Rick Steves Packing Cube Set

Backpacking essential (2008-07-30) Rating: 5/5
I have taken these cubes on two different backpacking trips, even purchasing a second set for my latest adventure.

These are a little different from the ones I bought two years ago -- they've made the side seams a little more sturdy so that the cubes hold their rectangular shape a little better, although they're still flexible and crushable. They're lightweight, breathable mesh, so it's easy to identify what is inside.

I like these better than other brands because they're really no-frills. Just simple cubes that you can stuff and beat up.

These are fantastic for grouping clothes together (e.g. all underwear, shirts, etc.), allowing you to pack and find clothes very quickly. The flexible nature of the bag allows for lightweight, "squishable" use of the cubes -- just stuff and go.

I've seen too many people with their bags a mess every night they hit a hostel -- it's because they've got 30 small pieces of clothing rattling around in a huge backpack. They've then got to refold every item or worse, just shove it back in once the next morning comes. These cubes create order! I definitely wouldn't backpack without them.
A real asset to your RS bag! (2008-07-29) Rating: 4/5
I recently used these to pack for my honeymoon to use with my RS suitcase/bag, I enjoyed the structure they provided to the softsided luggage! I was really able to pack a lot and have it compressed into convenient cubes for travel; at the airport it was easy to open my bag and have them check my stuff, tidy and swift through security.

I would recommend two sets per RS bag if you want everything in these travel cubes. One set let you lay down a full base layer and then I was able to add larger folded items on top so it was still great, but I would have liked having 2 sets.

Each cube has two zipper pulls so you can get at the contents easily. The material is vented with a bit of stretch, so it is nice to overpack a little and then zip it all down -- like a packing girddle :)

Highly recommend!
helps much more than expected (2008-07-04) Rating: 5/5
These packing cubes or zip-bags have made a much bigger difference in my travel packing than expected. When I travel, keeping track of where I put which item becomes impossible. Who has time to keep the suitcase in order over a week of on-the-go travel? There's so much more fun and important stuff going on!

So, I've found that being able to think: okay, all the big clothes are in this bag, the smaller ones in this bag, and my extra little things that usually end up rattling around in the bottom of the suitcase where I can't see them are all in the smaller cube (e.g., hairbrush, travel alarm, phone charger, camera charger). Sometimes I wish the cubes weren't black, because this makes contrast bad in dim light, but black has its pluses too.
They do their job, and are not as heavy as others... (2008-06-29) Rating: 5/5
The nicest things about these cubes are that they are lighter than the Eagle Creek ones, and that they sort of have a springy memory to their size. I try to pack light, I don't want my packing aids to add considerable weight to my backpack. These are the best of the lot, IMO, better than those from Eagle Creek and Magellan's, in functionality, size, and weight. I've given several sets away as gifts as well.
Great for a backpacking trip! (2008-06-21) Rating: 5/5
They held a lot and made picking clothes out of my bag really easy everyday! Everyone else's bags were a mess, but I knew I could always find my underwear in less than a minute! It also made separating my dirty and clean clothes idiot proof.. A great buy.