Packing Cubes Have Utterly Modified How I Journey

I’ve lived on a number of continents and have traveled all my life, however I am nonetheless one of many worst packers on the planet.

You already know that woman frantically off to the aspect of each airline check-in desk, enjoying a real-life model of Tetris as she tries to change garments round, stuff one other pair of footwear in her carry-on, and throw on one other sweatshirt or two? That is me, I am that woman. 

There have been many occasions after I’ve overpacked so badly that I simply need to swallow the obese baggage price. And it is most likely a miracle I’ve but to interrupt my again attempting to lug a 60-pound suitcase up the tiny staircases of European hostels. However the worst is all the time throughout the journey, when my baggage has became a catastrophe zone and I can not discover something I really want. 

One thing, I spotted, needed to change. 

After planning practically two straight months of journey this summer time, I made a decision it was lastly time to change into a greater packer.

I used to be touring to a few totally different nations, two totally different continents, and 9 totally different cities within the span of eight weeks. If there was ever a time to discover ways to pack, it was now. 

My trusty TravelPro baggage was greater than 10 years outdated and beginning to break down, so I made a decision to put money into a brand new suitcase. I started researching well-liked baggage manufacturers and asking pals who traveled so much if they’d any good suggestions.

So lots of my pals raved about their Away suitcases, I knew I needed to test them out for myself.

I reside close to the Away retailer in Venice, California, so I popped over sooner or later earlier than my large journey. I examined a couple of out and beloved the number of colours and the 360-degree spinner wheels, however what actually drew me in was the inside compression system. 

Whereas my outdated soft-shell TravelPro baggage solely had one large compartment for garments, the hard-shell Away baggage has two. One aspect could be zipped closed, whereas a separate panel within the center — which has a mesh storing compartment of its personal — can be utilized to compress no matter’s packed on the opposite aspect. All of it appeared extraordinarily organized. 

Together with a big suitcase, I purchased Away’s packing cubes.

In line with Away’s web site, the packing cubes “compress and manage all the things inside your suitcase, from socks to shirts to even your bulkiest objects.” Since I needed to pack a wide range of garments for weddings, fancy dinners, work assignments, and a seaside trip, this gave the impression of the right funding. 

I opted for the $65 set of six packing cubes, which Away mentioned are “designed to suit completely inside our baggage.” 

As I started sorting my garments for the massive journey, I could not assist however really feel overwhelmed.

I had no thought the place to start out, which I spotted is how I all the time find yourself overpacking within the first place. I simply dump each outfit I feel has some potential and hope it really works out as soon as it is time to weigh my suitcase (which, normally, it would not). 

However now I had my packing cubes. So I made a decision to only take it one dice at a time. 

First, I organized my garments in piles primarily based on the place I would put on them.

I stacked my wedding-guest robes and extra formal attire collectively, whereas all the garments I needed to put on for my Mallorca seaside trip had their very own part. 

I made piles for exercise garments and outfits I may put on out to bars or golf equipment. I additionally grabbed one of many smaller cubes and stuffed it with underwear. 

My cubes helped me understand after I was packing too many garments for one event.

As I positioned every merchandise within the dice, I used to be in a position to visually see that I had packed manner too many clubbing garments or too many seaside cover-ups. It grew to become considerably simpler to eradicate sure garments and reduce the bags load. 

The cubes additionally helped me pack numerous objects with my garments, which has made discovering issues a lot simpler whereas dwelling out of my suitcase.

I packed all my socks and sports activities bras — small objects that normally get misplaced in my baggage — with the resistance bands I delivered to train throughout my travels. 

The exercises have not been tremendous profitable (oops), however on the uncommon event I’ve discovered time to sneak one in, I’ve all the time identified the place to get my gear. 

The cubes are useful for toiletries too.

I used the smallest packing dice to group a few of my random toiletries collectively, together with razors, eye masks, and additional toothpaste. 

The packing cubes additionally helped after I was organizing my carry-on.

I set off for my journey simply because the horror tales of misplaced baggage started making the information. 

Since all my garments have been organized by event, I simply put whichever dice I knew was crucial for a sure leg of the journey into my carry-on duffel bag. 

Earlier than I went from London to Mallorca, I threw in a dice stuffed with all my enjoyable seaside garments and switched out the larger dice with attire I had worn to my good friend’s wedding ceremony within the Cotswolds. After I flew again to the US for an additional wedding ceremony, I swapped the cubes once more. 

I did not have sufficient cubes for all of my garments, so I neglected my denim shorts, exercise garments, and loungewear.

I packed these garments on the aspect of my baggage with the zipper flap to maintain them in place. 

I packed all my cubes on the opposite aspect of the bags.

Later throughout my journey, after I unzipped my suitcase to get out some bug spray for a good friend, they commented on how organized my baggage seemed — phrases I would by no means thought I would hear. 

I used the compression panel within the center to retailer my remaining objects.

I threw in my purses, in addition to an additional pair of flip-flops and my sun shades. 

My packing cubes have stored me sane all summer time.

I have been in a position to simply unpack at locations the place I’ve stayed longer than per week, and dwelling out of my suitcase has been a breeze for the shorter mini-trips. I have been capable of finding all the things I want rapidly for each event, and maintaining issues organized has undoubtedly stored my stress ranges at bay — even throughout a summer time outlined by journey chaos (and my very own journey nightmare when my passport acquired stolen). 

At a time when airways are charging greater than ever in baggage charges, these cubes have additionally helped me understand what I are inclined to overpack. As I proceed to make use of them by a busy fall of weddings and bachelorette journeys all around the nation, I am hoping I will proceed to change into a savvier packer. 

And if all else fails, there’s all the time hiding my further garments in a pillowcase.