Packing Cubes For Backpacks

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DayTrip

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Anybody here use packing cubes in their backpacks? Started using in my duffel bags last year and really like how you can compact and organize everything, but they're not water resistant or anything (mine have mesh fronts) so they're a liability in the woods. Now that I'm using a pack that is basically a giant stuff sack (my old pack had a "brain", numerous pockets and unzipped all the way so grabbing stuff way down in the pack was easy) I find I need to "modularize" stuff more, i.e. sleeping stuff, layers, misc crap. I like how with a pod you can take it out, unzip it from the top and rummage through stuff much more easily than a stuff sack. I've tried doing the pack liner route but I find that extremely annoying and I ultimately empty it anyway. I'm doing it with some of my gear in stuff sacks right now for smaller stuff but it's annoying for large items.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear makes awesome, backpack specific pods that are waterproof and superlight -but they're $60. Really don't want to spend as much money organizing my pack as I did on the actual pack. Figured there had to be a knock off of some sort at a more reasonable price but I was surprised to find that there isn't much. The vast majority are made for use in luggage so they're either way too heavy, not water resistant or not a practical dimension for the interior of a backpack. Any suggestions on cubes or some similar set up would be appreciated.
 
I don't use packing cubes, but I use a similar concept for long distance backpacking. When I went from an Osprey to Hyperlight Mountain Gear, I lost the "brain" of the pack, and needed to find a new "junk drawer", which is what I used the brain for. You know, the sunscreen, headlamp, water treatment and all that other small stuff. What I found, use and really like are these from Sea to Summit:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DBQQ8PG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have a large grey one for the "junk drawer", and a medium green one for all my toiletries. I really, really like that one side is clear so that I can find things. I can never seem to find what I want in a stuff sack and it usually is on the bottom anyway (same thing with the "brain"). As far as durability, I got the grey one in Bishop, CA, about 1400 miles into the PCT. I finished the PCT with it and it still looks great. I liked it so much that I ordered the green one somewhere along the trail, plus another grey one when I got home for regular travel.

Another nice thing is that they are not super expensive. The large one is about $20.

For clothing, I usually use gallon size ziplock bags, cheap and easy to replace.
 
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I don't use packing cubes, but I use a similar concept for long distance backpacking. When I went from an Osprey to Hyperlight Mountain Gear, I lost the "brain" of the pack, and needed to find a new "junk drawer", which is what I used the brain for. You know, the sunscreen, headlamp, water treatment and all that other small stuff. What I found, use and really like are these from Sea to Summit:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DBQQ8PG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have a large grey one for the "junk drawer", and a medium green one for all my toiletries. I really, really like that one side is clear so that I can find things. I can never seem to find what I want in a stuff sack and it usually is on the bottom anyway (same thing with the "brain"). As far as durability, I got the grey one in Bishop, CA, about 1400 miles into the PCT. I finished the PCT with it and it still looks great. I liked it so much that I ordered the green one somewhere along the trail, plus another grey one when I got home for regular travel.

Another nice thing is that they are not super expensive. The large one is about $20.

For clothing, I usually use gallon size ziplock bags, cheap and easy to replace.

Those aren't bad. I was really hoping to find something that zips around the top like a pod so you can flip the lid back, rummage through the contents and then zip closed. Finding a lot of stuff that is close to what I want but not quite. This is what I am currently considering: https://www.backcountry.com/osprey-...zOjE6MTA6YmMtc3R1ZmYtY29tcHJlc3Npb24tc2Fja3M=. I'm not sure how they can make it how it is decribed at only 1.9 oz for the 8L but this might work. Just wish it zippered differently.
 
I use an Eagle Creek "Pack It" cube for all the small things in my backpack.

It weighs .67 oz and fits all those odd bits that would have gone in the brain or in another container, like first-aid, TP, etc... in my old pack.

The container opens wide, so it might be a lot like what you describe.

https://www.eaglecreek.com/shop/packing-cubes/pack-it-specter-cube-m-ec041152?variationId=046#hero=0

I did come across these but found them to short for what I was hoping to do. It seems like I either found ones with the right height but not a big enough footprint or a big enough footprint but too short.
 
Excellent. These are near perfect. Wish they had one a bit taller. Was hoping to stuff my 55 deg bag in one. Do you use these? Have you ever crammed a sleeping bag in one?

I do not use them, I'm on the pack liner bandwagon. For what it's worth, I can get my 850FP 20* TQ into a 6L stuff sack pretty easily.
 
I do not use them, I'm on the pack liner bandwagon. For what it's worth, I can get my 850FP 20* TQ into a 6L stuff sack pretty easily.

OK. I'm probably fine then. I just replaced my Nanowave 55 sleeping bag with a 40 deg down bag from REI (forget model). The Nano is a nice, warm compact bag for the non-Winter season but it is so freakin tight around the shoulders I can't sleep in it (I'm a side sleeper and don't exactly have broad shoulders but it is so narrow at the top). I like to put my sleeping clothes, pillow and sleeping bag all in the same sealed sack to keep separate from the "layer bag" I put all my other stuff in so I don't disturb on rainy days. Can just fling it in the tent and unpack it later when I head in for the night. I've been using a pack liner but I rarely fill it all the way and I find it annoying unrolling the whole top and fishing stuff out from the middle or bottom.
 
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