Retirement Gift: Why a Suitcase Starts the Next Chapter

A good retirement gift is a gift for the next chapter, not for a drawer. Many retirees are finally planning to travel, so a quality suitcase, a set of two suitcases for a couple or a flight kit is a gift they use on their very first flight. It says thank you, and it says "go see the world".

Why a suitcase works as a retirement gift

A retirement gift has two jobs: to say thank you for years of work, and to fit the life that starts now. A watch or a plaque says thank you. A suitcase says "go travel", and that's exactly what many retirees have in mind: the long trip that kept getting postponed, visiting the grandchildren abroad, a midweek getaway.

It has another advantage: it stays. A good suitcase goes with them on every trip in the years ahead, and every time they pack, they remember who gave it.

Which suitcase to choose: by who is retiring

• A couple planning trips: a set of a 20 inch carry-on and a 24 inch medium suitcase. The carry-on goes in the overhead bin, the medium one is checked, and together they cover anything from a weekend to a full week.
• Someone who flies alone or on short visits: a flight kit, a carry-on suitcase with the accessories around it (a travel bag that sits on the handle, a toiletry bag, a neck pillow and a luggage tag). One gift that's already a packed trip.
• Someone who loves road trips: a weekend travel bag. Light, it fits any car trunk, and there's no need for a suitcase for three days away. How many liters you need for a weekend, here.

Another consideration: age and strength. A light suitcase with four double wheels that spin in every direction rolls beside you instead of dragging behind, and you feel the difference in the airport corridor.

A couple? Two suitcases that match

When the retiree travels with their partner, a set looks like one gift rather than two purchases. Navigator, for example, comes in eight colors of the same model, from onyx black and graphite gray to eucalyptus green and pomegranate red, so you can pick a color they'll spot from afar on the carousel. In the 20 inch and 24 inch set, both suitcases expand with a zipper, so there's room for gifts for the grandchildren on the way home.

What to add to make the gift complete

If you want to add something small next to the suitcase, choose an accessory that gets used on every flight:

• An AirTag holder that attaches to the suitcase with a steel cable, so they know where it is even in the hold (the AirTag itself is sold separately).
• A memory foam neck pillow for the long flights they finally have time for.
• A leather wallet with RFID protection, a small, personal gift they use every day, at home too.

The first two already come in the flight kit, so choosing it gets them together with the suitcase.

Why the warranty matters for a gift like this

A gift that breaks after two flights leaves a bad taste, both for the retiree and for the giver. So choose a suitcase with a real warranty behind it. Our 100% polypropylene hard suitcases, like Navigator, have a 10-year warranty on the shell, and the wheels, handles, handle mechanism and zipper pulls are covered for 12 months. Here's why we give 10 years on this material.

Camel Mountain is a family business since 1975, and the brand has been around since 2006. More ideas in our guide to choosing a suitcase set.