In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, "I am the master packer," and you can be one, too. My secret to lugging the essentials with ease, whether by air, rail, car, or sea, can be summed up in two words: packing cubes.
Not only do packing cubes help keep you organized, but many of them also compress, allowing you to maximize your travel wardrobe while minimizing precious luggage real estate.
Below are the five packing cubes I absolutely swear by, time-tested again and again on countless excursions. I use these bad boys every time I leave home for more than a day trip, and I'd honestly be lost trying to pack without them.
My favorite cheap packing cubes
The Amazon Basics 4-piece packing cube set is a remarkably well-priced deal on a tough-built set of cubes in a variety of sizes. While there's no expansion/compression feature, the overall design is certifiably resilient; I've filled my Amazon Basics Cubes to the max, with no signs of bursting seams or failing zipper tracks. The front is also partially meshed, so you know exactly what's in each cube.
My go-to compression cubes for clothes
One step up from the Amazon Basic packing cube bundle, we have this fantastic REI three-piece set. What sets the REI version apart from the Amazon option is an extra zipper on each cube that lets you expand the space, fill it, then compress it back down; something I find incredibly handy.
Similar to the Amazon version, the REI cubes feature a meshed front to see what's inside. More importantly, based on my years of field testing, REI's cubes are built to last the long haul just as well, if not better than the Amazon cubes, no matter how much clothing you manage to stuff inside over and over again.
Upgraded compression cubes
I recently got sent a set of Wandrd packing cubes, and I'm impressed. Sure, they're a bit pricier than the REI option, but they also have more features, including an additional rear pocket for dirty laundry.
The front, meanwhile, is entirely mesh. The medium and large-sized cubes offer expansion/compression zippers, though the smaller cube does not. Like the REI cubes, the build quality on these is fantastic. The zippers feel durable, the stitching doesn't pull, even when filled to the brim, and a well-placed carry handle only adds to the versatility.
A near-perfect tech pouch for essentials
The Domke Tech Pouch has a ridiculous amount of places to organize and store all your mid-sized and smaller essentials. The photo nerds out there probably recognize the Domke name; the brand has long manufactured some of the most beloved over-the-shoulder camera bags in existence.
IMHO, the Domke's tech pack deserves just as rabid a cult following. It opens up butterfly-style, revealing all sorts of zippered mesh pockets. However, hidden behind those, you'll find additional storage, secured via velcro, for particularly valuable bits you'd like to keep safe and out of sight.
The best packing cube for content creators
You'll find a lot of brands out there that make padded packing solutions for photographers and videographers. I should know, I spent over a decade reviewing camera gear, including packs and bags.
However, no solution has impressed me more than the Wandrd Essential Plus Camera Cube. It features a rigid exterior with ample internal padding, plenty of padded velcro organizational pieces, a hearty zipper to keep everything tightly sealed, and mounted D-rings on the exterior that let you turn it into a standalone camera bag with the addition of a carrying strap.
Better yet, if you have a Wandrd backpack, like the Wandrd PRVK Zip I just reviewed while in Spain for two weeks, the Camera Cube features a secondary quick-access zipper that works with the quick-access functionality on the backpack, allowing you to deploy your camera at a moment's notice.
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