I bought my first pack of packing cubes for a five-month backpacking trip around the world. I was definitely obsessed with them from the start and even continued using them even once I transitioned out of my backpack and into a regular old suitcase. It wasn’t until recently, though, that I realized that packing cubes are the answer to almost every storage-related conundrum ever. While plenty of people suggest vacuum-sealed bags, I’d argue that packing cubes are much easier. You can pack them as tight as you want, or leave a little room so that everything squeezes together. Enter: the packing cube. Because they come in different sizes, the smaller ones are perfect for holding the cords you actually do need—think travel converters, extra chargers, and USB cables. There’s just something about folding the cords up, tying them off with a twist-tie, and nestling them into a neat little cube—even the ones you probably will never use again. Plus, because they’re fabric, they work for everything from old clothes to art projects. But even if we didn’t have kids, I keep my travel essentials ready to go in a packing cube, making it easy to grab everything we need, even if it’s just for a night or two away.
