Packing cubes are a waste of space for most trips and I'll die on this hill
I packed for a 9 day trip to Seattle last spring using cubes like everyone says to, and my bag weighed 3 pounds more than the same trip packed flat. Cubes add fabric, zippers and dead air between them, and you lose the gap-filling that loose clothes give you. I tested it twice with the same clothes and a kitchen scale, so it's not a feeling. If your bag is small and your clothes are soft, just roll them and stuff the corners. What's the actual weight difference people are seeing, or am I packing the cubes wrong?