Packing Cubes or Compression Bags

Which are better? What are the pros and cons for each?

In about another month I will be cruising for the first time. I only want to take a carry-on suitcase and a personal item/backpack. Even though the cruise is only 7 days, I will be staying in San Francisco for a few days pre and post cruise. Total time of the vacation will be 2 weeks. What's the most efficient way to pack? I know that packing cubes are better for organization but won't I be able to pack more with compression bags?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

I am an experienced traveller and tried packing cubes for the first time. I HATED them!! I can pack a lot better and without the extra space the cubes took up and I never really had wrinkly clothes. The only good thing about them was because I was in Europe for 3 weeks in March and one week was in a car driving around I used on cube as my 'suitcase' instead of hauling my regular one around.

As for the compression bags... you will experience a lot of wrinkles but you will have a lot of room in the case if you use them. I don't' know what line you are cruising but they will offer a laundry service if they don't have self-service machines. It would be easier than try figure out what to use. It will be lighter to carry as well.

If you coordinate your wardrobe and wear bottoms a few times and double duty tops you shouldn't really have any problems with just a carry on bag. It can be done.;)

We don't use either one.

We did consider compression bags but for us since we have 28" bags the con would be that if we create more space from the bags we would go over the 50 lb. weight limit.

Keith

We also don't use either. Careful packing and thought out packing list, along with a lot of experience allows us to go to Europe regularly for 14 or 15 days with just carry on and a light "day pack" for each person. Also, types of clothing- shirts that don't wrinkle, or hang well, will help a lot.

I really like packing cubes (I use the ebags brand ones). The ones I have fit very nicely together in my suitcase, and allow things to be very organized. I pack them differently depending on the trip. Sometimes it's shirts in one, pants in one, etc. For a cruise with a night in a hotel first I do one cube with just the stuff I will need in the hotel. Also great for separating clean/dirty clothes on the way home. I don't think they make a big difference in how much I can fit in a suitcase -- they might increase it slightly. But I love how easy they make it to keep everything organized. I haven't tried compression bags because I think they would be bad for wrinkling.

I am a fan of packing cubes, they keep things more organized and combined with a good military roll I am able to fit way more in my carry on. I own two brands the shacke (sp?) and the flight001. Flight001 is my favorite if only going carry on, cuz they are double sided keeps clean clothes separate from dirty.

I have tried the compression bags and didn't like them, won't use them again. Many people swear they make for more space, but I didn't see it, and found the packing and compressing exercise more trouble than it was worth and little benefit.

I love packing cubes and packing envelopes. My clothes never end up wrinkled if I use the envelopes to fold and store them- this absolutely beats carrying a separate garment bag. I like the cubes if I will be making more than one overnight stop in more than one place. I can pull things out and replace the cubes without making a mess of my packing. The key is to know what is in each cube/ envelope.

I am not a fan of compression bags because of wrinkle. Also I have had them lose compression and had a harder time re-packing them.

We use neither, though have used the space bags at times.

We use several in different sizes. Just make sure you get the ones you compress by hand and not the Vacuum cleaner types. Although you can do those by hand also.

For a month long trip thru Europe we kept the bags below 36 lbs., leaving room for souvenirs

I use cubes for small stuff (undies etc) and take the entire cube out to put in the closet.

These are the things that use a vacuum cleaner to get the air out and compress things?

What is the plan for getting all that stuff compressed for the return trip?

I love packing cubes. I pack a couple of ways - e.g. by type of clothes and a days worth of clothes.

What I really like about them is that when we stay in the hotel the day before I just have to pull out one cube and it has the socks, underwear, shirt etc needed for both of us for the day.

Then when we get on board I just pull the cubes out, partially unzip them and the clothes are unpacked without needing much unpacking.

The other advantages I see is a really tidy suitcase that is easily reorganised or if you need to open it up (eg at security) then you can pull things out and easily put them back in.

On our last trip we had a bit of an issue - the car broke down. We couldn't drive it home and needed our son to pick us up. We couldn't take all of our luggage so it was easy just to go through the suitcases and pull out the essential items to take home.

I understand that compression bags means you have more space, but I have always found them unwieldy. I bought cheap cubes off ebay in a range of sizes and love love love them!

We use several in different sizes. Just make sure you get the ones you compress by hand and not the Vacuum cleaner types. Although you can do those by hand also.

For a month long trip thru Europe we kept the bags below 36 lbs., leaving room for souvenirs

Lynn, the compression bags are supposed to increase available space in a bag, although I don't believe that, but the weight is the same. The compression can't reduce what the items weigh.

Lynn, the compression bags are supposed to increase available space in a bag, although I don't believe that, but the weight is the same. The compression can't reduce what the items weigh.

Although the compression bags don't reduce what the items weigh, they make more space available in the suitcase. We found that to be really true on our AK cruise when we used compressionn bags for our sweatshirts and jackets.

We used the compression "space" bags that you roll, not using vacuum.

I like the cubes too. We use one as a first aid kit and put it in the top drawer of our cabin. I use others for Tshirts, and/or hubbiy's briefs.

These are the things that use a vacuum cleaner to get the air out and compress things?

What is the plan for getting all that stuff compressed for the return trip?

There are some, such as Space Bags and Ziplock type bags, that you don't need to vacuum out the extra air, Just leave some space at the top and roll from the bottom.

I used this method for our Alaskan cruise so I can pack some woolies...and ended up adding too much weight to my luggage for our train trip. The clerk held up my bag and said I was over the weight limit, but we insisted he actually weight it. It was just under the maximum.

Packing cubes: pros: organization - pull out cubes and put them in drawers.

did a 7 day cruise with compression bags in a carry-on. It was great! As for wrinkles - they really weren't too bad.

Anything that helps keep me organized while traveling is a good thing for me.

No need to pick one over the other; they now make compression packing cubes!

http://shop.eaglecreek.com/packit-specter-compression-cube-set/d/1281

These are the things that use a vacuum cleaner to get the air out and compress things?

What is the plan for getting all that stuff compressed for the return trip?

Borrow vacuum from room steward.

Borrow vacuum from room steward.

Your room steward tends to be a bit busy keeping a large number of rooms clean. He may not refuse to let you use his vacuum as he is instructed to never refuse a "reasonable" or "slightly unreasonable" request from a passenger but it does not make his job any easier. One cabin might not be a problem but what if 5 or 6 or more cabins asked to borrow his vacuum for a while? I would hope that if you do borrow his vacuum, you will give him a really big tip.

DON

I love packing cubes. So easy to keep things organised. Vacuum bags are great too when there are bulky items likes jackets etc but I'd be careful with the plan to "borrow" the stewards vac for packing for the trip home, they often only use an upright.

I just a couple of sets of the small and medium sized e-bags packing cubes and will be using them to keep small things organized, both in our carry-ons and regular bags. I think they're going to work out very well.

I find the packing cubes very useful for trips of several weeks where we change hotels every couple of days, and often just live out of our suitcases. For a cruise, not so much. We only have to pack and unpack once.

I have been using the packing cubes and envelopes for over 10 years now and absolutely love them. They keep my clothes organized and pretty much wrinkle free (as long as I am careful when I am folding them). I, too, like to take them directly out of my suitcase and put them in the drawers. I like that they keep my luggage tidy and organized. I use Eagle Creek cubes and envelopes.

My mother tried the compression bags and hated them due to how they wrinkled her clothing. She is now a cube convert.

Thank you to everyone that has responded. So much great information and tips. I'm leaning towards a compression bag for thicker items, like my one pair of jeans and jean shorts, and maybe some packing cubes for the smaller things. Most of my shirts are a flimsy material that do not wrinkle or occupy much space so I should be good there.