FunNut

Cubes and folders are invaluable for any trip. They will compress items, but only if you're packing more items in the cube than would fit loose in the bag - hope that makes sense. My husband wears XL shirts and I fold them into 15-inch Eagle Creek folders without any problems.

Where these items are really important are in the following situations:

1) need compression for shirts (use folders)

2) multi-stop trips where you unpack and repack daily

3) when you have limited storage - where having loose items is just a pain - this is especially important in ship cabins

4) for people who want to stay neat and tidy, without "stuff" all over the place

5) when you don't want to put your clothing directly on hotel or ship shelves or drawers that others have used

I have at least 2 dozen assorted Eagle Creek folders, quarter, half, and double-sided cubes. Also have a number of short and long tube cubes. It took me several years to accumulate these. Like others, I pick them up when they're on sale. If I were buying now I also would consider the Eagle Creek Specter line (ultra lightweight and mentioned above) and packing aids from eBags.com . The Specter line doesn't have mesh sides, which are nice for viewing what's in each cube.

Some people color-code cubes for different members of the family. Another tip for packing is to use 2-gallon ziplock bags. I often pack that way with each day's outfits per bag. You really can compress using the ziplocks and it greatly simplifies how much has to be handled per day. The ziplock method is especially helpful for train travel or those single-night pre- or post-cruise situations.

Brands with a good warranty/guarantee include ebags own brand at their website (my personal favorite), Briggs & Riley, and Eagle Creek. I spent years in the travel industry, these are my go-to brands. I own vintage Hartmann, but only use it for car trips and carry-on - those pieces are never ever checked.

I would never buy expensive luggage because it's a magnet and target for thieves in airport baggage handling and TSA. Read up on the recent busts of baggage handlers at JFK. They acknowledged that they "profile" luggage by checking tags (looking for bags from upscale addresses) and the pricey brands.

When you travel, be sure to make a complete list of the contents of your bag. Keep a copy at home, e-mail a copy to yourself, a copy with your other important travel documents, and put a copy ON TOP on your clothing in the suitcase with a note: "I have a complete inventory of the contents of this bag." This discourages thievery, especially from the TSA. And if your bag is never recovered - believe me, this happens - you have a much easier time with insurance claims. Finally, never never check electronics, jewelry, important paperwork, medications, or anything you wouldn't throw away in the street. In other words, only check things that are easily replaceable.

Now stepping off soapbox...

Yet another reason to book your outgoing flight a minimum of 4-5 hours after docking at your final port. No matter what manner of travel, boat, train, or air, damage must be reported immediately before leaving port, station, or airport. Allow time for a report to be filed.