Packing cubes and camera inserts are pretty straightforward in terms of purpose. But as an anxious packer who obsesses over making sure everything is in its place, using these packing tools has revealed a hidden benefit.
At first glance, packing cubes and camera cubes seem to only have the benefits they physically offer, which would be having dedicated compartments for different types of things. Camera cubes are there for items that need a lot of padding and internal dividers, while packing cubes are there for personal items like clothes and other travel essentials. But as I was packing for this particular trip, it occurred to me how these simple tools had a clear benefit that allowed me to travel more comfortably and enjoy my photography adventure more.
Packing for a weekend photography trip
Last month, Peak Design launched an expansion of its line of travel bags and packing tools, and they arrived just in time for a quick weekend photography trip. While I’ve been using the V2 camera cubes (specifically the large and small/medium ones) for almost a year, this was the first time I’d gone on a trip with dedicated packing cubes and bags for every single thing I was taking with me. I had all of my camera gear in one bag, including more than enough clothes for 3 days, other travel essentials, and even an extra pocket camera for my personal stuff and a tripod review I planned to shoot. All of this fit in the 50L Travel Duffel, but somehow it had more room to spare and, more importantly, it didn’t feel like I’d just thrown all of my stuff into one big bag.
Travel Duffels come in two new sizes, a 50L that falls in the middle of the existing sizes but still fits most airline carry-on size restrictions, and a larger 80L duffel that can probably fit more than a week’s worth of clothes and personal travel items. They come in the same weather-resistant fabric as the older duffel sizes. The new ultralight packing cubes now come in two additional variants and sizes. For the same price, you can choose between the regular weatherproof fabric that holds a certain shape or the expandable mesh fabric that can expand a bit more if you need to pack a few extra items of clothing.
The small packing cubes were big enough to hold about eight shirts and could have held a few more for longer trips. The XS packing cubes are great for socks, underwear, and even lightweight footwear, while the XXS packing cubes are great for toiletries and other essentials. While I have to admit that they aren’t all that appealing looking due to their shapes when they’re not fully packed, the most satisfying aspect of them is that when not in use, they can all be stored inside one of the packing cubes and kept safely inside any travel bag after washing if needed.
Both variants come with a single durable zipper and handles on both sides, in case you want to mount them externally on other bags or carry them individually with a strap. Halfway through the trip, I realized that the mesh variant is good for transforming into a laundry bag, as it allows moisture to escape from wet clothes, which I had plenty of after three days of shooting seascapes.
Along with the new ultralight packing cubes came a new, smaller size of the Peak Design Tech Pouch, which has half the capacity of the first and comes with a simple, more minimalist design.
Personally, I’ve been using the original Tech Bag as my filter bag, as the internal compartments were a much better fit for my H&Y K-series filters and Revoring Swift holders than other dedicated filter bags. The smaller Tech Bag has also become a good option for storing my DJI Osmo Pocket 3, the battery accessory, and a DJI mic 2 combo with the charging case.
The Unexpected Benefit
I personally bring a lot, often too much, whenever I travel for photography. I recently made the decision to downsize my gear so that I can travel more comfortably, especially when getting there involves a lot of walking or trekking. But even with just a camera body and 2-3 lenses, all the other necessities turn me into an anxious packer who ends up getting little to no sleep from the compulsion to check and recheck that I have everything I need.
Using dedicated containers for different things can apparently be a great way to give yourself the assurance that whatever the purpose of the container is, you’re ready to go if you’ve already closed it. Closing the camera cube meant that the gear, including batteries and cards, was there; closing the tech bags meant that the other accessories were ready; and closing the packing cubes meant that all the clothes I needed were ready for the trip. This led to me getting significantly more sleep before a trip, which I’d like to believe also translated into being more centered during the photography adventure and generally more mindful of the entire experience.
What I liked
- Large capacity travel backpacks
- Two fabric options and modular packing cube functions
- All sizes have attachment points for mounting or carrying handles
- All materials recycled and carbon neutral
What can be improved
- Travel bags do not come with specific rain covers (although the fabrics used are quite resistant to rain and dust)
