Have you ever packed all your clothing…in a packing cube?
The hotel has been booked. The laundry is all clean and folded. The suitcases are brought out of storage. There’s no more pushing it off – it’s time to face the music! Family trips are exciting but the packing can be daunting. But there’s now something on the market that will help keep it all organized – both in the suitcase, and at your destination.
The Solution: Packing Cubes
Packing cubes come in lots of colors and sizes, and are available from many different brands. The common features are a mesh see-through panel and a zipper closing. The goal is to pack similar items together to keep everything neatly organized; pajamas in one cube, socks in another, etc.
Which Cubes to Choose?
I chose the Amazon Basics line because of the availability of bundles of different sizes in different colors. I chose one color per family member and then ordered the sizes that were relevant to that individual. For my youngest, the largest size cube can be overkill. She only needs one – for sweatshirts, bulky sweaters, etc. But for my older kids, or for the adults, the large cubes are very useful for all sorts of clothing. I would suggest purchasing one bundle pack that includes all four sizes and play around with them to see which sizes work best for your family.
Packing Time
When the time for packing arrives, open all the cubes for each family member on his/her bed. Pack all similar items together and don’t close the cubes until you are absolutely finished. Chances are you’ll find one last pair of socks, or the missing bathing cap, just after you thought you were done. Think outside the box, too. If your child wears a scrunchie in her hair to bed, maybe put those in her pajama cube. Once all the checklists have been marked complete and there is nothing left in their closets, simply zip up all the cubes and load them into the suitcases.
And, Of Course…Unpacking
At your destination, each child can unpack the cubes of their color. And if you’re a bit squeamish about the insides of those hotel drawers, just leave the clothing in the cubes! Simply fold back the front flap and use them as clean “baskets” within the drawers.
can also just use different size ziploc bags
this is even better than a packing cube! pure genius
https://amzn.to/3BVVF8Y
for a short trip – like a Shabbos at the grandparents – we also love this!
The cubes are awesome!!! ALSO doubles as dirty laundry holder towards the end of the trip! Just take the clean clothes out of a larger one and put all dirty in it!
They look great, but can get really expensive for a whole family. Any solutions?
Here are some less expensive options:
1). See the other comment about zip-lock bags.
2). The Dollar Tree sells fabric storage baskets in a variety of sizes. They usually come in packages of two (or more) and can be planned to fit your luggage. It’s possible to purchase enough for an entire family for less-than $10. They are also collapsible for easy storage.
3). Other Dollar Tree Options: Plastic baskets, dishpans, laundry bags, and draw-string bags/back-packs for underwear, socks, cosmetics, the kiddies, etc.
4). For Camping and Family Reunions: Assign a clean box to each family member for clothing, toys, towels, kitchen supplies, etc. and leave them in the trunk/back of the vehicle. This method requires some daily pre-planning, but greatly reduces tent/camper/rental-house clutter.
I got for really cheap from aliexpress
Can you provide a link to the ones you bought from Aliexpress?
These look good, lots of different colors and loads of reviews.
Instead of small cubes they have pouches though… would work just as well for underwear and socks, accessories etc.
https://m.aliexpress.com/s/item/32556637619.html?spm=a2g0n.search-cache.0.0.70bc08b9fc5ThY
The one I got comes with three pouches and three cubes. I like the pouches for toiletries. The quality does not compare to these from amazon but it’s under 10 dollars for 3 cubes and 3 pouches.
I don’t have access to internet on my phone so can’t post a link…
Now that Pesach packing is coming up (for those of us that travel) I would love to pack each child individually, but don’t want to spend a lot on individual packing bags, any good ideas? links?
for the young kids i pack each pouch is for 1 day. i but everything in the clothing underwear headbands ect….. use small ones for their PJs per day.
This would totally change my reality of packing!!!!
Have you tried the compression ones?? I buy them on Amazon too (not Amazon brand but there are so many to choose from!) different colour per family member 😉 IFKYK! 🙂