Up, Up, and Away (with packing cubes)

Five years ago I began using packing cubes whenever I traveled. I first heard about them on travel websites, and decided to try them for 10-day trip to Italy. They worked so well that I have been using them every since. In fact, tomorrow I'm flying to Little Rock, Arkansas to spend a few days with our son, and I've already pulled out my lime green cubes to keep me organized.

Whether you're checking a bag or simply using a carry-on, packing cubes allow you to maximize space in an organized, efficient way. By rolling and placing like items in an assigned cube (tops, bottoms, outerwear) it is easy to look for an item without displacing the entire contents of your luggage.

And the system works. I not only used the packing cubes to help me pack in my carry-on, but I also used them recently for a family road trip in which I used a duffel bag as a suitcase. You know how it is with a duffel bag -- things slip, slide, and lump together -- but the packing cubes kept everything organized and (most importantly) wrinkle free.

(fyi: the packing cubes I use are called eBags which you can purchase them here, but I yesterday I did happen to see that Target has started selling a similar version.)

I used four  packing cubes to keep things organized:
1 large for tops
1 large for bottoms
1 long one for intimates
1 medium one for hair supplies (travel hair iron, shampoo, conditioner, round styling brush)

I used the packing cubes for a 10-day trip to Italy using only a carry-on.
The eBags kept everything organized.