Packing cubes don't create space. What they do is stop your bag turning into a pile by day three, and let you move everything from bag to hotel drawer in one lift. The trick is to pack by category, not by outfit.
Pack by category
Each cube or pouch holds one kind of thing:
- Clothes: tops and bottoms together, or split across two cubes on longer trips.
- Underwear and socks: their own small cube, so you can grab them without unpacking.
- Tech: cables, chargers, adapter and power bank in one tech pouch.
- Toiletries: a toiletry case, with liquids in a separate clear bag if you're flying.
- Dirty clothes: a laundry bag that starts empty and fills up as the trip goes.
Outfit cubes sound tidy but fall apart as soon as you rewear something. Category cubes keep working all trip.
Setups by trip length
1–3 days (20–30L bag). One medium cube for all clothes, a toiletry case and a tech pouch. That's enough structure without adding weight.
4–7 days (20–30L with one wash, or 30–45L without). Two cubes: one for tops and bottoms, one small one for underwear and socks. Add the toiletry case, tech pouch and a laundry bag. This is the week kit setup.
14 days and up. The same as a week. With a laundry plan, a long trip packs exactly like a seven-day one.
Roll or fold?
Roll soft things (tees, underwear, merino, gym clothes). Fold structured things (button-downs, chinos, anything you want to arrive smooth) to the width of the cube. Compression cubes squeeze out extra air, which helps with bulky layers, but they make it easier to pack more than you need. Use them for volume, not as an excuse to add weight.
Where everything goes in the bag
- Heaviest cubes against your back, so the bag carries close to your body.
- Liquids and tech on top or in an outside pocket. At security you pull two things out instead of unpacking.
- Leave one cube a little underpacked. That's your room for souvenirs and for clothes that come back damp or wrinkled.
- Keep a small pouch for the daily stuff (passport, charger, earbuds, meds) that moves from your bag to your pocket or day bag each morning. Able Carry's Daily Stash Pouch is sized for pens, chargers and small toiletries and pairs with any Able Carry bag.
Which cubes to buy
Start with two cubes, a tech pouch and a toiletry case. Match cube sizes to your bag: a cube that's too big for the main compartment wastes the corners. If your bag is from the same brand, its matching cubes are usually shaped for it, like Able Carry's Cube. Browse everything that's in stock in packing cubes.
This post is part of How we pack, the thinking behind our Trip Planner. Build your list →
