PSA: I just realized my 'packing cube system' was making my bag heavier

For years, I used six different colored cubes for everything, thinking it was the ultimate carry-on method. The tipping point was in Chicago last month, when my bag weighed 22 pounds before I even put my laptop in. I pulled everything out and weighed the empty cubes alone. They added over three pounds. Now I just roll clothes and use a single lightweight bag for socks and underwear. Has anyone else ditched cubes after finding they were just extra weight?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbara_sanchez888d agoTop Commenter

That part about weighing the empty cubes really hits home. I did the same thing and realized half my packing list was just the containers. It's not just the weight, it's the false sense of organization. You cram stuff in to make the cube zip, so you're not actually saving space. I switched to simple rubber bands for rolled clothes and a plastic grocery bag for dirty laundry. The weight difference on my shoulders after a long travel day is huge.

elliotw378d ago

Exactly, and you're paying a premium for that false sense of order. I fell for the marketing too, until my luggage strap snapped from being overstuffed. Now I just use a big trash bag liner inside my pack. Everything gets compressed down, it's waterproof, and it weighs nothing. The whole packing cube industry feels like a solution to a problem they invented.