You’ve picked out all the clothes for your upcoming trip. There’s no way you could have forgotten anything. You have meticulously coordinated your outfits, accessories, socks, underwear, toiletries, and pajamas. Little did you know that would be the easy part.
As you stare into your empty suitcase trying to decide what the best organization strategy should be for keeping all your things in order, the task can get overwhelming. Sure, it may all look great when you first fold it neatly and carefully place it in, but while on your trip as you go through things every day, your suitcase quickly becomes unruly. Honestly, it’s less a matter of “if” and more of a matter of “when” this will happen. A lone sock here, underwear stuck between two shirts, discarded items thrown back in without abandon. I don’t even want to go into dirty clothes getting mixed in with clean clothes…ga-ross! Before too long it will look like a bomb went off inside your suitcase. Those nice outfits you meticulously folded before you left have become a mere memory. All you see now is pure pandemonium. It won’t be long before you want to scream out loud, “I just can’t live like this anymore”! For me, that would happen after about one day of rifling through my suitcase. Ok, I acknowledge the fact that I may be a slight control freak but really, who in the world wants to pull out a dirty pair of underwear thinking it’s clean, am I right?
But have no fear! To save you from losing your mind, I’ve got a solution for you! The first time you use these bad boys, you will wonder how you ever lived without them. And when that happens, if you want to look up to me as a hero, I won’t argue with you. 😉
Your saving grace comes in the form of packing cubes.
I’ll admit, the first time I saw these I wondered if they would be something that sounded like a good idea but in reality got tried once, then thrown to the back of a closet. So I half-heartedly ordered one set. Well, let me tell you, the first time I packed a suitcase using packing cubes I was sold! These fantastic little guys allow you to organize your clothes according to section. Shirts and pants in one, underwear in another, pajamas in a third…the choices are endless. This makes finding specific items in your suitcase a breeze. It especially comes in handy when you have limited space while traveling and need to keep all your items consolidated, yet easily accessible. In addition, things packed inside packing cubes fit in your suitcase better overall and stay more organized the entire trip.
Our packing cubes of choice are Shacke Paks.
They are durable and backed by a 100% lifetime warranty. I first ran across them on Amazon and thought it was difficult to argue with over 6,000 5 star reviews. Shacke Paks come in an array of colors and sizes, making them very helpful in organizing different categories of clothing. They also come with a laundry bag, eliminating the possibility of your clean clothes smelling like yesterday’s socks. What a bonus! I have talked to people who have tried bargain-priced packing cubes and, while many of them like the functionality of the cubes, they have found them to be flimsy, not lasting past a trip or two. We have been using Shacke Paks for over a year now (that’s 11+ trips), and have had only one zipper pull come loose. And let me tell you, we have put these babies to the test. They have been crammed full, tossed, dropped, and have even survived my boys using them. Trust me, there is no better testimonial than that folks!
If you think you are ready to enter into the world of packing cubes, here are some tips I have found to be helpful:
- Utilize the color choices Shacke Pak has to offer. I have bought sets in four different colors so each person has their own color.
- When packing multiple people’s things in one suitcase, use different color packing cubes for each person. This will make them easily identifiable when you reach your destination.
- If packing cubes for children, simply pull out their color packing cube and let them unpack it themselves.
- If I will be staying somewhere for a short amount of time, I simply leave my Shacke Paks in my suitcase but open them all the way up so I can see everything easily. This way I have easy access to it all but everything stays divided and organized. How satisfying is that? I know, I am such a nerd.
- If I am staying somewhere for a few days or more and want to unpack my suitcase, I place each Shacke Pak in a drawer and simply open it up all the way. This gives me full access to my clothes without having them touch what may or may not be a clean hotel drawer.
- Sometimes it’s better to roll your clothes instead of folding them in order to have them fit best. Just work with each packing cube and see what works best for the items you will be placing in them. For example, I usually roll my shirts, but fold my pants.
- I use a small Shacke Pak in my airplane carry-on. In it, I include everything I want access to in-flight. You would be surprised how much can fit in one. When I find my seat, I hook the Shacke Pak onto the edge of my tray table with a carabiner and have easy access to everything I need.
So do yourself a favor. Hop right on over to Amazon and buy yourself a set of these packing cubes. Before you know it, you will be packing like a pro and wondering how you ever traveled without them. Also, click on the link to this blog post for more tips on packing like a pro: 12 Things to Bring on Every Trip
I would love to hear your tips and ways you use your packing cubes too. Good luck, and happy packing!
The Bunch Abroad 