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Day one would begin with me opening the suitcase, pulling out one outfit and somehow disturbing everything else in the process. A few hours later, my carefully folded clothes would become one large jumble. Finding the top I wanted meant moving three other outfits out of the way. By the end of the trip, I was simply annoyed. For a long time, I thought this was just what packing was supposed to be.
Loan up to ₹5 Lakhs Starting at 11% p.a.* Packing for a holiday used to be one of my least favourite parts of travelling. Because i did not know what to take, but because I knew exactly what would happen once I reached my destination, not.
Then I started unpacking everything. I would arrive at a hotel, empty the entire suitcase into the cupboard and arrange my clothes there. It looked organised, but there was one obvious problem. Every time I changed hotels, I had to pack everything again. That was when travel cubes finally entered the equation. The funny thing about travel cubes is that they do not really teach you how to pack. They simply give you separate spaces to work with. And there is no single formula that works for every trip. For a short holiday, I often use saree covers to organise one complete outfit for each day. This works particularly well when I already know what I want to wear. One cover can hold the clothes, while accessories can be kept alongside them. For longer trips, I switch to travel cubes. One cube can hold tops, another bottoms and another can be reserved for Indian outfits. If I am carrying a saree or a more elaborate outfit, I like keeping the matching jewellery and bag together too. That way, I am not hunting through the suitcase for the missing earrings when I am already dressed. This is when I realised that packing is almost a science of its own. The best system can change from one trip to another. The biggest benefit for me is not actually saving space. It is saving my sanity. I initially thought organisers were just another thing taking up room inside a suitcase. That was my biggest objection. Why put my clothes inside smaller bags when they already have a perfectly good suitcase to live in? Now I see the point. The suitcase is the outer shell. The cubes create smaller sections within it. Once everything has a designated place, I don’t constantly move things around to find one particular item. It also makes those short hotel stays much easier. If I am staying somewhere for just one or two nights, I do not need to unpack my entire suitcase. I can simply pull out the cube I need. If I have packed by outfit, I can even take out the day’s clothes in one go. On a recent trip to Singapore, I had separate cubes for airport change outfits, cruise outfits, and land outfits for the stay after the cruise. Each was labelled for every traveller in the family, making it very easy for us to remove the cube we needed based on the location, and we put them back in the same cubes so the suitcase stayed organised with zero hassle! And at the end of the trip, used clothes have their own cube. I roll them up, put them away and leave the clean clothes alone. That small distinction makes a surprisingly big difference. This is probably the most useful thing I have learnt. Do not assume there is one perfect way to use travel cubes . For a weekend trip, I may pack one outfit per day. For a longer holiday, I prefer grouping clothes by category. If there are several Indian outfits involved, I may create one dedicated cube for them and keep the matching accessories together. Going somewhere for a family holiday? You can even assign cubes to different family members. Travelling during the monsoon? Keep a separate section for clothes that may get damp or muddy. Carrying lots of shoes? Give them their own bags so they do not come into contact with clean clothes. That is the real advantage. There are plenty of different travel organisers available, and you do not necessarily need the biggest or most complicated set. Travel cubes: Great for dividing clothes into categories or outfits. Saree covers: Surprisingly useful for short trips when you want to pack complete daily looks separately. Large cubes: Perfect for used clothes, especially towards the end of a longer holiday. Small pouches: Handy for jewellery, chargers, cosmetics and other little things that have a habit of disappearing inside a suitcase. If saving space is your main concern, compression cubes can also help reduce the volume of soft clothing. For me, though, the organisational benefit matters more. For someone who genuinely enjoys packing, perhaps they are just a nice extra. For someone like me, who used to dread opening the suitcase on day one, they have been a complete change in routine. They have not magically made packing disappear. What they have done is make the suitcase predictable. I know where my tops are. I know where my bottoms are. I know where the Indian outfits and accessories are. I know where the used clothes go. And when it is time to pack again, I am not starting from scratch.
Because i might need them, i still have to decide what to carry, fold it and somehow resist adding five extra outfits just.
The system can change according to the trip.
And honestly, I wish I had started using them much earlier.
Tried and Tested: Every suitcase I have reviewed so far, simplified into one buying guide Destination Buzz: Planning a Switzerland train holiday in 2026? We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. If packing has always been your travel trauma, try organising your next weekend trip with a few simple cubes. You may find that the real luxury is not having more suitcase space. It is knowing exactly where everything is. Here’s what to know about the Grand Train Tour I compared hard shell VS soft shell luggage; here’s what I’d buy again Handpicked monsoon destinations in India backed by hospitality experts; what to pack, how to plan Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority.
