“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:

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.

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.

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.

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 leak-proof, 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.

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.”

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.

Flying “personal-item-only,” which is taking a single bag that fits under the seat 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 provide decent room for clothes and have travel-smart features like 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.

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.

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.