The Ultimate Guide to Vacation Packing

From luggage to clothing, toiletries to tech, we advise you how to pack for stress- and ache-free travel

Peg Rosen,

AARP

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Published September 10, 2024

illustration/gif of an open suit case with various items falling inside

Chris O'Riley

A new generation of ultraefficient luggage, clothing, gear and gadgets is designed to help older fliers optimize space and avoid add-on fees for checked or additional baggage.

“Seventy percent of my YouTube audience is over 50,” says seasoned voyager Nora Dunn, known to her 200,000 online followers as the Professional Hobo. “They’re frustrated with all the extra costs that now come with flying, along with the risk of losing luggage. Many want the smoothest trip possible and think carry-on-only is the way to do that.” Even if you check a bag and pay the fee — there’s no shame in it — it’s worth taking a page from today’s minimalist travel playbook, Dunn says. “Dragging around less at the airport and beyond will always be more comfortable than dragging around more,” she says.

Here’s your more-with-less plan:

a man holding a piece of luggage while walking up a flight of stairs

Stocksy

1. Pick your carry-on

Durable and protective hard-sided roller bags are increasingly popular. But squishy soft-sided roller bags can give a bit more leeway in the overhead compartment, Dunn says. Don’t write off backpacks either. “For us, they make it much easier to climb stairs, use public transportation and travel uneven terrain,” say YouTubers John and Bev Martin, known on their social media accounts as the Retirement Travelers. (FYI: A safe-bet carry-on size that’ll pass muster with most U.S. carriers is 22 by 14 by 9 inches. Still, check with your airline to be sure, especially if you’re flying a budget or foreign carrier.)

2. Factor in weather

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Check the forecast and pack for your weather window, not for every scenario. “Say yes to a capsule wardrobe — make all the clothing you pack play well with each other so you can mix and match with ease,” says Kelsey Knoedler Perri, with the Boston-based Road Scholar educational travel organization. And leave “what if” items out. If you want to join a last-minute mountaineering expedition, that’s what credit cards and rentals are for.

3. Pack with cubes

Courtesy Away Travel

The darling of minimalist fliers, packing cubes act like mini drawers in your bag and fit an astonishing amount in each compressible pouch. Rolling your clothes rather than folding helps maximize space and cut down on wrinkles. The Martins are big on the durable, lightweight cubes from Tripped. “Each is a different color or pattern, so we know at a glance what’s inside,” says Bev Martin. Other popular brands include Away (pictured), Shacke and Calpak.

4. Rethink toiletries

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For starters, make the most of what your hotel supplies. If you’ll be staying at places that don’t provide toiletries, consider buying basics at your destination. For the rest, switch to lightweight, long-lasting solids as much as possible (sunblock and deodorant sticks, toothpaste tablets or powders), since solids don’t have to go in your TSA-required 1-quart liquids bag. For must-have liquids and gels, switch to leakproof, refillable squeeze pouches that expand to fit only the amount you put in them. Tuck it all into a space-saving toiletry bag: Many now boast multiple compartments, a TSA-approved pouch for liquids and a hook for hanging.

5. Update your tech

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Leave charging blocks for laptops and other electronics home and take a high-speed charger instead. “Our charger cost about $100 but is well worth it. It’s fast enough to charge two Mac laptops at the same time and has a place for three -C and one USB-A plugs,” John Martin says. That, along with a compact power strip and a four-in-one plug adapter, has kept the Martins successfully plugged in around the world. Also “upgrade your phone to the latest model,” he says. “The cameras are nearly perfect, and you won’t need all that camera equipment.”

6. Bring a smart personal item

Flying “personal-item-only,” which is taking a single bag that fits under the seat in front of you to avoid a carry-on bag fee, may be a little extreme for anything longer than a night or two away. But the combination of one carry-on and one of the new space-maximizing under-seat bags out there can rival checked-luggage capacity. The best under-seat options, which meet most U.S. carriers’ personal-item requirements (think 17 by 13 by 8 inches, but double-check), provide decent room for clothes and have travel-smart features such as organizational compartments, padded laptop holders, easy-access outside pockets for quick-stash essentials and a trolley sleeve that can attach to the handle of a roller bag.

7. Cull your shoes

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Traveling light means you have room for two pairs of shoes — maybe three, max: the everyday workhorse (they may well be some comfy running shoes), something a little dressier and a wild card like sandals or boots, depending on when and where you’re traveling, Dunn says.

Packing for the ladies

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Bag the purse. Don’t waste your personal item allowance on a pocketbook. Switch to a minimalist cross-body bag with just enough space for essentials. Then tuck it into your personal item bag when you reach the gate. “I also recommend packing a stuffable backpack in one of your bags for carrying snacks, a water bottle and maybe a wrap when you’re walking around,” says Brooke Schoenman, the Australia-based travel guru behind HerPackingList.com.

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Consider smart clothes. Bring core pieces made from finely woven, all-season merino wool. While pricey, they’re temperature regulating and naturally antimicrobial, can go weeks without a wash, pack like a dream and turn layering into an art. Test the waters with a white boxy tee or wear-everywhere basic black dress. “I know of women who find merino dresses so versatile, they even sleep in them,” says Amy Tull, whose Traveling Tulls website and social media accounts focus on sustainable travel during retirement. Also choose pieces made from lightweight, fast-drying, wrinkle-resistant synthetics like polyester, nylon, Coolmax, Tencel, Cordura and other tech fabrics. Depending on the weather, consider lightweight pants, bamboo tops, featherweight blouses, packable raincoats and puffer jackets that layer well, and a wrap that multitasks as an airplane blanket, neck scarf and cover-up. Schoenman also won’t go anywhere without her compression socks. “They make my legs feel great and are so cute, I wear them on the plane and throughout my trips,” she says.

Packing for the guys

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Courtesy REI

Travel trousers. Lightweight, stretchy, wrinkle-resistant and fast-drying pants and shorts in tech fabrics can explore with you all day and still look civilized at dinner.

Next-gen bags. Fanny packs are back, so have at it. The latest are ultralight, and many feature anti-theft slash-proof fabric, credit-card-protecting RFID (radio frequency identification) pockets, internal attachment points for your keys and wallet and enough space for a 7-inch tablet.

Hats that crush. Be weather smart and pack a mesh-ventilated, washable nylon topper that repels water, blocks sun and retains its shape even after hours in a bag.

Bath essentials. Consider a roll-up organizer, which typically includes several pouches, a hanging clip and a mirror. Changing up your wet shave routine with a moisturizing shave bar, brush and disposable razor will help you whiz through bag check at security.

To see all our coverage, visit AARP The Magazine: The Travel Issue

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Nashville-based writer Peg Rosen has written on health, fitness, travel and other subjects for Prevention, Oprah, AARP and many other media outlets.