007- Eagle Creek Packing Cubes (quarter and full, including Specter)

Available from: Various places: REI, Amazon, Eagle Creek, etc.

Bottom line: Efficient way to organize for packing and EDC.

High points: Size is just right for numerous small items.  Modular system fits easily into other bags.  Overall construction quality.  Specter bags are partially water resistant.

Caveats: None for now.  

Wishlist: More conservative colors on the Specter line (black, charcoal, navy, etc)


Why I use this system: Having gotten hooked on one bag travel years ago, and being a frequent camper and hiker, I'm always on the look out for ways to make my trips go smoother.  Being organized and knowing where things are is a key aspect to smooth travel.  Using a kit based system for that organizing means it's very easy to pack for the day's adventure (even if that is just the daily commute).  Numerous small bags work for a kit system (in fact, I combine several brands) but the Eagle Creek Packing Cubes are well made, easy to find in stores, and proportioned correctly for most uses.

Regrets: None.

Eagle Creek Specter Quarter Packing Cubes.

Eagle Creek Quarter Packing Cubes compared to 1 liter Nalgene.

Eagle Creek regular and Specter Packing Cubes with 1 Liter Nalgene.

Eagle Creek Spectre Packing Cubes with a ruler for size comparison.  Regular EC quarter packing cubes are the same size.

Eagle creek regular and Specter quarter packing cubes with a Maxpedition organizer pouch, 1 Liter Nalgene and a ruler for size comparison.  Note the Moleskine standard notebook in the front mesh pocket on the Maxpedition.

Close up of Eagle Creek quarter packing cube.

Eagle Creek quater packing cubes in the full size EC packing cube.  When packed like this, the quarter cubes are very slightly too long and narrow to fit into the full packing cube.  It works fine, but they have to be compressed some on the long axis and have extra space on the short axis.

Eagle Creek quarter packing cubes loaded into the EC full size packing cube.

Eagle Creek full packing cube filled with 4 EC quarter packing cubes inside the main compartment of the Tom Bihn Smart Alec backpack. The SA could easily hold two flu packing cubes.

Eagle Creek full packing cube filled with 4 EC quarter packing cubes inside the main compartment of the Tom Bihn Synapse 19.  

Eagle Creek full packing cube filled with 4 EC quarter packing cubes inside the main compartment of the Tom Bihn Synpase 19 with 13' 2011-12ish Apple MacBook Pro.  This combo does fit into the 19L Synapse but pushes the main compartment close to it's limit.  Depends on how full the auxiliary pockets are.

Eagle Creek full packing cube filled with 4 EC quarter packing cubes packet vertically inside a Kelty Binto.