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Keep it Neat with Packing Cubes

December 6, 2011

2-rimowa-packed

You might have noticed that TD and are frequent flyers. Though we are perpetually on a budget, this doesn’t keep us from travel in style and comfort. This means travelling smart, and a big part of this includes packing. What is the point of dressing or looking stylish during travel, if…

….your having a hard time with cumbersome luggage, losing your poise barely carrying them?

….you are perpetually re-packing and getting stressed out?

…. your luggage is bulging and looks like it’s about to burst?

If you truly want to travel in style, packing cubes is the way to go! Doesn’t that packed Rimova (above) look amazing?

Admitedly packing is one of the most stressful parts of traveling, and the worst thing is, you can pack everything as best you can, but once you open your luggage, everything is a complete mess again.

Thank goodness for the amazing invention of Packing Cubes or packing blocks, packing, repacking and even unpacking is less daunting! It will change your life. Seriously.

Benefits of using packing cubes

1. Once packed, your items will not get messy and move around.

2. Pack cubes tight and clothes stay folded and are less likely to crease. Under-packing the cubes defeats their purpose so always make sure everything is snug inside and buy correct sized cubes. Smaller sizes are better for me. The bigger ones tend to get misshapen.

3. After weighing, and you need to repack, you only need to open one block. The rest stay tidy.

4. It is also easy to remember what you have and where you put it. I got TD blue packing cubes and mine are pink. Both are from IKEA.

5. When we get to the destination, we put the packing cubes directly on the drawers or closets. This way our clothes remain in the packing cubes and don’t get dirty. You never know the dirt and dust that lurk in those hotel closets really.

6. If you transfer rooms in a hotel, or you are going to several destinations during a trip, packing cubes make it easy to pack up.

7. Best of all you can be well dressed and have clothes and accessories to spare becausepacking cubes let you make the most of your space. Once your items are compressed in a block, they don’t expand any more. You wouldn’t believe the amount of stuff  that TD and I are able to pack into one tiny luggage with the help of packing cubes.

8. Not only do packing cubes prevent your stuff from expanding and your bag from bursting, but let’s say your luggage zipper actually rips and your bag bursts. All your stuff are strewn out for everyone to see, right? Not withpacking cubes! The situation would not be as embarrassing, because everything will be in your cubes and travel organizers. They will look neat, tidy and organized. No crazy dive to retrieve underwear and other private belongings on the floor.

9. We pack our clothes back in the same cubes going home and everything goes back into the suitcase like putting in puzzle blocks together, nice and snug.

How we got started on Packing Cubes

Diplo Big Brother-in-law (DBB), expert diplomat and traveler, has been a fan of packing cubes for the longest time. He first introduced it to use by giving us a set for Christmas. Yet we didn’t really know what to do with it, and it was relegated to holding tennis balls and occasionally shoes for travel.

Then I read a story by Permanent Nomad belowand I realized how much we had underutilized them! I am now a believer and I wont travel without it.

It’s all in the Packing (cubes)

by Permanent Nomad on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 8:08pm

I am a permanent nomad, right? That means, I am also a professional packer. I claim that title with pride. During our last family trip (without child number 2), I managed to squeeze in all our belongings for a 7-day trip to Japan (for 3 people, mind you) in 1 big suitcase and a small trolley. The small trolley was even empty since I had reserved it for shopping. People couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw all that I had planned to bring. We took Cebu Pacific and we didn’t get charged for excess baggage- not even on our trip back. I looked over my photos to see if there was evidence of my under packing- did we look remotely unfashionable? Nope! Did we seem unkempt and in need of a shave/shampoo? Nope! Infact, we looked pretty well-dressed for tourists with limited outfit choices. So what’s the secret?

It’s all about the packing cubes! I know, I know- these things have been around forever but forgive me- I used to raise my eyebrows in suspicion whenever I would see friends buying these packing cubes in bulk. I would wonder- why the heck would I need to spend even more money after I’ve shelled out enough to buy a decent suitcase, right? Well, I made a trip to Beabi (this ultra addicting organizing store with branches in Trinoma and Greenbelt 5- they could have more that I’m not aware of, though) one afternoon and decided to get a couple for our trip to Hong Kong with the whole caboodle (child number 2 and yaya included). They were so cute and reasonably priced (and color coded) that I couldn’t resist buying a couple. I hurriedly paid for my purchases and returned home wondering if what I had just bought would really help me solve my packing dilemma- Cebu Pacific- Hong Kong for 5 days- with a baby!

Well, what do you know? Them packing cubes really do work! I hate folding clothes inside suitcases only to have them slip and slide all over the place once I put the suitcases upright. With these packing cubes, problems of slipping and sliding clothes are practically non-existent. I used the biggest packing cubes for heavier garments- jeans, trousers, jackets, the medium-sized ones for shirts, jersey dresses, blouses and the smallest ones for underwear, swimwear and socks. Once they‘re all neatly folded, packed and zipped up in the cubes, they stay that way- until you open them! The cubes also compress your clothes and make them thinner and easier to “pack in.” Amazing! Another neat thing is that on your way home, you can pack your dirty clothes back in the same cubes so you avoid having to bring a separate laundry bag. I tell you, packing for trips has gotten more pleasant ever since I got these packing cubes. I don’t know what I ever did without them in the first place.

With my frequent trips to Ho Chi Minh in the coming months, I think I’m going to go back to Beabi and get myself a couple more 🙂

Packing Cube Brands

I use IKEA Upptäcka packing cubes which are only 6 Euros for a pack of 4 when you have the IKEA Family Card. Initially I got 3 packs each for TD and myself. They are super affordable and high quality. They only come in blue and pink and it’s perfect for TD and I to distinguish our stuff from each other.

upptacka-beutel--st__0153334_PE311674_S4

Other brands I’ve encountered…

  • BEABI. Cheap but frays easily
  • EAGLE CREEK – Nice and thick but pricier. Totally worth it though.
  • SAMSONITE – Pricey and made with  paper-cloth material that I don’t think will wash well.
  • MUJI – looks like Beabi but I am not sure if it has the same flaw. Can anyone comment?
  • MAKEROOM – I love the different packing cubes and organizers of MakeRoom.
What brands have you tried and what can you say about them?

Other travel organizers

  • I also use function specific travel organizers, like a cute zip-up for slippers from Make Room.
  • I love this medicine organizer, not just for meds but also to keep my small toiletry bottles standing.
  • This charger organizer really helps us keep all the wires in order and tucked neatly away.
  • This flight travel organizer is always in my carry-on and makes it easy to find in my essentials.
  • Aren’t this Eagle Creek Pack-it Folder great for men who travel for business? It keeps work shirts nice and crisply folded!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcKh8Kj30Ek]
Did you find any of these interesting? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Related Reads:

  • Click here for how to use packing cubes
  • Click here to get awesome tips for packing and traveling

 

image credits: flight 001 rimova | grey cubes | ikea

11 Comments · Diplo Travel

Comments

  1. Chie says

    December 6, 2011 at 3:10 PM

    Cool, DiploWife! Thanks for linking this up to my blog 🙂

    Reply
  2. khoLEEN says

    February 23, 2012 at 4:00 PM

    I have to agree that eagle creek are really sturdy. 🙂

    I bought them one at a time every payday. Now I have them in 12 different sizes in red. If I need to open my luggage at the airport, my stuff looks neat and organized. 🙂

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      February 26, 2012 at 11:17 AM

      So true! Nothing is more embarrassing than having to open your luggage at the airport and exposing all your stuff to the world!

      Wow I wish that I was as methodical as you in collecting my packing cubes! Go you! I think I will do the same and buy 1 or 2 every time I go to Manila. Thanks for the idea and for dropping me all these wonderful comments. It always makes my day when readers take the time to drop me a line! Hope you are having a lovely Sunday!

      Reply
  3. Atik Widiwidana says

    October 28, 2012 at 2:19 PM

    You all so inspiring…many thank’s..

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      October 29, 2012 at 1:41 PM

      You are most welcome. Glad that you find this post useful Atik! Thanks for dropping me a line =)

      Reply
  4. Tala Ocampo says

    November 19, 2014 at 4:42 AM

    Interesting post. I’m already gearing up for our holiday Manila + Cebu trips. With Kids, Sterilizers and Food Processors (for Ciro). Haha! I have a question – how do you manage when you need flexibility? Like when your clothes / cloth stuff don’t fit in the cubes? Or do you buy nalang?

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      November 19, 2014 at 8:22 AM

      Hi Tala, I have way more packing cubes than I use at any one time because I have them in many different sizes and styles. So yes if you don’t have enough cubes I just buy more. Did I understand your question correctly? You are so gonna love them hon! You can get them in sets of 4 different colors!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. TRAVEL DIARIES ✈ My Manila Hitlist | The Diplomatic Wife says:
    September 25, 2013 at 11:44 AM

    […] organizers & other useful house ware products. I bought this and this. *For travel organizers BEABI is a cheaper version of […]

    Reply
  2. FRANKFURT INFO: Marriott Hotel Room says:
    January 30, 2014 at 9:01 AM

    […] This was perfect for TD’s suits for our short stay. The rest of our clothes stayed in our packing cubes in our suitcase which made it easy to pull-out when we dressed up. I am such a geek – loved […]

    Reply
  3. DIPLO FINDS: Sanctuary Universal Charging Station says:
    August 26, 2014 at 9:57 AM

    […] How packing blocks can change your life and travel Medicine travel organiser MakeRoom travel charger organizer […]

    Reply
  4. Useful Babymoon Travel Tips says:
    April 29, 2015 at 9:56 PM

    […] the end of each day, I lie on the bed and prop feet up on some pillows (or my packing cubes) to ease swelling […]

    Reply

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Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

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GOOD TO KNOW GUIDE

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @UNDIPLOMATICWIFE

I love Halloween because it’s super fun for @dip I love Halloween because it’s super fun for @diplobaby. I love how his eyes light up. Before I was a parent, there was no reason to decorate.

Glad there is now a @gifi.ch near us with affordable HALLOWEEN DECOR & COSTUMES. 🧛‍♂️ 

I hope you enjoy seeing what they have in this short video! 👻 

It’s not lost on me how much plastic is used during Halloween, from the polyester costumes to the decor elements. 

ECO TIPS:

🎃 I usually slowly built up my Halloween decor. I buy 2-4 pieces each year

🎃 I take good care of them & store properly so I can reuse for years to come. It’s never singe use!

🎃 I also don’t throw away as much as possible. If there is damage, I repair.

🎃 If i dont use something anymore, I pass them on to others by selling it for a fraction of the price on Marketplace.

🎃 If it doesn’t sell, I pass them on the Pay it Forward Nyon group or place them in the donation pile in our dechetterie where others can take them.

🎃 if it’s not repairable, I take it apart so that the materials can be recycled.

🍭 As for TREATS, I hate the PLASTIC wrapped candy 🍬 so we usually give PAPER wrapped mini chocolate bars.

⛑️ HEALTH TIP:

If a piece of decor or costume SMELLS STRONGLY OF PLASTIC, DO NOT BUY IT! That’s toxic VOCs leaching into the air. It’s not good for you!

What about you? How do you try to have a sustainable Healthy-ish Halloween?🤪

I usually go in the same costume every year. Change is overrated lol. What about you? Do you know what your wearing this year?

#UDWinGeneva #udwholidays #udwhalloween
HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport? We are very lucky th HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport?

We are very lucky that the Geneva Airport is very near because it is located 4 km northwest of the city centre. It takes us less than 15mins by car & is easier to get to than airports outside the city.

BUT also means that many of the Geneva residents suffer from AIRCRAFT NOISE POLLUTION. 

In some parts of Geneva, like Vernier, Meyrin, Bellevue, Versoix, etc will have the airplane pass on top of you or very near you. This is something to consider when you are MOVING TO GENEVA & looking for a home.

When we were in @bioparcgeneve recently, it felt like airplane after airplane was going overhead every few mins. The poor animals were screaming each time.

A  report by the European Environment Agency(EEA) in 2017 said that 12% or 73,500 Geneva residents have their hearing disturbed by aircraft noise. Probably the figures have risen with the natural increase population & travel?

“The EEA describes noise as a pervasive pollutant that directly affects the health and well-being of humans and wildlife. Populations exposed to high noise levels can exhibit stress reactions, sleep-stage changes, and clinical symptoms like hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. All of these can contribute to premature mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) reckons that humans exposed to noise levels above 40 decibels at night experience adverse health effects.

Across Europe it is estimated that noise contributed to at least 900,000 additional cases of hypertension in 2011.” - @le_news_ch 

DID YOU KNOW that owners of homes affected by the noise can request for soundproofing to be paid for by GVA? 

Check if your home meets the conditions for FREE SOUNDPROOFING c/o Genève Aéroport here:

https://www.gva.ch/en/Site/Geneve-Aeroport/Questions-Reponses-FAQ/Bruit#

SAVE or SHARE this now with someone you know who might be moving to Geneva or is already suffering from aircraft #noisepollution. 

#UDWinGeneva #UDWgenevagoodtoknow #expatingeneva #diplofamily #expatlife #genevaswitzerland #expatingeneva #filipinoingeneva #pinoyingeneva #movingtogeneva #movingtoswitzerland #movingtogeneva #genevaexpats #switzerlandexpatlife #geneva #genevaswitzerland
MERCADONA HAUL Whenever we go to Spain, we love t MERCADONA HAUL

Whenever we go to Spain, we love to go to @mercadona. It might be small but has a good affordable selection. It’s my thrifty Spanish MIL’s favorite.

We were so lucky that we had a @mercadona right beside our hotel Marina Badalona. Very convenient.
Our favorite things to bring home are:

☕️ frozen porras (bigger than churros)

🐑 baby lamb chops (the only lamb I eat coz it’s not malangsa & all you need to do is fry till crispy in olive oil with S&P) it’s called Chuletas Cabrito but TD calls it lechal 

🐽 chicharon or crispy pork rinds

🥔 Homemade potato chips. The best potato chips for me are from Spain. I don’t know how it’s so much yummier! The olive oil???

🎣 canned Sardines & tuna for me and Yaya B

TIPS:

🧊 For frozen items, we usually ask the hotel before we buy if they can put it in their freezer until we fly.

✍️ I usually bring different sizes ZIPLOCK BAGS, MASKING TAPE & MARKER when we travel so we can put everything in, label with our name and room number.

📸 then I take a photo so we can just show it to the staff and they can easily find it in their freezer.

✈️ When it’s time to pack, I placed our beach towels around the frozen packages coz I know they will SWEAT & I don’t want our other things to get wet 💦 

What  grocery do you usually like to shop for when in Spain? Where do you buy them?

#udwinbarcelona #udwinbadalona #udwtraveldiaries #udwtraveltips #udwtraveltip #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW C FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW Calisthenics Park 

📍Chem. des Tuileries 140, 1293 Bellevue

After the lovely BIOPARC we headed across to this chill park with ample PARKING that had so many things for kids & anyone who wants to move & work out:

⚽️ The kids wanted to kick around a football so we borrowed a ball from @boxup.app (they also have pumps, 🏓, 🏐, 🏀, etc) just download the app & turn on your Bluetooth & follow instructions! Return after 3hrs.

👟 Outdoor gym - this was a huge hit with the kids

⚽️ football - this too!

🏀 basketball court

🏓 Ping-pong 

🏐 Beach volleyball court

🤸🏻 Monkey bars

🛝 small playground

Thanks for the wonderful afternoon guys @lidia_otilia_botezatu! 
How lucky are we to have these beautiful, clean open spaces. And the free rental gear is AMAZING! so convenient.

This is in Geneva, about 15mins drive from where we live.

SAVE THIS on your list of PARKS to visit!

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. It’s not as close as the bioparc but bring earplugs/earphones if you are sensitive.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
BIOPARC GENÈVE Yesterday was a holiday in Switze BIOPARC GENÈVE

Yesterday was a holiday in Switzerland (except for Geneva). It was raining & miserable so I wanted to take @diplobaby out for a few hours. Thankfully midafternoon it stopped raining.

We met with our friends @lidia_otilia_botezatu in @bioparcgeneve and had a lovely time in this volunteer run zoo.

TIPS💡

🆓 It’s free for families on your FIRST visit!

🦢 you walk inside animal enclosures so wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty/stepping on poop. We wore boots & happy we did

🅿️ there’s parking inside on wood chips, if it’s full there’s another pavement parking (free up to 4hrs) across the roundabout 

🦔 Do not feed or touch the animals no matter how cute they are

🗺️ There are 2 routes (purple & blue) and 1-1.5hrs #diplshould be enough 

❎ Park closes at 4pm

SAVE THIS NOW if your looking for a fun & not too you can do in well und2hrs. It’s nice that you can go inside unlike most zoos so it’s quite unique.

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. @diplobaby who is super noise sensitive did not mind as much as I thought he would because he was so entertained by the animals.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
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