Packing Cubes/Rolling Carryon

The 11" dimension is likely the exterior dimension of the bag. If your cubes are packed to their full 5" thickness and packed 2 deep, it likely will make your bag 'puff up' a bit and may become an issue with airline sizing limits, if being used as a carry on.

You have to try different brands of cubes to see what works best for your bag, for me I like to use a eagle creek Pack-it folder for my shirts and pants, and two eagle creek tube cubes for socks & underwear. In the past I had a different bag and the RS cubes worked perfect for it. Either way, once you use packing cubes you’ll never go anywhere without them.

My favorite packing cubes are Ebags brand - classic cubes in bright colors. The bright colors are easier to see and less likely to be left behind. It's better to get cubes that are 2.75" - 3" deep. They lie flatter and compress clothes better. I recommend a value set with 3 sizes and a few slimline cubes. The slimline cubes can slide vertically between the larger cubes and sides of the suitcase. The slimlines are great for travel maps, guides or bathing suit and flip-flops, or charging cords/electronic stuff or those extras like clothes-line/flashlight/ etc..
There are many brands of cubes now. Amazon has pro-pack brand packing cubes and Amazon basics. Eagle creek as mentioned above are great also.

I have an embarrassing number of packing cubes, but the ones I use are the Eagle Creek Pack-it Specter Compression Cubes. They are the lightest weight I know of, 1.5 oz for the smaller one, 2 oz for the larger. I have them in hard-to-leave-behind red and blue. All my clothes fit in 4 or fewer of them, but I'm tempted to get the bright green.

Word of warning. They take the air out, but not the weight of the clothes in them.

I have RS cubes & Eagle Creek cubes. For my RS roller bag one set of RS cubes fits perfectly. I love packing cubes and use them for all trips, whether it's 6 weeks or a weekend.

Laughing at Lo...because, yes, that is ME as well!!

I can stack the large Eagle Creek compression cube (compressed) and 2 small compressed cubes on top of it with the roller bag unexpanded. This is on top of flat fold jeans/pants on the bottom of the case. The compressed cubes are way less than 5 inches thick each.

The cubes aren't stiff and structured--it depends on how much you stuff in them. They could certainly be less than 5" thick depending on how much you put in one. BTW, I have yet to find a use for the large size, but find the small size endlessly useful.

I have the RS carry-on rolling suitcase and his set of 1 large and 2 small packing cubes. Yes, those three cubes fit in the bag and I've also been able to put in a spare pair of tennis shoes. You may be able to fit 6 of the small cubes, but might have to expand the bag for that. I use the large packing cube for my pants/jeans/ trousers folded in thirds so that they lie flat. I also put some shirts in the large cube. The small cubes are for socks, undies, nightgown, and a few more shirts. Packing cubes are awesome!

I have the rolling carry-on, the set of three RS cubes (one large, two small), plus a set of four Pro Packing cubes that my son gave me for Christmas (pretty inexpensive on Amazon). The Pro Packing cubes are the same basic rectangular shape, but came with one that's quite a bit larger than the RS cubes and one that's quite small (good for chargers and other small electronic items). The other two are pretty similar in size to the RS cubes.

To answer your question, I routinely am able to stack a couple of cubes one on top of another without expanding the carry-on, presuming I haven't crammed the cubes crazy full. Fitting six of the RS cubes would be quite difficult, in my eyes. The RS cubes are fine, but I'd get additional cubes in different sizes rather than two sets of the RS ones. I think the eBags slim cubes would be very useful and I might pick up some of those myself.

If you are going to look at the Eagle Creek Specter line I would suggest you check out the newer Eagle Creek Specter Tech. They are much easier to pack as they open fully on three sides. The Specter line doesn't. (BTW, the weights on the Specter Tech Compression Cube set on the EC website are wrong. The weight they give for the larger one is actually the total weight of the Large and Small Cube combined. At least according to my scale.)

After purchasing a lot of the different packing cubes (mainly eBags’ models, both the current line and the old one), I decided to try compression cubes, but not from eBags or EagleCreek, the latter I find to be overpriced in many of their products. I went to Amazon and found a lot of bags that were decently rated and a better buy.

I found a set of Gonex compressible cubes, a five piece set plus laundry bag, for under $40, and couldn’t be happier. I’ve used them on several trips and they’re light but durable with good compression and decent zippers. I agree with previous advice that one has to be careful with these cubes, as it’s tempting to over pack and weigh your bag down under the illusion that you’re saving space, but if you discipline yourself, you can get a good amount of stuff into these cubes without sacrificing your back or wallet to the airlines for overweight baggage.

(No knock on either eBags or Eagle Creek, but sometimes their prices are ridiculous. If money is no object, all good, but there are quality travel items out there that don’t require taking out a second mortgage. I’d rather spend my money on air and hotel upgrades than overpriced travel gear.. But that’s just me;)

At one of the dollar stores you can buy mesh bags with a zipper (maybe 2 or 3 in a $1 pack) which are ultra light and see-through. Not good for compression, though.

Walmart has cheap cubes also - probably the American tourister brand mentioned above.

I use plain old ziplock bags, 1 and 2 gallon sizes and perhaps a quart -- very inexpensive and great for compression. I've got a 20" RS rolling carry on and get all I need packed in it and a small daypack for two weeks (and I'm a size 14, so my clothes take up a lot of room!).

No knock on either eBags or Eagle Creek, but sometimes their prices are ridiculous. If money is no object, all good, but there are quality travel items out there that don’t require taking out a second mortgage. I’d rather spend my money on air and hotel upgrades than overpriced travel gear.. But that’s just me

There is a universal rule that states that the weight of a travel item is inversely proportionate with the price.

The Eagle Creek Specter series are as light as you can get. Sil-nylon is not cheap to manufacture. Other cubes are made of cheaper material but quite a bit heavier.

If you’re trying to shave off cumulative pounds then a lighter packing cube will help you do it. It’s just like any other travel item. Invest in a good quality product and it will serve you for years.

I’ve many times made the mistake of buying the cheaper (heavier) item only to end up replacing it later with the more expensive item I should have bought in the first place.

I agree with the price/quality argument on most items, especially luggage, backpacks, etc., but not so much with smaller and less expensive items like packing cubes. For me, paying 2-3 times the price for the same or slightly better quality of such an item usually isn't worth it. Of course,generally one doesn't get a true test of durability and quality until after an extended period of use, so the "comfort factor" of well established brands and a history of quality can apply to such purchases and justify the extra expense.

As for weight, the slight differences I've found in the several brands I've purchased haven't made a noticeable impact, at least for me.

I do have some fairly pricey cases and backpacks from established brands, as a broken wheel or handle mid-trip is a much bigger deal than a faulty zipper on a toiletry bag or travel pouch. And over time, they've served me quite well. I've also got a $10 Dopp kit from Amazon that's lasted longer than a similar LL Bean model at $30. You never know.

I agree with the price/quality argument on most items, especially luggage, backpacks, etc., but not so much with smaller and less expensive items like packing cubes

The original Eagle Creek medium packing cube is 4.72 oz. The specter version is 1 oz. That is a 3.72 oz difference per cube. Take 3 cubes and you are adding in an extra pound of packaging.

The same is true for toiletry kits. Many kits weigh over 1 lb. compare that to the sil-nylon version that comes in at 2.7 oz. There is another pound of useless packaging weight.

If your luggage is on the edge for the airline weight allowance then these cubes and toiletry kits will drive them over. Gate agents may look sideways for a few ounces. They will not do so for a few pounds.

If you are trying to get to the next level weight wise, you have to look at everything, including cubes.

I pack my clothing in the oversized Ziploc bags. I find them at Target. Really compresses them much better than the advertised compression bags. Saves room for souvenirs!

I pack my clothing in the oversized Ziploc bags. I find them at Target. Really compresses them much better than the advertised compression bags. Saves room for souvenirs!