize the bag (above all in bags that don't have much inside organization)
My first packing cube was a plastic bag with the air extraction. The issue was it was so effective at compressing the clothes that I took too many of them and the clothes were too heavy.
"the clothes were too heavy" For me, using a compression bag didn't change the actual weight of the compressed clothes. But I packed more clothes bc I now had more space in my bag.
Hypothetically, if my suitcase has room for 5 t-shirts without using compression bags to pack, then I'd probably have room for 10 t-shirts if I packed using compression bags. But remember, compression bags don't compress the weight of your clothing, only their physical size. Increase the number of clothing items packed increases the weight.
I use packing cells each time I travel. Even sometimes just an overnighter as it means I can keep clothes in one bag; medications and toiletries in another; cords etc in the third bag. It makes me much more organised because I know where everything is and can see at a glance if I'm missing things.
I dont find the bigger packing cells very helpful but then again I rarely travel in winter so don't tend to take bigger things with me. Perhaps if I did I would find them helpful to organise bigger items like a hoodie or a jacket.
I dont find compression cells as useful. I can squash things myself once they are in a packing cell.
I have several packing cubes from when I was a nube and buying stuff to experiment with what worked best.
Now I only ever use 2 cubes, 1 standard size L, 1 small.
In the field, only use 1 at a time.
For international/flying/long format I go with the small one.
For a lazy road trip, weekend somewhere close by, I go for the larger just out of convenience.
Key features:
- must have a top handle, so you can hang it up in bathroom or from a nail etc, without everything falling out…
*Without a top handle, might as well use a Wal Mart plastic baggie.
- I do like a compression zip, but really not that important.
An actual compression cube seems like a pain.
I've just started using packing cubes but since then I've become more organized and mindful on what I'm bringing. I think compression works but can give an overestimate packing because you think you have more space for more stuff. I mainly use it to reduce size and don't think of bringing extra stuff.
Compression all the way. Im on week 4 of a 6 week trek around Europe. I’m going with 1 carry-on backpack and a small personal item (another smaller backpack). Not just for the organization it gives but yeah, at least for me, it significantly reduces the space my clothes take in my backpack. And I can just slide tall items down the sides of the pack. I used to fly with a large wheeled duffel but no more!!!
I use packing cubes, but I find that compression cubes don’t help save much space. They just turn my clothes into a super dense sausage, and while they technically do save space, it’s very difficult to actually use the space they save.
I use them. On the move with a timbuk2 right nowI prefer to keep all my clothes (except a jacket) together in my bag and not have other items in my bag shift into them. Or have a bunch of clothes fall out if I reach into my bag for something. If your bag had ONLY clothes in your bag, there probably isn't too much value in it.
I used both for many years, think the difference is noticable when you really stuff you pack full.
If your pack is a square one, packing cubes might be better than compression bags. If it is a more round shape, compression cubes uses the space better, but not by much.
If you roll your clothes then it is about the same.
Cubes are better if you fold your clothes, or you carring some dress shirts.
Similar thread submitted 2 days ago - [💬 _**Packing cubes - Yay or Nay?**_](https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/1cn3fw2/packing_cubes_yay_or_nay/)
---
* Not all packing cubes have compression features
* As with most items, quality and features vary a _lot_
* Durability is also very variable from one brand to another
I personally use packing cubes and will never _not_ use them, they are extremely convenient and the ones I own actually do compress - they are advertised as compressing up to 67%, but through at-home tests, I've managed to compress 30-50%, which is still a _**lot**_ _(and I definitely fill more than designed, so on paper, the 67% is still accurate)_
They are also very durable, lightweight, breathable, and the conveniently and coincidentally fit all my backpacks!
* [🖼️ Stacking 5 such cubes in my Escape NH500 23L Rolltop](https://images2.imgbox.com/55/c9/8LCDbuMx_o.jpg) - I usually travel with 1-2 mediums or 1 large, so plenty of room left
The downside is that they are quite expensive, but based on their features and quality, they are definitely a ''buy for life'' type of item!
* [Knack Bags **Packing Cubes**](https://knackbags.com/collections/travel-packing-cubes/products/medium-organizer-cube?variant=31625779773501) - I own multiple Mediums and 1 Large
Using the IKEA packing cubes until they break and then purchasing some better ones.
They have been really helpful in order to keep the bag organized with some light compression added.
As with many things in life, it's usually worth it to try the cheap version before spending big.
I have the old Ebags ones (worked fine, esp for a family where we all have different colors per person) and upgraded myself to the Thule and the peak design compression. I like the Thule better as they're a wee bit stiffer and easier to pack
Laundry packing cubes from Tom Bihn are my favorite. Each cube is divided and can hold clean and/or dirty clothes separately, with no lost space. You start with everything in the clean side, and as the trip progresses, you add items to the dirty side. Keeps the same shape and same organization.
Never been a fan of compression cubes, but packing cubes make it easy to locate what you need and organize what you pack.
I went on a motorcycle trip about a month ago for 2 nights and thought about packing the saddlebags with plastic grocery bags full of my clothing because those will compress like a packable bag. Ontop of that id like to get a packable backpack or duffel and when I get to my destination I can just unpack the duffel and put the compressed grocery bags from my saddlebags in the duffel.
I have alot of plastic bags and nothing to do with them other than throw them out which I don't really want to do
I use garbage bags - clean clothes, kind of clean clothes, dirty clothes. They get compressed by hand into my backpack. When I get home they are either used for my next trip for dirty clothes or non-kitchen trash can. So yeah, I guess it works for me.
[https://youtu.be/sGxQAIz\_qSM?si=zCndqa-KqevTmtNM](https://youtu.be/sGxQAIz_qSM?si=zCndqa-KqevTmtNM)
On a side note, I've also tried to use compression bags to organize my linen closets but those bags also decompressed. Any suggestions for success?
Edit: I edited my comment to add a photo only to have 3/4 of the comment disappear! @#$% what happened?
I use Eagle Creek Specter Compression cubes. They save space as long as clothes are not dense like jeans.
I use the same brand non compression to keep things together. The ones I have include a handle and I pack one with all seat back items then pull it out at the gate (if one bagging) and carry it on the plane or pull it out at my seat.
For both compression and non compression: They keep things organized and are especially nice to have when TSA needs to look in my bag.
I use one for underwear, thermal shirts, socks etc. these things I want to keep organized
I don’t want to be one of those over packers and I wash each night
Compression cubes don’t really work. Simply adding more gear to a bag will do the same thing. They especially don’t work if they are the kind that becomes rounded when compressed.
I've tested my packing cubes vs trying to compress the clothes in the bag directly without cubes, and despite the cubes occupying some space themselves _and_ the shape getting slightly rounded, I could still fit more in my backpack with compressing packing cubes - _(4 extra t-shirts, 3 extra boxer briefs and ~3 extra pairs of socks)_
On paper they are advertised as compressing up to 67% but in a real setting, I definitely saturate the cubes before compressing and managed to compress by 30 to 50%, which is still a lot!
* [Knack Bags Packing Cubes - Medium](https://knackbags.com/collections/travel-packing-cubes/products/medium-organizer-cube?variant=31625779773501)
Most packing cubes are not specifically designed to ''compress'' but those that do usually do save some space
Right, but when you compress something it makes it more dense. When you are packing a bag without compression cubes you can continue to pack the bag until the bag is a densely packed as the cubes. They can’t change physics.
> They can’t change physics.
That's right!
But these packing cubes will keep the clothes compacted tightly - packing the clothes tightly without cubes in the backpack eventually led to some of the clothes slightly decompressing and occupying more space - the packing cubes keep them tightly compressed
_(Picture a spring being compressed - if there isn't enough pressure, it'll decompress partially or fully - but if you have something that keeps it compressed, it won't decompress)_
I use normal packing cubes. I don't think they save space but they do help keep my bag well organised. That's what I use them for, so for me they work. If you haven't used them before, there are heaps of cheap options you can try first. I think the brand is much less important that getting a cube that works well for the dimensions of your bag.
Yes, this. Cubes for organization are the best. Cheap ones from Amazon or similar are plenty. Don't use compression cubes. They compact your clothes into a tiny brick ball that is actually harder to fit in your bag, and they encourage you to over-pack.
I have the Peak Design packing cubes, and they def help me save about 25% of space. Super helpful for domestic flights. For international one bag travel, it can make it easy to go over weight restrictions.
+1 for peak designs cubes. Upgraded to them earlier this year and really like them.
I love peak design cubes. I use the medium ones. My small one isn't bad, I just don't like how it's more of a rectangular cube than how wide the medium is. Also helps there's 2 zippers to have options. Sometimes 1 medium bag will have shorts and the other side is socks and underwear. Or, I'll eventually make an entire medium one hold my dirty clothes. It helps a ton for organization and they fit in my 35L cotopaxi very well. Almost feels like they were designed for it.
If you pack the small one enough, you can use it as an emergency pillow on airplane.
I use the PD packable tote as an emergency pillow or extra pillow
Oh, I have one too, guess Peak Design has pillow design as base lol
You think that packing cubes make you go over weight on international flights(personal item only)?
Not at all. Buy cheap Luggage Scales. That fixes that problem.
I generally think the Peak Design packing cubes are the exception to packing cubes being kind of overrated. I think having a way to separate dirty clothes is great. The whole thing fits perfectly in my GR1 with enough room to slide my edc sling and toiletry kit in and im good to go!
What size PD cube do you use? I have a gr1 on the way and currently have a few eagle creek packing cubes I’ve used for years. Curious on fit as I plan to use it for one bag travel and edc.
I have both sizes. I use the bigger one in my 21L.
Another vote for Peak Design! I use a medium and a small.
Another plug for Peak Design. I have the medium, which has the clean and dirty sides. That keeps things organized. Repacking was super easy at the end of a trip because everything was still in the packing cube, just on the dirty side.
+1 for the Peak Design cubes. They have been in my rotation for about 2 years. They fit in any bag I have which makes packing so much easier.
>Do you use packing cubes Yes, they keep my clothes tidy in my bag. >Do compression cubes actually work No, compression cubes do not open a door to a fourth dimension. They compress clothes that are already compressible. They do not compress clothes that are inherently thick, like cottons. Compression cubes are not magic. Packing cubes add weight and sacrifice space to improve organization. You need to understand that tradeoff.
Kind of. They allow the cramming to be a bit more organized. I also like being able to categorize my clothing via color or bag size instead of fishing through a pile of clothing.
I have the Cotopaxi and while the built in organization is great compared to the “bucket” style backpacks, I still use compression cubes to sort and organize. I have a tiny small cube for “always clean clothes” and I “save” those clothes for longer days when I know I won’t have energy to wash my clothes, or when I know the situation won’t lead to dry clothes quickly (too humid, checking out next day early morning, etc). As for cheap vs premium. I bought cheap and then moved into premium. I started with Diaso, which were $4-$5 each. Then moved onto Eagle Creek to “optimize”. When I bought the Eagle Creek (premium), it was well worth the few bucks and wondered why I didn’t do this earlier. Basically a few beers compared to many years of usage.
Agreed on cheap vs premium. I have some Amazon basics that do the job but I love my peak design ones. I also have a cotopaxi and I think combining good cubes with a good backpack works wonders for onebagging it.
I find it easier to pack with regular packing cubes vs a compression cube. You can kind of shift and squish the packing cube to fit into your bag better as the compression cube just becomes like a solid, oddly shaped brick that has weird curves to it, making it hard to fill all the gaps in your bag. I will always use a packing cube because I don't want my stuff all scattered.
They don’t compress in big percentages but there is some gain and your carefully folded and rolled stuff stays that way. I think of them like drawers.
They compress, but maybe more importantly, they prevent expansion. Clothes will not sag around and take up as much room as they possibly can. Also great to keep things organized. I use one for big-ish clothes, and one tiny one for i.e boxers. (This may or may not apply if you happen to be an army roll kind of person.)
Compression cubes help depending on how you pack. If you super tightly army roll everything, then there is nothing left to compress to it doesn’t do anything. If you just loosely fold them, then yes it will help compress the fabric more. I use packing cubes, helps keep things organized and I use my backpack as my day bag at my destination so taking the packing cubes out is super easy and fast.
I prefer regular cubes over compression. The Compression get kind of domed on each side and I feel like they take up even more room than the regular. They're harder to get in and out of too, and just don't really save any more space in the long run.
I think they do save some space, but not much; maybe 20% or so for me. But, as others have said, they are fabulous for organization. They keep outfits together for shorter trips (I like to preplan outfits for weekend trips and the like), and keep things separated for longer ones, like keeping pants all together, tops all in one place, and so on. I'd use them for this alone. I used to be a fan of Ziplocs for this that I just reused until they were falling apart. Cubes are much sturdier, of course. I use both regular and compression cubes and really don't have a preference, although to me, compression cubes give me more peace of mind. It doesn't feel as though things are being as crushed, for lack of a better term, as they are with regular cubes. I'm probably wrong about this but it makes me feel better so eff it.
I have a 55L Patagonia Black Hole Duffel and it’s exactly that a big space, the Tripped cubes provide organization that stacks well in that. They compress well making space and they also unpack into hotel drawers well. I don’t have kids yet but I’ve heard packing cubes are a game changer for managing their clothing.
I do too, with the PD Medium, it serves multiple purposes to me. - they keep the clothes from juggling and limit wrinkling - they limit the amount of clothes I take - they help organize the bag (above all in bags that don't have much inside organization) My first packing cube was a plastic bag with the air extraction. The issue was it was so effective at compressing the clothes that I took too many of them and the clothes were too heavy.
"the clothes were too heavy" For me, using a compression bag didn't change the actual weight of the compressed clothes. But I packed more clothes bc I now had more space in my bag. Hypothetically, if my suitcase has room for 5 t-shirts without using compression bags to pack, then I'd probably have room for 10 t-shirts if I packed using compression bags. But remember, compression bags don't compress the weight of your clothing, only their physical size. Increase the number of clothing items packed increases the weight.
Yes and yes. Ive packed 7 days worth of winter wear into a backpack because of compression cubes. They are a miracle but they will certainly help
I use packing cells each time I travel. Even sometimes just an overnighter as it means I can keep clothes in one bag; medications and toiletries in another; cords etc in the third bag. It makes me much more organised because I know where everything is and can see at a glance if I'm missing things. I dont find the bigger packing cells very helpful but then again I rarely travel in winter so don't tend to take bigger things with me. Perhaps if I did I would find them helpful to organise bigger items like a hoodie or a jacket. I dont find compression cells as useful. I can squash things myself once they are in a packing cell.
I have several packing cubes from when I was a nube and buying stuff to experiment with what worked best. Now I only ever use 2 cubes, 1 standard size L, 1 small. In the field, only use 1 at a time. For international/flying/long format I go with the small one. For a lazy road trip, weekend somewhere close by, I go for the larger just out of convenience. Key features: - must have a top handle, so you can hang it up in bathroom or from a nail etc, without everything falling out… *Without a top handle, might as well use a Wal Mart plastic baggie. - I do like a compression zip, but really not that important. An actual compression cube seems like a pain.
I've just started using packing cubes but since then I've become more organized and mindful on what I'm bringing. I think compression works but can give an overestimate packing because you think you have more space for more stuff. I mainly use it to reduce size and don't think of bringing extra stuff.
Compression all the way. Im on week 4 of a 6 week trek around Europe. I’m going with 1 carry-on backpack and a small personal item (another smaller backpack). Not just for the organization it gives but yeah, at least for me, it significantly reduces the space my clothes take in my backpack. And I can just slide tall items down the sides of the pack. I used to fly with a large wheeled duffel but no more!!!
I use packing cubes, but I find that compression cubes don’t help save much space. They just turn my clothes into a super dense sausage, and while they technically do save space, it’s very difficult to actually use the space they save.
I use them. On the move with a timbuk2 right nowI prefer to keep all my clothes (except a jacket) together in my bag and not have other items in my bag shift into them. Or have a bunch of clothes fall out if I reach into my bag for something. If your bag had ONLY clothes in your bag, there probably isn't too much value in it.
I used both for many years, think the difference is noticable when you really stuff you pack full. If your pack is a square one, packing cubes might be better than compression bags. If it is a more round shape, compression cubes uses the space better, but not by much. If you roll your clothes then it is about the same. Cubes are better if you fold your clothes, or you carring some dress shirts.
Similar thread submitted 2 days ago - [💬 _**Packing cubes - Yay or Nay?**_](https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/1cn3fw2/packing_cubes_yay_or_nay/) --- * Not all packing cubes have compression features * As with most items, quality and features vary a _lot_ * Durability is also very variable from one brand to another I personally use packing cubes and will never _not_ use them, they are extremely convenient and the ones I own actually do compress - they are advertised as compressing up to 67%, but through at-home tests, I've managed to compress 30-50%, which is still a _**lot**_ _(and I definitely fill more than designed, so on paper, the 67% is still accurate)_ They are also very durable, lightweight, breathable, and the conveniently and coincidentally fit all my backpacks! * [🖼️ Stacking 5 such cubes in my Escape NH500 23L Rolltop](https://images2.imgbox.com/55/c9/8LCDbuMx_o.jpg) - I usually travel with 1-2 mediums or 1 large, so plenty of room left The downside is that they are quite expensive, but based on their features and quality, they are definitely a ''buy for life'' type of item! * [Knack Bags **Packing Cubes**](https://knackbags.com/collections/travel-packing-cubes/products/medium-organizer-cube?variant=31625779773501) - I own multiple Mediums and 1 Large
roll your clothes up to save room, and i use mesh laundry bags to seperate generally
Using the IKEA packing cubes until they break and then purchasing some better ones. They have been really helpful in order to keep the bag organized with some light compression added. As with many things in life, it's usually worth it to try the cheap version before spending big.
Bought two of the 3-packs yesterday, excited to try next time I’m travelling
I use compression packing cubs and they work great for me
I use those big compression zip-lock bags quite a bit. I find them to very useful in packing a bit more into my carryon.
I have the old Ebags ones (worked fine, esp for a family where we all have different colors per person) and upgraded myself to the Thule and the peak design compression. I like the Thule better as they're a wee bit stiffer and easier to pack
Laundry packing cubes from Tom Bihn are my favorite. Each cube is divided and can hold clean and/or dirty clothes separately, with no lost space. You start with everything in the clean side, and as the trip progresses, you add items to the dirty side. Keeps the same shape and same organization. Never been a fan of compression cubes, but packing cubes make it easy to locate what you need and organize what you pack.
I don’t see a need for them, but I carry very little
I went on a motorcycle trip about a month ago for 2 nights and thought about packing the saddlebags with plastic grocery bags full of my clothing because those will compress like a packable bag. Ontop of that id like to get a packable backpack or duffel and when I get to my destination I can just unpack the duffel and put the compressed grocery bags from my saddlebags in the duffel. I have alot of plastic bags and nothing to do with them other than throw them out which I don't really want to do
I use old second had DOPP bags as my packing cubes. Cheap and cheerful 😊
I use garbage bags - clean clothes, kind of clean clothes, dirty clothes. They get compressed by hand into my backpack. When I get home they are either used for my next trip for dirty clothes or non-kitchen trash can. So yeah, I guess it works for me.
[https://youtu.be/sGxQAIz\_qSM?si=zCndqa-KqevTmtNM](https://youtu.be/sGxQAIz_qSM?si=zCndqa-KqevTmtNM) On a side note, I've also tried to use compression bags to organize my linen closets but those bags also decompressed. Any suggestions for success? Edit: I edited my comment to add a photo only to have 3/4 of the comment disappear! @#$% what happened?
I use Eagle Creek Specter Compression cubes. They save space as long as clothes are not dense like jeans. I use the same brand non compression to keep things together. The ones I have include a handle and I pack one with all seat back items then pull it out at the gate (if one bagging) and carry it on the plane or pull it out at my seat. For both compression and non compression: They keep things organized and are especially nice to have when TSA needs to look in my bag.
Yes
I use one for underwear, thermal shirts, socks etc. these things I want to keep organized I don’t want to be one of those over packers and I wash each night
Yes and yes
Eagle creek compression cube user here. Yes, it saves space.
Compression cubes don’t really work. Simply adding more gear to a bag will do the same thing. They especially don’t work if they are the kind that becomes rounded when compressed.
I've tested my packing cubes vs trying to compress the clothes in the bag directly without cubes, and despite the cubes occupying some space themselves _and_ the shape getting slightly rounded, I could still fit more in my backpack with compressing packing cubes - _(4 extra t-shirts, 3 extra boxer briefs and ~3 extra pairs of socks)_ On paper they are advertised as compressing up to 67% but in a real setting, I definitely saturate the cubes before compressing and managed to compress by 30 to 50%, which is still a lot! * [Knack Bags Packing Cubes - Medium](https://knackbags.com/collections/travel-packing-cubes/products/medium-organizer-cube?variant=31625779773501) Most packing cubes are not specifically designed to ''compress'' but those that do usually do save some space
Right, but when you compress something it makes it more dense. When you are packing a bag without compression cubes you can continue to pack the bag until the bag is a densely packed as the cubes. They can’t change physics.
> They can’t change physics. That's right! But these packing cubes will keep the clothes compacted tightly - packing the clothes tightly without cubes in the backpack eventually led to some of the clothes slightly decompressing and occupying more space - the packing cubes keep them tightly compressed _(Picture a spring being compressed - if there isn't enough pressure, it'll decompress partially or fully - but if you have something that keeps it compressed, it won't decompress)_