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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not Understand packing cubes?!

68 replies

asteriodeleven · 19/04/2022 20:36

I need advice... going on on holiday for first time in years with two DDs. Too packing tips everywhere I've read is 'use packing cubes' and 'split luggage in case a suitcase goes missing'. Fine. Duly order a few sets of cubes but I'm not sure I get the concept!? I was planning on having my swimwear in one, my dresses in one, DD1s swimwear in one etc... but if I'm splitting luggage over suitcases I can only take a certain amount of cubes per suitcase... so I can only take maybe dresses for one and pants for the other!? If your mixing, what's the point of the cubes?! I'm a very anxious traveler and always massively overpack and I think being the first time we've travelled in years is meaning I am massively overthinking this! Tips for packing a family of four, 7 nights in the sun, very welcome!!

OP posts:

Shiningpath · 19/04/2022 20:39

Different colours for each person, couple of outfits in each cube, one or two cubes per person in each case.

JaninaDuszejko · 19/04/2022 20:40

Splitting your luggage means if you have 2 suitcases don't put all your things in one and all your SOs stuff in the other. It means put half your clothes in each (e.g. half your knickers, half your shoes, half your tops, half your dresses, half your shorts, etc etc) so that if one case goes missing you both have clothes to wear until the missing case turns up.

No idea about the point of packing cubes though, can't see the point at all.

whataloadabullocks · 19/04/2022 20:43

I think the original idea was: you can see the contents of what's in each cube, so you don't need to riffle through your case making a mess, or constantly packing and unpacking if you are on multiple stops. When I worked over seas, I found them really useful one I had multiple one night stops. I wouldn't bother for a holiday though.
I do keep a few essentials in my hand language as I have had my hold case sent to a different destination to myself!

luxxlisbon · 19/04/2022 20:43

I wouldn’t bother going down to the detail of dresses in one, trousers in a whole separate cube.
It would make more sense to gather broader groups together. Maybe all your day outfits together, then all your night outfits, maybe all the family’s swimwear together, or DC1’s clothes in one and DC2’s clothes in another. There’s no right way to do it, it’s supposed to make your life easier not harder so if it doesn’t help don’t do it.

Newusername3kidss · 19/04/2022 20:44

They are actually pretty useful. So I have family of 5 and we recently went to Mauritius and stopped in Dubai for few nights on route. I used couple of cubes to Dubai stuff which I pulled out and left everything else in case. I do a cube for each kid, one for swimwear, one for night stuff , one for toiletries, one for sun cream. Makes unpacking in hotel super quick. Don’t use them coming back I just throw everything back in. Also I’ve had a case go missing before (pre kids so wasn’t a drama) but now I split stuff between cases so if one went missing we’d all still have clothes in the other cases.

mrsmonkey14 · 19/04/2022 20:44

Packing cubes are great. I use one colour of packing cube per family member. Each family member prob ends up with 3 packing cubes - one big one with clothes, one with swimwear, one with underwear/PJs. On holiday tend not to unpack the cubes, just lay in wardrobe (will hang up a few dresses or mens shirts). To pack the cubes, roll up all the clothes individually - you can fit lots in. Just squidge the cubes into suitcases, fill gaps with footwear, towels, etc. Take spare plastic bags for chucking all dirty clothes in.
I also use cubes for kids activities, books, card games etc.
Take some small things for kids to play in pool eg sinkers, ball etc. For towels, microfibres such as Dock and Bay or Hamman towels take up a lot less space than traditional towels.
Take plenty of pants for everyone, but remember most of time you’ll all be in swimwear, so most outfits can be worn 2/3 times, so don’t take eg 7 day and 7 evening outfits per person.

WhatsitWiggle · 19/04/2022 20:44

I've never used cubes but always split clothes over cases - so half my outfits/underwear/swimwear in each case and same for rest of the family. Ditto suncream. Means if a case is delayed, we've all got enough clothes for 2-3 days.

ReadyToMoveIt · 19/04/2022 20:44

I just put a load of stuff in a suitcase. Always worked for me 🤷🏻‍♀️

LordEmsworth · 19/04/2022 20:45

There's nothing to understand about packing cubes.

Packing strategies - well it will be what works for you. So I have one cube of "stuff I will want pretty quickly" and try to get that in my hand luggage. Then "stuff I am taking just in case" goes in another. Then everything else gets split so I have a mix of stuff in each cube, and won't get stuck if one case gets lost. I squeeze stuff in so it takes less space than just having in a case.

Then when I get there - I re-organise so this one is dresses, this one is tops etc.

And then coming back - this one is washing, this isn't.

Honestly it's not the law that you have to have one of dresses and one of pants. Do what works for you.

starlingdarling · 19/04/2022 20:45

My packing cubes have an expandable bit that you zip up after packing to compress the clothes even more. So it's more about fitting more in a small case than having one per type of clothing.

givethatbabyaname · 19/04/2022 20:45

Packing cubes are a con. They’re just containers. You don’t need containers(your suitcase is a container…), and if you did you could use carrier bags or whatever other bags you might have lying around. If you haven’t opened the pack, return them and get your money back.

Put all the stuff you need for everyone on your bed. Get your suitcases out. Divide the clothes between the suitcases, so everyone has some of all types of clothes in each case. Make sure you don’t exceed the weight allowance.

LittleGungHo · 19/04/2022 20:47

I used them for travelling for 3 months around Asia but I would not suggest using them for a week in the sun. As you own then anyway maybe use use them for pants and swimwear.

Splitting clothes is only in case your case gets lost. Slim chance but if you are anxious put an outfit and swimmers for each person in each case.

Best packing tip, if you forget something what is the worst that can happen. You have to buy stuff when on holiday, but in reality if you pack 3 t shirts and they all get dirty you could wash them in the sink.

Try to relax and enjoy your break xx

Neolara · 19/04/2022 20:48

I love my packing cubes. Each family member has their own cube.

Womencanlift · 19/04/2022 20:49

Have never used packing cubes but have heard good things.

I do split clothes over different cases though. I also put a change of clothes, underwear, PJs and swimsuit in my hand luggage incase cases get lost. I am thinking now I could put my hand luggage contingency clothes in a cube and through it in my carry on case or bag

Notdoingthis · 19/04/2022 20:52

I don't understand them either. I have always separated all my stuff using canvas bags. Then you have a load of shoulder bags/shopping bags/laundry bags to use when you get there.

cassgate · 19/04/2022 21:04

I am also trying to get my head round this. I also split packing for each person across multiple cases so if cases go missing everyone at least has some clothing to wear. I can’t work out how that works with packing cubes? We are going away for a month later in the year and will be taking four large suitcases for four of us. I would need to buy at least 2 sets of packing cubes per person to have enough to go round. Will cost a fortune, so don’t think I will be bothering.

CMOTDibbler · 19/04/2022 21:09

IMO there are two ways of doing packing cubes - categories or outfits. Travelling for work I do categories, but for holidays I do outfits - so I might roll together leggings/vest top/pants/socks and you can either put a couple of outfits in a cube or do you and the kids per day which does make each morning super easy.
My swim stuff goes in a light but waterproof bag so that a last day swim means I can take wet kit home and its immediatly grabbed to get out as soon as. If I'll want to change to fly back (long haul esp) then that outfit goes in its own cube so it is easily grabbed.
My dirty stuff all goes in a compression bag so its segregated

Inertia · 19/04/2022 21:11

We don’t have packing cubes, but we do something similar on the cheap. We pack a complete outfit ( so e.g. shorts/ t shirt/ underwear/socks) in a large freezer bag. We label each name in a different colour, but you could look for different colour bags. Then share the bags out between cases- if one case goes missing, everyone has a couple of complete outfits in another bag.

Bags get reused on the next trip, so not environmentally damaging.

DarkCorner · 19/04/2022 21:16

I’ve never used them so not sure! But you could pack outfits in cubes so cube 1 has 1 day outfit - swimwear, shorts, t shirt for example plus one evening outfit - pants, bra, dress, cardy for example. Divide cubes between cases and you’d at least have swimwear, daywear, evening wear and underwear for a couple of days even if you lost a case.

RandomQuest · 19/04/2022 21:16

I use compression packing cubes. You can fit absolutely loads more in a suitcase versus just chucking it in. Honestly they’re my favourite travel buy ever. Then colour code per person for ease of unpacking. I always put swimsuit, clean top and underwear in hand luggage in case of missing bag.

ReadyToMoveIt · 19/04/2022 21:19

@RandomQuest

Ours is always at the weight limit anyway though so fitting more in wouldn’t help with anything, as it would then be too heavy!

fossilsmorefossils · 19/04/2022 21:20

I do per cube:
-baby clothes
-Underwearish stuff (socks knickers bra swimsuit)
-dresses
-bathroom stuff so toiletries, medicin, sun lotion

one for dirty clothing while on holiday so it stays separate from the rest

Like that. That way I get cube out of suitcase and just put the whole cube in a drawer. No extra unpacking.

I put extra knickers and babyclothes in my hand luggage anyway so I don't do the dividing everything over two suitcases thing.

saraclara · 19/04/2022 21:20

I love them. They've transformed packing for me. I'm a backpacker, and the compression ones are fantastic for squeezing stuff in. And because I only spend a few days in each place, I never have to properly unpack, and dont have to rummage in the depths of my rucksack. I just take the cubes out, put them on the floor, take things out as I need them, then packing is super easy as I just zip them up again and stick them in the pack. I have lots of different sizes, tops in one, trousers in another, warm stuff in another, underwear in another. Smaller ones with various bits and bobs in that would otherwise get lost, and one that I squeeze footwear in. Oh, and one for stuff that needs laundering.

If I'm having a city break, the same applies. Packing cubes in a hand luggage sized case, and again, no proper unpacking needed. They're basically your chest of drawers.

Original poster

asteriodeleven · 19/04/2022 21:20

I'm glad I'm not the only one!! It all just seems very complicated and I thought they were meant to make it simpler!

OP posts:

Peckhampalace · 19/04/2022 21:23

I found cubes great when I moved on every couple of days, or with work. Could get to the bottom of the case without unpacking.
Now do one cube with a couple of complete outfits and put in DH bag and he puts same in mine.
If only going to one place then things that don't need hanging up go in one cube which goes on bottom of wardrobe/ in drawer, undies and swimming stuff in one. Cubes reordered as time goes on so dirty washing sorted for when I get back (darks, delicates etc).

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