Posts Tagged packing cubes
Travel Shoe Bags
Designed to use in conjunction with their luggage cube line, Great Useful Stuff’s shoe bags are such a simple concept, I’m kind of kicking myself for not thinking of it myself. Made from a washable, durable polyester with a wide zipper opening, these packing cubes for shoes keep dirty soles away from your clean clothes (while protecting the shoes themselves).
Admittedly, the first time I tried these out, I didn’t use them to store shoes of any kind: I used them as additional packing cubes for a short family getaway. They’re the perfect size for storing kids’ socks, underwear, and swimsuits (especially useful if two children share a larger suitcase). After spending a lovely holiday not digging around in luggage looking for tiny undergarments, I was sold.
Of course, with Oregon’s mud season (I mean, winter) in full swing, I know I’ll use the shoe bags for actual shoes soon as well. They’re large enough to store even a pair of my husband’s size 12 sneakers, and water-resistant enough to keep my child’s mud, snow, or sand-caked boots from ruining everything else in the bag. I’m thinking they’ll be essential for camping and road trips.
Great Useful Stuff’s shoe bags can be purchased alone ($14.99 for a set of two), or as part of the complete, four-piece packing cube set ($40).
See other Practical Travel Gear reviews of packing aids in general or other types of packing cubes.
Posted by Amy in General Gear, Kids and Family on February 7th, 2012
eBags Packing Cubes Set
Packing for a long trip can be frustrating for a number of reasons. First, if you are traveling to destinations with different climates, it feels like you are double packing. Second, it is hard to keep things organized in your bag so that you can easily reach the things you need at each destination. It often seems that the thing you need most is always at the bottom of the bag and you end up wrinkling or shifting everything else to get to it.
These packing cubes from eBags are the perfect way to keep your luggage contents organized and your clothing neatly pressed and organized. It is also perfect for separating electronic devices and shoes from delicate clothes or for storing a sweater or charging cable that you might need to access in a jiffy on the plane.
Each durable, nylon pouch has a zippered top with mesh covers to keep the contents visible and well-ventilated. There is also a handle on each pouch making them easy to carry individually. A variety of colors are perfect for families who share a bag and want to color code their packing cubes. They are lightweight and add virtually no additional poundage to your suitcase.
The packing cubes keep clothing from wrinkling and moving around in your bag during transit. They are sold in sets with small, medium, and large cases making them great for both smaller, carryon bags or larger suitcases.
If packing for more than one person in the same bag, these cubes also help to separate things without splitting the bag into two sides. This allows for the most efficient use of space in your suitcase. It also serves a dual purpose because they can be used for laundry to keep your dirty clothes separated from clean clothes.
These make a great gift for busy travelers and are available on the eBags website or on Amazon. They run from $20 to $28 for a set of three, depending on size. They are always in my suitcase now making me feel more organized and keeping my clothes looking spiffy no matter how long my trip.
Posted by Ramsey in Business Gear, General Gear, Kids and Family on January 23rd, 2012
Where Do You Pack All Those Gadgets and Cables?
As the number of gadgets and electronic devices in our travel bags has grown, so has the number of accompanying cords for connecting and charging. Even if you get around the manufacturers’ love of proprietary connectors with something like the Chargepod Callpod or the Kensington Power Adapter, you’re still left with a gaggle of USB thumb drives, memory cards, Skype devices, music earbuds, battery rechargers, and who knows what else.
On my recent two-month trip abroad, I managed to keep all this madness in check with the Snake Charmer from Tom Bihn. It’s basically a $25 elongated packing cube with two compartments, two zippers, and mesh on each side. Nothing fancy, but it does what it’s supposed to do: keep all your gadget accessories where you can find them.
I kept all my items with cords in one compartment and all the other items in the other. In the old days I would be brought to the brink of throwing things through windows when I couldn’t find that one particular accessory I needed in various pockets around my laptop bag/backpack, but this time I was a Zen master when it came time to locate what I needed. Everything was in one place and I could see through the mesh where it was.
This Tom Bihn item isn’t the be all and end all item of course: you could easily adapt a small toiletry kit or other two-compartment packing cube to accomplish the same thing. But this Snake Charmer seemed to be just the right size to hold everything and still fit easily in any open corner of my bag. It comes in four colors and is made in the USA.
It can only be ordered direct from the manufacturer, so click here for details and how to get yours.
Posted by Tim L. in Travel Light on August 26th, 2009
