Packing cubes are just about the best travel accessory you can buy. Backpack travel is all about traveling light with one pack. And packing cubes allow you to stuff much more travel gear into your pack. They also keep everything clean and organized. (You don't want your nasty hiking socks rubbing up against your clean underwear). Packing cubes also let you pull one or two items out of your pack quickly without messing everything else up. Just grab the cube you need, take out your item and go. Key travel accessory.