Today, we'll check out the Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter compression cubes. I know,
it's kind of a confusing title. They should probably do something about it
when they release a new version. Anyway, without further ado, let's get right into
the review. I've owned these compression cubes for over a year now. Mainly I've
used them for organizing my luggage, but I also used them once on a mountain
hiking trip for storing my clothes inside my backpack. I've used them many
times now, and they're still holding up great. Personally, I own the strobe-green
version of this set, but you can also get them in white-strobe, brilliant blue, and
volcano red. I didn't choose the white color because they'd probably get dirtier
much quicker, and I suggest that you do the same. If you're getting two or more
sets, I'd strongly recommend you to get them in different colors, because you'll
have an easier time remembering where you put your underwear, and where your
t-shirts. By the way, if you don't know how compression cubes work, here's how.
Essentially, regular packing cubes have only one zipper. But compression cubes
come with two zippers right next to each other. The first one is a regular, normal
one. And the second one compresses the width by several inches. The idea is that
when the compression zipper is unzipped, it looks like a regular packing cube, but
when you close the compression zipper, the width is compressed, which compresses
everything inside, and pushes out all the air from between your clothes. From what
I could find, it looks like these Eagle Creek compression cubes only come in a
two-piece set. Unfortunately, this means that you won't be able to purchase the
pieces separately. The larger, medium piece measures at 13.5 inches in height
9 inches in width and 5 inches in depth when compressed, and the smaller one at
10 inches in height 6.5 inches in width and 3.5 inches in depth. The good thing
is that both of them add almost no weight. The larger cube weighs at 2.2
ounces, and the smaller one only at 1.7 ounces. Both combined, they add less than
4 ounces to the total weight, which is basically the weight of a pair of
...sunglasses. They're made from 30D Ripstop Silnylon.
Silnylon is essentially a combination of silicone and nylon, which makes the
fabric lightweight, tear-resistant, and water repellent. This material is most
commonly used in lightweight outdoor gear, such as tents, tarps, and backpacks.
I tried pouring some water on them, and it looks like the green fabric does a
pretty good job at keeping the items inside dry. It did get slightly damp, but
it definitely kept most of the water outside. That said, the zippers got wet
much quicker. After checking the contents inside, I noticed that the only places
that got wet were around the zippers. It also looks like they've done a pretty
good job at the stitching. I didn't find any loose threads, and when the cubes
were compressed, the stitching still looked great. These compression cubes come with
two zippers. The compression zipper is definitely more massive, because it needs
to hold more stress. Both zippers have metal heads with string extensions
wrapped through them. They do unzip fairly easily, but occasionally, the
expandable zipper does get stuck in the fabric. When you're compressing the
packing cube, you have to be somewhat careful. A good way to make sure that the
fabric doesn't get caught in the zipper, is to put your finger behind it, as seen
in this shot. The only thing that I didn't like, is that the regular zipper
doesn't open all the way around. It only opens halfway, so you have to kind of
stuff your items inside, and it might result in a few wrinkles here and there.
Both compression cubes also come with these fabric handles on top. They're sewn-in
pretty tightly between both zippers, and they feel pretty durable. In luggage,
they're kind of pointless because you can pick up the cubes with your hands.
But I found them to be useful when I used the cubes in my backpack, on a mountain
hiking trip. Usually, everything is compressed in there pretty tightly, so
the handles make it easier to pull the cubes out. I tried testing precisely how
much you can fit inside them, and here are the results. In the smaller cube, I
managed to fit in seven pairs of men's underwear, seven pairs of socks, and one
pair of swimming shorts. And in the larger one I squeezed in five t-shirts,
one pair of jeans, one pair of shorts, one long-sleeve shirt, and one hoody.
Generally, you want to pack them kind of full, but not overpack. Something similar
to what you see here. Otherwise, you won't be able to close the compression zipper.
Now I can't measure this precisely, but from the looks of it, the compression
system saves around maybe 15 to 30% of the total space. The smaller cube
definitely works better, because the larger one tends to expand in the middle
when it's compressed. Although they're also great for luggage, I do think they
work better in backpacks. That's because when compressed, the corners become
rounded, which results in some unused space when they're packed in a
rectangular suitcase. Backpacks kind of adjust to any shape, so compression cubes
are more efficient there. Personally, I own the regular Pack-It Specter
compression cube set but they also offer the Pack-It Specter TECH compression cube
set. Yeah, I know, the titles are confusing. The only difference is that
one set has the word TECH in it, and the other one doesn't.
I own the one that doesn't. Essentially, they both look almost identical, and
they're priced at the same price. The only difference between the TECH version
and the regular version is that they're built from slightly different materials.
instead of Silnylon, the TECH version is built from regular Ripstop Nylon
without PVC coating. This material is slightly better for the environment, but
it's also heavier. The regular compression cubes together weigh 3.9
ounces, but the tech version weighs 7.5 ounces, which is essentially
twice as much. But on the plus side, on the TECH version, the regular zipper
opens all the way around, not only halfway. Personally, I think that both
versions are great, and it doesn't really matter which one you get because they're
so similar. One of the best things about Eagle Creek is their lifetime warranty.
This warranty covers manufacturing defects for a lifetime. For instance, if
the stitching near the zipper would become loose, and tear apart after a
while, this would be considered a manufacturing defect. So they'd fix the
stitching or send you a replacement. Their warranty covers any cause, whether
it's transportation damage, mountain climbing or anything else. The only thing
that they don't cover is cosmetic issues, normal wear and tear, and
abuse. For instance, if you'd tear the fabric on a knife that was dangling
loose in your bag, they wouldn't cover it. Although the
Eagle Creek compression cubes are priced on the higher side, they aren't the most
expensive cubes out there. For instance, they're still half of what the Peak
Design packing cubes cost. You can get a three or four piece compression cube set
for the same price from a cheap Chinese band, however, they probably won't be
protected by a warranty that's as good as Eagle Creek's, and they won't last as long.
So in my opinion, the higher price tag on the Eagle Creek compression cubes is
justified. If you do decide to get them, check out my full review on cleverjourney.com,
which I've linked to in the description of
this video. I go into much more detail there, and link out to vendors with the
best prices. Also, if you're new to this channel, consider subscribing, because In
here we post travel gear reviews, packing tips, and travel tips. Thanks for watching,
and I'll see you in the next video!