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Where to buy Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes:
Amazon
The Ultralight Osprey family includes drybags and raincovers, and these packing cubes are a great addition. This range of Osprey packing cubes is more minimal and lightweight, stripping back a lot of features yet ensuring optimal use.
These cubes are very thin, flexible, and durable. Using them to separate all your belongings and organize any bag will not take up any valuable space or add any weight.
Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes come in either a trio pack – small, medium & large, or they can be bought individually. Also coming in a variety of colors, how you choose to organize your suitcase is up to you.
Although not completely waterproof, moisture from a few splashes or damp clothes will not seep through the material, giving you more options.
Things we like:
-
Extremely lightweight -
Soft & flexible material, good for squeezing all you can into them
-
Weather resistant & durable ripstop nylon. Good against splashes & dirt
Things we don't like:
-
No compression feature -
One zip that only opens partially
-
Sizes run small
Where to buy Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes:
Amazon
- Material: 40-denier nylon ripstop
- Dimensions: small (7.5 x 5 x 2 in.), medium (10 x 7 x 2 in.), large (14 x 10 x 2 in.)
- Set: 3
- Weight: 2.53 ounces for all 3 cubes
- Volume: Small-1L, Medium-2L and Large-5L
- Colors: Venturi blue, Lunar grey, and Shadow grey
Ultralight is Ultranice
The Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes are impressive. Although they weigh next to nothing, they are surprisingly strong and very flexible.
Their minimal look and weight allow you to use them any way you want. Although not entirely waterproof, they worked well enough at keeping damp and dry items separate from each other.
What is Osprey Ultralight Packing Cube’s Ripstop Fabric?
Setting them apart from many of their competitors’ cubes, the real shining star for these Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes is the use of nylon ripstop. During the weaving process for this fabric, a reinforcing technique is used to make it more rip and water resistant.
Nylon ripstop is extremely light, flexible, and strong, popular with products that are constantly battling the elements. Think tents, yacht sails, hot air balloons, parachutes, etc.
Using ripstop nylon is not new in the outdoor gear universe, and other brands, such as Eagle Creek, also use ripstop nylon in their Pack-it Reveal Cube Set.
Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes are Water Resistant
Like most other packing cubes, the Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes aren’t completely waterproof. However, we took them, fully packed, into a quick shower for a proper water resistance test, and as expected, things were only mostly dry, there was some damp that seeped through.
The seams and YKK zippers of the packing cubes are not waterproof, so if you submerge them, water will seep in. If you’re looking for packing cubes that are completely waterproof, then packing cubes like the Sea to Summit Hydraulic Packing Cubes are the way to go.
Osprey Ultralight packing Cubes Strength & Durability
Packing cubes need to be able to withstand some force, from being yanked out of your crammed backpack to squeezing in that final pair of socks. Again we put the Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes to the test, stuffing as full as possible.
Using a portable luggage scale to check weight, the small cube had no issue with holding 15kg of clothes, which is really impressive since it’s not even one gram on its own.
Packing Cube Handle or Hook?
Another good feature of these cubes is their handle. It’s 2cm wide and very easy to pop your hand in. As mentioned, are very durable, which is in part due to their nylon webbing handles. This makes it easy to pull out of your bag, carry, and hang up.
Their handles double as a hook, which makes them good to use as a toiletry bag. The handles are soft and flexible, so they don’t get in the way when you’re not using them.
Price/Quality Ratio of Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes
For the Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes, you pay for durable, minimal, and lightweight cubes that will surely last you many trips. But you also pay for the brand.
For a top player in outdoor packs, you pay a top price. If you want packing cubes to last you many adventures, these cubes are definitely worth the investment. If want something a little more low key then there are the Amazon Basics Packing Cubes, which checks all the boxes for a simple packing cube.
Do we recommend the Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes?
In short, yes.
The flexible material and minimal design mean they are very versatile. Great for all organized travelers who love something with multiple uses. The ripstop nylon and strong handle make them easy to pull out of your Osprey travel bag or any other backpack.
Not just for clothes, these weather resistant cubes can help to keep your damp bathroom bottles, soggy swimwear, or smelly hiking boots separate.
Related Reviews
Things we like:
-
Extremely lightweight
-
Soft & flexible material, good for squeezing all you can into them
-
Weather resistant & durable ripstop nylon. Good against splashes & dirt
Things we don't like:
-
No compression feature
-
One zip that only opens partially
-
Sizes run small
Frequently asked questions about Osprey Ultralight
Packing cubes are a great way to organize and separate your items, whether in your suitcase or backpack.
Having all your items in individual cubes means when you arrive at your destination, you can simply pull out the cubes instead of unpacking each item. Packing cubes help to keep things organized, like you could use a small cube for cables or spare SD cards.
Packing cubes can have a range of features, like being lightweight, having a mesh front, having separate compartments, coming in different colors, etc. Check out our guide to see which is best for you!
If you’re looking for the lightest and most minimal packing cubes, your best bet is to stick to a low-denier nylon, around 30D or 40D.
Nylon alone is lightweight, and ripstop nylon adds important durability and strength. Since Nylon is so thin at these low deniers, the added ripstop makes a huge difference and helps to make it rip-resistant.
Nylon denier, when it comes to waterproofing, has no effect or importance. Denier refers to how thick the yarn was in the initial weaving process, and so a thicker yarn indicates durability. For example, it’s common you find a relatively higher denier in areas like the knee or shoulders of clothing, which are seeing more use over time.
In order to make a garment waterproof, treatment is added to it after the fabric has been woven.
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