7 Outdated Travel Items to Ditch in 2025 — and the Smarter Replacements to Pack Instead (from $13)

Travel gear evolves faster than most of us update our packing lists. Items that seemed essential five years ago now add unnecessary weight, waste space, or have been replaced by smarter alternatives that work better and cost less. If you're still packing like it's 2020, you're carrying more than you need and missing upgrades that make travel significantly easier.

These seven outdated items deserve to be left home in 2025—not because they never worked, but because better options exist that are lighter, more versatile, more sustainable, or simply more aligned with how we actually travel now. The replacements aren't expensive trends; they're practical improvements that address real travel problems more effectively than what they replace.

1. Printed Guidebooks → Travel Apps and Offline Maps

Why ditch them: Printed guidebooks add significant weight, provide outdated information by the time they're published, and cover too much territory to be useful for specific trips. You're carrying 500 pages to use maybe 20.

Smarter replacement: Travel apps like Google Maps, Maps.me, or Citymapper with offline downloads provide current information, user reviews, real-time updates, and GPS navigation without the weight. Download the specific areas you need before departure, and your phone becomes a comprehensive, constantly updated guidebook that fits in your pocket.

For deeper cultural context, apps like Rick Steves Audio Europe or Culture Trip offer curated content without physical books. You get better, more current information in a fraction of the space.

2. Travel-Sized Liquid Toiletries → Solid Bars and Refillables

Why ditch them: Travel-sized liquid bottles create TSA hassles, waste plastic, leak in luggage, and run out quickly, forcing mid-trip purchases. The 3-1-1 rule makes liquid toiletries more trouble than they're worth for short trips.

Smarter replacement: Solid toiletry bars—shampoo, conditioner, face cleanser, body wash—eliminate liquid restrictions entirely while lasting significantly longer than small bottles. Quality solid bars from brands like Ethique, Lush, or J.R. Liggett's work as well as liquid versions, take minimal space, and one bar often lasts for dozens of uses.

For products where solids don't work well, invest in quality refillable travel containers (silicone tubes or leak-proof bottles) and decant from full-size products rather than buying disposable travel sizes. The initial investment pays off after one or two trips.

3. Bulky Neck Pillows → Compressible Travel Pillows

Why ditch them: Traditional U-shaped neck pillows are bulky, take precious luggage space or dangle awkwardly from backpacks, and many people find them uncomfortable or ineffective for actual sleeping.

Smarter replacement: Compressible travel pillows pack down to nothing when not in use and inflate when needed. The Trtl Pillow wraps around your neck with internal support, taking minimal space. Inflatable options from Sea to Summit or Cocoon compress to pocket size and provide adjustable firmness.

These alternatives work better than traditional neck pillows while occupying a fraction of the space, which means you'll actually bring them instead of leaving them home to save room.

4. Multiple Charging Cables → Multi-Port USB Chargers

Why ditch them: Carrying separate chargers for phone, tablet, headphones, watch, and other devices creates cable chaos, wastes outlet space, and means hunting through your bag for the right cord constantly.

Smarter replacement: Multi-port USB chargers with international adapters handle multiple devices simultaneously from one outlet. Anker, RAVPower, and similar brands offer compact chargers with 3-4 USB ports plus USB-C, covering all your devices with one plug.

Pair this with universal cables that work across devices (USB-C to everything) and you reduce cable count from 5-6 down to 1-2 total. Less to pack, less to lose, less tangling in your bag.

5. Heavy Books → E-Readers or Tablets

Why ditch them: Physical books add significant weight, especially hardcovers, and you're limited to whatever you packed. Finish your book mid-trip and you're buying another or stuck re-reading what you brought.

Smarter replacement: E-readers like Kindle or Kobo weigh ounces, hold thousands of books, work in bright sunlight, and last weeks on a single charge. You have unlimited reading material without the weight, plus you can download new books anywhere with WiFi.

For people who want multipurpose devices, tablets offer reading plus entertainment, work capability, and communication. Either option eliminates book weight while expanding your reading options exponentially.

6. Disposable Plastic Bags → Packing Cubes

Why ditch them: Using plastic bags to organize luggage creates waste, tears easily, doesn't compress efficiently, and looks messy when you're living out of your suitcase. They're a temporary solution that never works as well as intended.

Smarter replacement: Packing cubes organize clothing by category, compress efficiently, keep things visible and accessible, and last for years. Eagle Creek, REI, or Amazon Basics offer affordable sets that transform luggage organization.

Compression cubes take this further, reducing packed clothing volume by 30-50%, which means fitting more in carry-on or having room for purchases. The organizational benefit alone makes packing cubes worth the minimal investment.

7. Traditional Wallets → Slim Cardholders or Digital Wallets

Why ditch them: Traditional bifold wallets add bulk to pockets or bags, carry unnecessary cards and receipts, and create security risks when traveling. You don't need everything you carry at home when you're abroad.

Smarter replacement: Slim cardholders hold 4-6 essential cards (ID, credit cards, insurance card) in a package the size of a few stacked cards. Brands like Bellroy, Ridge, or generic Amazon options cost $13-50 and eliminate wallet bulk entirely.

Alternatively, digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) reduce physical card needs further. Many travelers now carry just one credit card and an ID, using phone-based payments for everything else. Less to lose, less bulk, fewer pickpocketing targets.

Travel gear improvements aren't about chasing trends or buying the latest thing—they're about recognizing when better alternatives exist that genuinely solve problems the old items created. These seven swaps reduce weight, save space, eliminate hassles, and often cost less over time than repeatedly buying disposable or outdated options. Modern travel doesn't require more stuff; it requires smarter stuff that actually serves how we travel now rather than how we traveled a decade ago.