TOP 10 TRAVEL ESSENTIALS FOR LONG FLIGHTS
TOP 10 TRAVEL ESSENTIALS FOR LONG FLIGHTS
Travel Essentials for Long Flights: Before flying to your next long-distance vacation (whether it’s the Mediterranean, Australia, or Hong Kong), you might want to consider bringing a few items to make your travel more comfortable and help bridge the longer boring sections of the journey. And there will be some. Over the years, I’ve traveled extensively between North America and the Mediterranean Region, and I’ve tried different travel hacks and packing hacks to try and make these long trips more enjoyable. (If you would like to find out more about travel in the Mediterranean then check out our post on Mediterranean Travel and our Travel Guide to the Coast of Spain for helpful tips and advice).
Some of these packing and travel hacks worked out great and some turned out to be more trouble than they were worth. Eventually, I built up a list of the TOP 10 TRAVEL ESSENTIALS FOR LONG FLIGHTS that work great for me and that may be helpful for you.
At the very least, the list should give you a starting point of what to consider when packing for your next flight. There is no right or wrong way to do this, but getting prepared in advance is the best way to increase your chances of traveling in comfort, having a pleasant flight, and arriving at your destination relaxed and ready for your vacation.
In planning what to bring, you want items that are going to make the hours seem as short as possible. In-flight entertainment has come a long way over the years but there are still a few things you can bring with you to help things along. Keep in mind also that, depending on your itinerary, you could be spending several hours sitting at various airports as you wait for your connecting flights. You want to maximize your comfort and have entertainment that appeals to you, readily at hand, both during the flight and while waiting at the airport.
Final points: Not on the list are medication, passport/boarding pass/important papers and house/car keys (Basically things don’t provide comfort or entertainment, but that can not be easily replaced). These items should be with you anyway, and not in your checked luggage. If your checked luggage goes missing, you can always buy new clothes and carry on with your vacation. The other items getting lost (or stolen) have the potential to end your trip before you even get started. You don’t want to spend your vacation at a local embassy trying to replace your passport. Or arrive back home after your trip without your house or car keys (This happened to me once. My checked luggage went missing and so did my keys! And I live a 5 hour drive from the airport!). All these important items should at least be in your carry-on bag within your sight.
One last point: The key here is to treat this as a 2 part action: first figure out what you want to bring for comfort or entertainment, and second make sure that the items are easily accessible. There is nothing worse than realizing partway through your flight that you left your glasses, medication, or earbuds in your carry-on bag sitting in the overhead bin or worse yet, in your checked luggage. Yes, you thought about it but it’s not readily available.
WHAT ARE THE TOP 10 TRAVEL ESSENTIALS FOR LONG FLIGHTS?
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS FOR LONG FLIGHTS
- Smartphone: This is probably the single most important item to bring and in all likelihood, you would have brought one with you even without my checklist. But keep in mind that the flight may not have internet so you won’t have access to anything online (no Youtube, Netflix, etc…). Before my trips, I usually download some movies, TV series, and PDF books onto my phone for entertainment as a Plan B, just in case the inflight selection misses the mark.
- Water Bottle: usually after clearing security, I’ll buy a bottle of water to bring on the flight. You can dehydrate very quickly so having water on hand is a must and this way you’re not completely dependent on the cabin crew.
- Reading Glasses: I don’t have a prescription but I do wear “cheaters” when I read. Don’t forget to include this on your list of travel items to bring, if you plan on reading or watching a movie.
- Pen: small detail, but sometimes you have to fill out customs forms during your flight and find yourself reaching for the overhead bins searching for a pen. Tip: get a small pen, it’s easier to stow away.
- Candies or Gum: Fresh breath, yes! But it also helps you to un-pop your ears during landings. Candy or gum will trigger your swallowing reflex which helps regulate the pressure in your ears.
- Cell Phone Stand: I picked up a tiny credit card-sized phone stand that folds down flat when not in use. You can set your phone on your dinner tray and not have to hold the phone in your hands to watch a movie or read. Small detail, but handy.
- Charging Cable and Portable Charger: Make sure to bring these with you on the flight in case your cell battery starts dying. Some flights have plugins built right into the seats but you still need a cable to make this work. Another option is to get a battery pack (Tip; For my phone, I found a case with a battery pack built right into the case. No cables and days of power)
- Headphones/Earbuds: These days most of us have Bluetooth earbuds to connect to our phones but these won’t necessarily work with inflight entertainment systems. Bring a small set of wired earbuds just in case. For longer trips (or for frequent flyers), I highly recommend a set of noise-canceling headphones (see my post about active noise-canceling headphones to find out more) that have the option to connect via a wire connection. These will cancel out background jet engine noise and allow you to listen to music or watch a movie without having the volume cranked up to 11.
- Travel (Neck) Pillow: A neck pillow is handy on longer trips when you want to take a nap and not have your head bobbing all around. My tip here is to get yourself an inflatable one that folds away nicely when not in use. This way you don’t have to carry around this extra item or hang it off of your luggage when you walk through the airport. One less thing to carry.
- Travel-sized Toiletries: Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, facial wipes, eyedrops, hand sanitizer, tissue, lip balm and anything else you think might be handy to have during the flight. Keeping them travel-sized ensures they meet security regulations.
BONUS TIPS:
With all of the travel essentials listed above, you’ll need to carry them somehow and for this, I’ve added these last three items.
- Earplugs: This small accessory is worth its weight in gold. With these, you can tune out unwanted noise (insert your pet peeve here) and create your own “zen” island of solitude.
- Sleep Mask: This is a must-have if you want to sleep on your flight (or as I like to call it, “Time Travel”. If you can time this just right, fall asleep after take-off, and wake up on landing, then you have truly mastered the art of travel.”
- Fanny Pack: Yes, I know fanny packs are not in style but for the flight, this is a very handy item to keep your smaller items organized, ready, and within reach during the flight (Tip: the fanny pack is where I usually keep my passport and boarding pass).
- Personal Bag: Larger items and those things that don’t fit in the fanny pack can go into the personal bag that airlines normally allow you to bring onboard (Tip: I recommend a small backpack. This bag can go under the seat in front of you and still be within reach. As an added bonus, this can be used during the rest of your trip as a day pack for small hikes or day tours- (For more info on daypacks, see this related post)).
- Cargo Pants: Now hear me out on this one! If ever there was a time and place for cargo pants this is it. And I don’t mean the skinny jeans type either. I mean loose-fitting, multi-pocket cargo pants. You can fill your pockets with all of the items from the above list that you need within reach, and be comfortable while flying. Fashion or comfort? It’s your decision.
FINAL THOUGHTS: TOP 10 TRAVEL ESSENTIALS FOR LONG FLIGHTS
There you have it! Is the list exhaustive? No. Is it based on practical experience? Yes. Can it be improved? Of course! In fact, I keep a list on my cell phone that I continually tweak and modify during trips. Then when I get ready for my next flight, I can just do a quick check on the list and get my travel pack ready. When packing I simply split the items between the fanny pack, daypack, and cargo pants. I recommend testing this out at home to see what works best for you. Have I won any fashion contests? Not recently. Have I traveled in comfort? Yes!
The added benefit of this is that you increase the likelihood of reaching your destination relaxed and well-rested. You’re on vacation for a couple of weeks and want to enjoy every minute of it. The best way to do this is by making the journey there as comfortable as possible. Safe travels!
Reg Auge
Reg holds an MBA, is a former Captain in the Canadian military and has worked as a consultant in industry for over 20 years. From his home in Spain, he has spent the last 10 years traveling throughout the Mediterranean, exploring the various countries and regions. He also regularly runs, windsurfs, and kite surfs, maintaining a healthy and active way of life. Captivated by this Mediterranean lifestyle, he began a Blog last year to inspire like-minded souls to learn about and discover this unique region for themselves.
