Packing guides & advice
Plain-English help with packing cubes and travel organisation, written by people who pack for a living. New guide every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
What is in the packing guides library?
29 guides on packing cubes and travel organisation: how to use cubes, what size to buy, how to pack a suitcase or a backpack, whether compression really saves space, and packing lists for carry-on, family, business and backpacking trips. Every guide opens with a short answer you can act on in one read.
Browse by topic
- Buyer's guides & comparisons: What to actually look for, and honest comparisons before you spend anything.
- How to pack: The methods themselves - rolling, folding, loading order and the mistakes that waste space.
- Packing for trip types: Checklists built around the trip: city breaks, beaches, ski, festivals, cruises and gap years.
- Carry-on & cabin bags: Fitting real trips inside strict cabin allowances, airline by airline.
- Compression & space-saving: How much space compression really saves, and when it is the wrong tool.
- Family & kids packing: One suitcase, several people, no arguments at the carousel.
- Organisers beyond cubes: Wash bags, tech cases, shoe bags and everything cubes were never meant to hold.
- Travel tips & packing psychology: Why packing stresses us out, and how travelling lighter actually feels.
Start here: the big guides
Long-form guides that cover a whole topic end to end.
Best Packing Cubes UK 2026: Tried and Tested
The best packing cubes UK travellers can buy are graduated sets of three or four in firm ripstop fabric, with a self-lubricating coil zip and bound se
Read the guide → How to packHow to Use Packing Cubes: The Complete Guide
To use packing cubes, give each cube one job, roll soft clothes and fold structured ones, then pack each cube to about ninety per cent full so it stay
Read the guide → Packing for trip typesThe Ultimate Packing List for Every Trip Type
A good holiday packing list starts with the trip, not the wardrobe. Work out the nights, the weather and the dress code, then build a capsule around t
Read the guide → Carry-on & cabin bagsCarry-On Packing Guide: Fit a Week in a Cabin Bag
Carry-on packing works when you pick a strict capsule, compress the bulk, and pack by category. Choose five tops, two bottoms and one layer that all m
Read the guide → Compression & space-savingCompression Packing Cubes: Do They Really Save Space?
Compression packing cubes do save real space, roughly 20 to 30 per cent on soft, bulky clothing like jumpers and fleeces, by using a second zip to squ
Read the guide → Family & kids packingFamily Packing System: One Suitcase, No Chaos
The best family packing system gives every person their own colour of packing cube inside one shared suitcase. Pack a full outfit per child per day, s
Read the guide → Organisers beyond cubesTravel Organisers Beyond Packing Cubes
The travel organisers worth owning beyond packing cubes are a hanging toiletry bag for liquids, a tech case for cables and chargers, a shoe bag to kee
Read the guide → Travel tips & packing psychologyStress-Free Packing: Travel Lighter, Feel Freer
Stress-free packing comes from a repeatable system, not a bigger bag. Pack a small mix-and-match capsule, give every category its own packing cube, ke
Read the guide →Latest guides
The newest first – we publish three a week.
Beach Holiday Packing Checklist
For a week at the beach take two or three swimsuits, five light tops, two bottoms, one cover-up and one evening…
Read the guide → How to packThe Bundle Packing Method Explained
Bundle packing wraps every garment around a soft central core in one continuous layer, so nothing gets a hard crease.…
Read the guide → Carry-on & cabin bagsThe 100ml Liquids Rule: How to Pack Toiletries for Hand Luggage
Liquids in hand luggage must be in containers of 100ml or less, all fitting inside one transparent resealable bag of…
Read the guide → Buyer's guides & comparisonsWhere to Buy Packing Cubes in the UK
You can buy packing cubes in the UK from supermarkets and discount shops, high street department stores, outdoor…
Read the guide → Travel tips & packing psychologyWhy Packing Stresses Us Out (And How to Stop It)
Packing feels stressful because it is dozens of small, irreversible decisions made under time pressure, each carrying…
Read the guide → Organisers beyond cubesBest Toiletry Bags: Hanging, Clear and Waterproof Compared
Most travellers need two wash bags, not one: a clear bag sized for the airport liquids rule that stays permanently…
Read the guide → Family & kids packingPacking Cubes for Kids: One Colour Per Child
Give each child their own colour of packing cube inside one shared case. You can then find any child's clothes without…
Read the guide → Compression & space-savingCompression vs Regular Packing Cubes: Which Do You Need?
A regular packing cube organises; a compression cube has a second zip that squeezes trapped air out and shrinks the…
Read the guide → Packing for trip typesCity Break Packing List: Three Nights, One Small Bag
A three-night city break fits one cabin bag easily: five tops, two bottoms, one warm layer, nightwear, and one pair of…
Read the guide → Buyer's guides & comparisonsBest Packing Cubes for Backpacking: What Actually Survives
The best packing cubes for backpacking are tall and narrow rather than wide and flat, made in ripstop nylon with a…
Read the guide → How to pack7 Packing Cube Mistakes That Quietly Waste Space
The most common packing cube mistakes are overfilling, using cubes that are too large, and treating them as storage…
Read the guide → Carry-on & cabin bagsRyanair 40x20x25 Packing Guide: What Actually Fits in the Free Bag
Ryanair's free under-seat bag is 40x20x25cm, which is about 20 litres. Two small packing cubes fit it exactly: one for…
Read the guide →Buyer's guides & comparisons
What to actually look for, and honest comparisons before you spend anything.
Where to Buy Packing Cubes in the UK
You can buy packing cubes in the UK from supermarkets and discount shops, high street department stores, outdoor…
Read the guide → 26 Aug 2026Best Packing Cubes for Backpacking: What Actually Survives
The best packing cubes for backpacking are tall and narrow rather than wide and flat, made in ripstop nylon with a…
Read the guide → 19 Aug 2026Are Supermarket Packing Cubes Any Good? Primark, Asda, Tesco and B&M Tested
Supermarket packing cubes are fine for one or two holidays a year and genuinely poor value if you travel more. The…
Read the guide → 23 Jul 2026Best Compression Packing Cubes UK: Tested and Ranked
The best compression packing cubes UK travellers can buy are graduated sets of three in firm ripstop nylon with two heav
Read the guide → 23 Jul 2026Cheap Packing Cubes That Actually Last
Cheap packing cubes can last for years if you buy on the right things. A good budget cube has a chunky coil zip, bound s
Read the guide →How to pack
The methods themselves - rolling, folding, loading order and the mistakes that waste space.
The Bundle Packing Method Explained
Bundle packing wraps every garment around a soft central core in one continuous layer, so nothing gets a hard crease.…
Read the guide → 24 Aug 20267 Packing Cube Mistakes That Quietly Waste Space
The most common packing cube mistakes are overfilling, using cubes that are too large, and treating them as storage…
Read the guide → 17 Aug 2026Fold or Roll Clothes in Packing Cubes? Here Is the Honest Answer
Roll soft, casual clothes like t-shirts, jerseys and worn-in jeans, because rolling squeezes out air and resists deep…
Read the guide → 14 Aug 2026How Many Packing Cubes Do I Actually Need?
Most people need three or four packing cubes per person for a week away: a large for trousers and knitwear, a medium…
Read the guide → 23 Jul 2026How to Pack a Backpack With Packing Cubes
To pack a backpack with packing cubes, load by weight and position, not just category. Put the heaviest cube against the
Read the guide → 23 Jul 2026How to Pack a Suitcase With Packing Cubes
To pack a suitcase with packing cubes, sort clothes into one cube per category, roll soft items and fold structured ones
Read the guide →Packing for trip types
Checklists built around the trip: city breaks, beaches, ski, festivals, cruises and gap years.
Beach Holiday Packing Checklist
For a week at the beach take two or three swimsuits, five light tops, two bottoms, one cover-up and one evening…
Read the guide → 28 Aug 2026City Break Packing List: Three Nights, One Small Bag
A three-night city break fits one cabin bag easily: five tops, two bottoms, one warm layer, nightwear, and one pair of…
Read the guide → 23 Jul 2026Backpacking Southeast Asia Packing List
A backpacking Southeast Asia packing list should be light, quick-dry and modest. Pack around seven quick-dry outfits, on
Read the guide → 23 Jul 2026Business Trip Packing List: Carry-On and Crease-Free
A business trip packing list should fit a carry-on and arrive crease-free. Pack one versatile suit or smart outfit, two
Read the guide →Carry-on & cabin bags
Fitting real trips inside strict cabin allowances, airline by airline.
The 100ml Liquids Rule: How to Pack Toiletries for Hand Luggage
Liquids in hand luggage must be in containers of 100ml or less, all fitting inside one transparent resealable bag of…
Read the guide → 21 Aug 2026Ryanair 40x20x25 Packing Guide: What Actually Fits in the Free Bag
Ryanair's free under-seat bag is 40x20x25cm, which is about 20 litres. Two small packing cubes fit it exactly: one for…
Read the guide →Compression & space-saving
How much space compression really saves, and when it is the wrong tool.
Family & kids packing
One suitcase, several people, no arguments at the carousel.
Organisers beyond cubes
Wash bags, tech cases, shoe bags and everything cubes were never meant to hold.
Travel tips & packing psychology
Why packing stresses us out, and how travelling lighter actually feels.
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