The Ultimate Guide to Vacation Packing

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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:

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.)​

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.