Small Packing Cubes vs End Pocket Packing Cubes

[Plip]

As the Aeronaut 30 Aether Packing Cubes likely won't be available for another two to four weeks (https://forums.tombihn.com/general-b...cubes-a30.html). I'm looking for another option for an upcoming trip. One option is to buy a different brand of cubes to use for this trip and then replace them with the A30 Aethers later on.

So as I started looking at other brands, I noticed that the standard thickness is 3" (Eagle Creek, eBags, Dot&Dot), which is only 1/4" thicker than the Tom Bihn A30 End Pocket Packing Cubes (which are available). This makes me wonder if it doesn't make more sense to go with the End Pocket Pack Cubes (if I did that, however, I probably wouldn't replace them). Although they're 3/4" wider than the Tom Bihn A30 Small Packing Cubes, they look like they'd still fit much better in the main compartment of the A30 than anything other than the Tom Bihn Small or Large. On the other hand, I have to ask myself if it really makes sense to get something that is only close to what I want rather than to make do for one trip and then buy exactly what I want (the Small Packing Cubes, I think).

So my overall question really is, Are the Small Packing Cubes significantly better for the main compartment than the End Pocket Packing Cubes?

It breaks down like this for me:

1. Is 4.1" thickness really more useful than 2.7"?

2. Is the extra .7" width of the End Pocket Packing Cube significantly less desirable than the perfectly sized Small Packing Cubes? Or does the give-and-take of the fabric (both the bag and the cubes) basically absorb the extra?

3. I notice that the End Pocket Packing Cubes' zippers are centered on the 2.7" sides while just about every other packing cube I've seen have zippers along one edge. Is this an issue at all when loading the cube?

4. Does the End Pocket Packing Cube thickness actually work better when they are stacked? Two End Pocket Packing Cubes is 5.4", which fits easily and still leaves room for a few other things. Two Small Packing Cubes is 8.2", which is actually slightly taller than the outside dimensions of the bag.

For anyone who has experience using Aeronaut End Pocket Packing Cubes in the main compartment, how do you like them?

[moriond]

As the Aeronaut 30 Aether Packing Cubes likely won't be available for another two to four weeks (https://forums.tombihn.com/general-b...cubes-a30.html). I'm looking for another option for an upcoming trip. One option is to buy a different brand of cubes to use for this trip and then replace them with the A30 Aethers later on.

So as I started looking at other brands, I noticed that the standard thickness is 3" (Eagle Creek, eBags, Dot&Dot), which is only 1/4" thicker than the Tom Bihn A30 End Pocket Packing Cubes (which are available). This makes me wonder if it doesn't make more sense to go with the End Pocket Pack Cubes (if I did that, however, I probably wouldn't replace them). Although they're 3/4" wider than the Tom Bihn A30 Small Packing Cubes, they look like they'd still fit much better in the main compartment of the A30 than anything other than the Tom Bihn Small or Large. On the other hand, I have to ask myself if it really makes sense to get something that is only close to what I want rather than to make do for one trip and then buy exactly what I want (the Small Packing Cubes, I think).

So my overall question really is, Are the Small Packing Cubes significantly better for the main compartment than the End Pocket Packing Cubes?

It breaks down like this for me:

1. Is 4.1" thickness really more useful than 2.7"?

2. Is the extra .7" width of the End Pocket Packing Cube significantly less desirable than the perfectly sized Small Packing Cubes? Or does the give-and-take of the fabric (both the bag and the cubes) basically absorb the extra?

3. I notice that the End Pocket Packing Cubes' zippers are centered on the 2.7" sides while just about every other packing cube I've seen have zippers along one edge. Is this an issue at all when loading the cube?

4. Does the End Pocket Packing Cube thickness actually work better when they are stacked? Two End Pocket Packing Cubes is 5.4", which fits easily and still leaves room for a few other things. Two Small Packing Cubes is 8.2", which is actually slightly taller than the outside dimensions of the bag.

For anyone who has experience using Aeronaut End Pocket Packing Cubes in the main compartment, how do you like them?

Hi @Plip,

I'll excerpt a picture that @Ilkyway posted from the Aether Packing Cubes thread that compares these two types of packing cubes:



You should read through that linked thread and view the various pictures and comments, but basically, I generally find the Small A30 Aether Packing Cubes more useful than the Aether End Cubes for the A30, both because of the deeper size, and the fact that the zipper for the small packing cube is placed near the top of that cube, so that you can pack the cube more fully without having items fall out when you unzip it. The End Packing Cube is fine for items such as shoes, where the zipper placement doesn't matter as much (i.e. if you have a pair of shoes in that packing cube, you don't need as much depth --- and it's not as though folded items that are placed near the top of the cube would fall out if you unzip it using a zipper that runs around the middle).

Which packing cubes you prefer to use may also depend on whether you're also using them with other bags (I showed some combinations where I loaded the Maker's Bag, Cafe Bag, etc. with different varieties of these packing cubes).

I notice that both Aether and Halcyon versions of the Small Packing Cubes for A30 are currently out of stock, so, I can't suggest that as an alternative. However, there are a number of forum members who use the Eagle Creek Packing Cubes for the A30, and they might also want to weigh in with comments. (I'm traveling for work right now).

HTH

moriond