Packing cubes, bags and small tools that make a suitcase easier to live out of

A suitcase is easy to close and hard to live out of. By the second day you are digging for a charger under a pile of clothes, and by the fourth you have emptied the whole bag onto the bed to find one sock. A few cheap organisers fix most of that. This page covers the ones worth packing, the ones that sound useful and are not, and a way of packing that keeps your bag tidy for the whole trip.

Do packing cubes actually help?

Yes, for some people and some trips. They do three things well:

• They keep categories together. Tops in one, underwear in another, so you pull out one cube instead of unpacking the lot.
• They make unpacking quick. On a trip with many stops, you can leave things in the cube and just take out what you need.
• They compress a little, depending on the type, and stop a soft bag from becoming a shapeless lump.

They help less when:

• You are travelling for a weekend with a small bag. There is not enough to organise.
• Your bag has an awkward shape and the cubes waste the corners.
• You tend to overpack. A set of cubes makes it easy to fill every inch.

If you try them, buy one set and use it for a couple of trips before you decide. Two or three sizes cover most needs: a large one for clothes, a medium one for underwear and socks, a small one for chargers and bits.

Other organisers worth having

• A toiletry bag with a hook. Hang it on a door or a towel rail in a small bathroom. Pick one that wipes clean.
• A laundry bag. Dirty clothes go in one place, and the clean ones stay clean. A spare plastic bag works too.
• A shoe bag. Shoes carry dirt. A bag for each pair, or one bag for all of them, keeps it out of your clothes.
• A flat document pouch. Passport, tickets, insurance and a pen. It lives in your day bag and moves with you.
• A small zip pouch for cables, as covered in travel tech to pack.
• Clear zip bags in a few sizes. They hold snacks, receipts, liquids or wet swimwear, and you can see what is inside.

A small kit of tools

You do not need a toolbox. A few small things solve most of the problems that come up on a trip:

• A few safety pins and a small sewing kit for hems, zips and straps.
• Tape, either a short roll or a strip wound round a pencil, for a split bag, a taped sole or a sealed bottle.
• A couple of spare rubber bands and hair ties, which hold bags closed and wrap cables.
• A pocket knife or multi-tool, in the hold only. Blades are restricted in hand luggage in most places, so check the rules for your airline and airports, or leave it at home.
• A lock, either a small padlock for a hostel locker or a cable tie for a bag you want sealed.
• A bottle opener and a corkscrew, if you are cooking in a rental.
• A small torch.
• A spare button or two in a tiny bag.

Keep these in one pouch. The best kit is one you know where to find.

How to pack with cubes

If you use cubes, pack them so the bag opens like a drawer.

1. Decide the categories. Tops, bottoms, underwear and socks, sleepwear, swimwear or sport.
2. Roll or fold. Rolling soft items like T-shirts saves space and cuts creases. Fold shirts and trousers that crease. Both work; pick one per cube.
3. Put heavy items at the bottom, near the wheels of a roller case, or against your back in a backpack.
4. Shoes go at the bottom or edges, with socks tucked inside.
5. Fill the gaps. Socks, belts and small items go in the spaces between cubes, so the bag is packed tightly and nothing shifts.
6. Keep the last-in, first-out items on top. Toiletries, a jumper, the document pouch.

Leave a little space. If your cubes are zipped to the limit, there is no room for the things you bring home.

Backpack or suitcase

The kit changes with the bag.

• A suitcase has a flat floor and square corners, so cubes work well.
• A top-loading backpack is deep and narrow. Cubes help you reach the middle, but too many make it hard to compress.
• A rucksack with a zip all the way round acts like a suitcase and works with cubes.
• A duffel or holdall is soft and shapeless. A few cubes give it structure.

The page on carry-on-only packing goes further on fitting everything into one cabin bag, and how to choose what stays at home.

A day bag that works

The best organiser is the one you carry every day. A small bag or a backpack for the day should hold:

• Water
• A layer for cold or rain
• Phone, charger and a power bank
• Wallet and a copy of your passport
• Sun cream and a hat, or a compact umbrella
• Tissues, plasters and a few snacks
• Your document pouch, if you need it that day

If you have this ready before you leave the accommodation, you will not have to go back for something.

When tidiness goes too far

A few warnings from people who have tried it:

• Do not buy a set for a trip you will pack in five minutes. A single bag and a clear pouch might be enough.
• Avoid too many colours and sizes. If you cannot remember what is in the red one, the system is not working.
• Do not leave everything in the cubes at the destination if you stay more than a few nights. Unpack into drawers, and use the cubes for the next move.
• Do not skip the weigh-in. Cubes weigh something, and they use up allowance on a flight. Airlines set their own limits, so check the baggage page for your carrier.

Before you close it

Open the bag and look at it once. Can you find the document pouch, the toiletry bag and a clean set of clothes without taking anything out? If so, the system works. If you are packing for a group, what a group should share will help you decide who carries the tools and who carries the chargers.