Normally I am pretty quick with reviews. I either like the product or I don't. I have now had the Shacke Pak for a little over two weeks and have really started to put them through their paces. A little about me. I travel somewhere around 100,000 miles per year. That's over 100 flights, a ton of car rentals, in and out of hotels. I wear luggage out! A computer bag typically lasts me 6 to 9 months. Even really expensive carry-on suitcases and packing cubes wear out after two years. I have been using another very well respected and recognized name (Eagle Creek) for the past 4 years, but they are now reaching the end of their life. So, I started looking for a replacement. I naturally went right for the Eagle Creek, but, saw some reviews on the Shacke Pak and felt like I wanted to give them a try. Because I have had so much experience with travel items, I can tell within a week how a bag or travel item is going to do. My new Shacke Pak……. I have a solid feeling that it is going to be with me a long time! This past week, I took the three smallest cubes with me on a four day trip to the Midwest. I went carry-on, so they were stuffed to limits. I have to say..... they stuff well!
Having use packing folders for the past few years, I was not expecting them to hold as much or condense as much as what I could get into my Eagle Creek packing folder. I also was convinced that I would not like the cube as much as the folding pack. I was wrong. They held just as much and they held everything well. The dimensions of each packing cube are just about perfect. There are four cubes in the pack, small, medium, large and extra-large. My carry-on is on the smaller size, so I skipped using the extra-large. In the large, I put in two dress pants, three dress shirts, and a polo. I saved the medium for my laundry as I used clothes (each night in a new hotel means I had to pack laundry into the same bag and I did not want my dirty clothes touching clean clothes). In the small, I put 4 pairs of socks, a t-shirt, four pair of underwear and pair of shorts and a work-out shirt. All fit nice. I tossed the packing cubes in my bag and still had room for my suit coat to lay across the top and my winter jacket shoved in too. All fit! Best part...... wrinkles were minimal. Zippers and stitching are top quality. The mesh 'window' is nice. I like that the 'window' is small and a majority of the bag is the stronger and heavy-duty material. That helps it hold it's shape better in my bag and also makes packing items in the pak easier. I got the black and blue... really like the look.
So what does this all really mean? It means if you want advice from someone who has over a million flight miles, a hundred nights in a hotel a year, and who has seen almost every inch of the globe and knows how to pack..... buy these cubes! I am super picky about the organization of my things when I travel. I go carry on (I can go ten days in a carry-on bag) so getting everything I need into a small bag, in a way that I can get to my clothes easily without having to unpack and repack everyday is important to me. I am the person who will spend two weeks moving items from one pocket in a suitcase to another just to maximize space and convenience. I can tell you, I have gone through dozens of suitcases, half a dozen folders and cubes, more than a few dozen briefcases and computer bags.....the Shacke Pak is one of the best investments I have made in travel products. I will be purchasing a set for each member of my team as I know they will appreciate them as much as I do!
I have a new name for packing cubes. Shacke Pak. Better quality, better price, and more effective than the other big named cubes and folders.
FYI - - I researched the company and the product for many weeks leading up to the purchase..... If you do your homework, you will find the heavy duty travelers (those who really know and use travel products extensively) all have great things to say about the company and the Shacke Pak.
Contains at least 50% recycled material.
As certified by
Global Recycled Standard
Products certified to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) contain recycled content that has been independently verified at each stage of the supply chain, from the source to the final product. In addition, social, environmental, and chemical criteria related to processing are required. The purchase of Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified products demonstrates demand for recycled content and best processing practices in the supply chain.
Certification Body
Intertek
Certification Number
TE-00130493
