I recently purchased the Tom Bihn Tri-Star with whom I have been very satisfied with. To facilitate packing when travelling on weekend, or 3-4 day trips for which I use my Tri Star for I would like to get some organizer packing cubes.

I know Tom Bihn also sells packing cubes for the Tri Star, however at $16-$18 each they seem to be a little bit expensive.

As an alternative I know that eBags, Eagle Creek, and Rick Steves all sell packing cubes.

In the past I have also used extra large Zip Lock bags and compressed clothes into them which worked well, however the Zip Lock bag would tend to rip after a couple of uses.

Any recommendations are appreciated.

Thanks!

I have both eBags and Eagle Creek versions and both are well made and work well. Usually can find off colors on sale at eBags. Some Eagle Creeks are on sale here.

Alternatively you can also use Eagle Creek Compression Sacs which are more durable than regular ziploc bags.

I was going to recommend both the Eagle Creek and Ebags versions, as well. Another place you can get a good deal on the Ebags versions is on ebay. Ebags sells the old colors on there and if you're not particular about the colors you can snag some good deals. I just got 3 slim line cubes for $15.99 including shipping.

I love my eBags packing cubes. I have them in various sizes and in 2 different colours. I find having 2 colours is useful - clean stuff in one, used stuff in the other. Or if I'm using 2 cubes of the same size then I know that electrical stuff is in one colour and other socks are in the other.

I have the ebags cubes and have been very happy with them. I bought an original 3-size set in black to start with and then got a 3 set of only large in pink. As mcubed said, they sometimes put certain colors on sale and the pink were on sale. It just so happens to match my roll aboard so I'm good with the pink.

I use the large cubes for most clothes - tshirts, trousers, etc. The medium and small cubes gets things like underwear, socks, pajamas. Basically, all clothing goes into cubes so anything interesting that the TSA thinks they need to take a gander at can be put right on top of the cubes or into their own cube. This usually keeps my carryon from getting a full dump and rummage.

I believe Rick Steves are the lightest and also the cheapest. Both important arguments.

When choosing packing cubes it is important to look for two things. The right dimensions so they fit your bag and the fact that packing cube is most useful if it compresses the contents inside. Only if it compresses the contents will it save space. Thus it is best to pack sweaters, underwear and knits in the cubes. These items can be rolled and compressed very nicely. If you follow that principle, it will be easier to get compression from a FLAT packing cube rather than a high one. That, unfortunately, kills the RS because they are the highest. Of course, it depends how you pack and what you pack but in general the rule is true. Also if you are traveling with a bag like the BR 235x or the Airboss, the compartments are rather flat. It thus makes sense to use flatter packing cubes. Naturally, you could just use a fatter cube and let the bag compress it but that will lead to bulging negating the "neat" effect packing cubes should have.

So look at the ebags and the EC and then choose the one that best fits your size needs and decide how important the weight difference is. I think ebags is heavier but I am not sure.

Till

My first order of eBag cubes arrived today and waiting for rest of order (which also includes some eagle creek)....initial reaction: very impressive. One of them is perfect for my cpap nasal mask and hose ^

If you want a variety of colors and light in weight cubes, the best are on Ebags. Eagle Creek is bringing out a new line of cubes that expand with a zipper, but they are heavier.

I organize my packing by size of cube and color. I don't use packing folders. After I do laundry I pack up cubes of underwear and etc and put them in a dresser drawer. Fast packing!

I pack an entire outfit in a cube when the time comes for the clothing. That way a critical item doesn't get left behind either at home on or the road.

I have one cube of electronic gear and chargers. One cube of snack bars and tea.

I buy the Magellan's cubes only for the color choices as those are heavier.

I machine wash all the cubes after every trip and hang them up to dry.