TRAVEL
10 Important Items I Bring on a Long-Haul Flight
They make the flight so much more comfortable
Many of my flights are over 15 hours long, so it’s super important for me to be comfortable. I also like to travel light. When possible, I always try to minimize the number of items I carry.
Here are 10 non-negotiable items that come with me on board. Of course, I am not including other essential items like passports and money.
01 A Shawl/Scarf
I always like to bring items that have multiple uses. A scarf can be very handy on a long-haul flight. Because I’m a bit of a germaphobe, I prefer not to use the blankets on the planes.
Instead, I wear layers and bring along a shawl or a scarf that can double as a blanket or as a pillow. It isn’t a large and heavy item, so it’s worth it for me to bring this.
02 One Extra Change of Clothes, Socks, Underwear
You never know when you might need a quick change. After more than 10 hours on a flight, I feel like I need a shower. At this point, I’m only halfway to the finish line, so I somehow need to get through another 10 hours.
A quick change of clothes often freshens me up nicely.
03 Baby Wipes
Since I can’t take a shower on the plane, I’ll settle for baby wipes. I feel refreshed after wiping my neck and arms!
04 Moisturizing Cream
The air in a plane cabin sucks you dry. It’s very uncomfortable to sit for hours with dry, cracking skin.
I’ll bring a small tube of moisturizing cream for my hands and face to combat this issue. It’s an easy solution.
05 Toothbrush/Toothpaste
I’m ok to forgo several steps in my regular night routine when I’m on a plane.
But brushing my teeth is a must! I can’t go to sleep without cleaning out my mouth. If I’m flying Economy, I’ll bring my own toothbrush set.
If I’m lucky enough to travel premium economy or business class, I won’t bring this at all. The amenity kits have everything!
06 Eye Drops
Similar to having dry skin, I’ve found that my eyes can get dry and scratchy on the plane.
Bringing a small bottle of eye drops solves this problem for me.
07 Flip Flops
My feet swell on the plane. It’s also a safe idea to wear shoes that cover your toes, so I’ll wear my regular hiking shoes when I am boarding.
When I’m settled in my seat, I will likely change to a pair of flip flops for the entire flight. I’ve been unable to stuff my feet back into my regular hiking shoes before because they were swollen!
You can probably choose to wear compression stockings too.
08 Headphones
Just like avoiding using the communal blankets, I also tend to avoid using the headphones on the airplane. It’s just more comfortable to use my own set.
They aren’t heavy to bring, so headphones always go with me on board.
09 Sanitizer/Kleenex
I’ll bring hand sanitizer and Kleenex with me every time I travel, no matter where I go. It’s a habit I adopted pre-covid.
If I need to wipe something down, I’ll sprinkle a few drops of hand sanitizer and wipe it with a Kleenex. This saves me some space because I don’t have to bring an extra pack of anti-bacterial wipes.
10 Hair Ties
Nothing is more annoying to me than having hair whipping about in my face when I’m trying to do something. I’ll always have a few hair ties on my wrist!
Besides essential items, here are all the other things that I bring with me on the plane! I don’t want to arrive at my destination feeling super exhausted and uncomfortable.
All of these items help increase my comfort levels while I’m in the air.
I can arrive to my destination all refreshed and ready for action!
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