Jan 6

12 Carryon Essentials for a Long Flight

Posted in Flights| Packing

Count me as one of those strange humans who loves a long flight. Most people I know just want to get where they are going. If they could magically appear in their destination of choice, they happily would.

Personally, I fear a future that includes teleporting a person from one place to another therefore eliminating the need for airplanes. I mean, I’m all for reducing the harmful environmental affects of flights, but not the flights themselves. Clearly teleportation will not be something I need to worry about in my lifetime. But I do worry for my future grandkids.

Image of a British Airways 747 plane at Heathrow airport

A long flight provides a great excuse for tuning out by getting thousands of miles away from distractions on the ground. You can read that book you started months ago or get through parts I, II and III of that movie trilogy you’ve been putting off. And for a lucky few, you can actually sleep.

The food may not be great, but at least they have meals on a long flight and they are better than the pitiful bag of pretzels or partially soggy sandwich they bestow upon you on shorter flights. And at least on most airlines your beer and wine, and sometime liquor, are free on those long international flights.

Of course you need a little luck on your side. If you’re sitting next to an annoying seat mate or a screaming baby, you best have packed some good quality noise canceling headphones. A seat in first class or business class is also recommended, but sadly not always an option.

But even with luck on my side and a first-class ticket, there are certain things I always need in my carry on for a long flight. Here’s my essentials list. Did I forget anything? If so, leave me a comment below and let me know what I’d find in your carryon.

Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links. If you purchase products through those links I will get a small commission. There is no increase in the price for you, but I will be able to put the money towards my personal traveling masseuse. And as always, all opinions are my own.

1: Earplugs

The key to tuning out on a long flight is silence. A tiny set of earplugs is a cheap and easy way to do the trick. Noise cancelling headphones also work well, but sometimes I find they irritate my ears after awhile.

Pack a few sets of earplugs if you want to sleep on a long flight

2: Package of Tissues

Whether it is for when a random allergy attack kicks in or when your glass of red wine meets sudden turbulence, you want to have a travel packet of tissues ready in your carry on bag.

3: Lip Balm

I may have a slight addiction to lip balm, but that addiction becomes a necessity on long fights. Dry recycled cabin air will do a number on your lips. This Rose Salve Lip Balm is my personal favorite, but find whatever works for you and keep it handy.

Two tins of my favorite lip balm to help you battle the dry cabin air.

4: Unscented Hand Cream

I love a good scented hand cream, but I’m a courteous flyer. I realize not everyone shares my excellent taste when it comes to aromas. So to make my seat mates happy and avoid super dry skin, I like to pack a small tube of unscented lotion.

Small sized tube of unscented hand cream to keep your skin hydrated on a long flight

5: Gum

Gum freshens your breath, helps your ears to pop, makes a way to break the ice with your seat mate and helps get you from one meal service to the next. Just don’t be obnoxious and chew like a cow standing in the field.

Packages of Dentyne Pure gum are great to keep on hand for fresh breath and to help your ears pop on long flights

6: Headphones

Definitely an essential. Yes, airlines will often hand out a pair of headphones to passengers, but they never work as well or fit as well as your own personal headphones. I carry both an in ear model and an over the ear model, but prefer the former. They are a little more discrete…and don’t mess my hair up as much.

Apple Airpods are a popular in-ear option for headphones

7: Pens

Whether for the utilitarian practice of filling in your landing card or the creative practice of writing or sketching, there’s always a need for a good pen on a long flight. And those who know me know I’m particular about my pens. Just borrowing one from the fight attendant will not do. I always carry a few black ink Pilot G-2 0.38 pen in my bag. And normally I’ll have a few colored pens as well for highlighting and organizing my planner.

Image of my favorite pens in blue and black

8: Scarf

Is it just me or does every good photographer and writer wear a voluminous scarf around their necks? That’s why as a travel writer and photographer I always have one on flights. It makes me look more legitimate.

Just kidding!…maybe.

A scarf is an essential part of my “layered” look on long flights. You never know when the flight’s air conditioning will be cranked up or when the arrivals hall will be like a furnace. Having a scarf to bundle up in or to delicately dab the sweat from your brow is key.

A good scarf is both functional and fashionable for long flights and once you land

9: Disinfecting Wipes

I’m not unearthing any great secret here when I say that airplanes are gross! The germs, trash and bodily secretions left behind have at times made me question my true love for travel. Short of wearing a hazmat suit, all I can do is pray the cleaning crew had more than 30 seconds to clean my seat area. There is a good chance they did not so I carry a small package of disinfectant wipes as a backup.

Packs of disinfectant wipes to keep your little area of the plane clean.

10: A Light T-shirt

On a long flight, there are more possibilities for things to go wrong. Turbulence makes you spill your glass of wine, or soy sauce from your freshly prepared sushi splashes onto your shirt. (Clearly I’m sitting up in first class again). Or after 12 hours on a plane, you are wrinkled and less than fresh when you arrive at your location. A light weight t-shirt is easily slipped into any carry on bag. A quick change into your new shirt and you arrive looking as pristine as when you departed.

Pack a light tshirt to change into after your long flight

11: Snack bar

Yes they will feed you on the plane, but it is rarely good enough or frequent enough. At some point you’re going to want a snack. Some airlines provide snacks in the galley area, but if you’re a window seat person like me, the last thing you want to do is climb over your neighbors and wake them in the middle of a deep sleep. Having a snack bar in my bag has saved me a number of times when I just need a little something to get me from mystery pasta dish to slightly warm eggs and rock hard croissant. (Clearly I’m sitting back in economy class again).

Image of snack bar to keep you from getting hangry on long flights

12: Phone with a full Netflix queue

Long gone are the days when you had one giant screen on the plane and everyone watched the same movie whether they liked it or not. Now even the most budget airlines have individual screens and hundreds of programs for you to choose from.

But if you’ve been flying a lot, or are frequent movie goer, chances are you have already seen many of the movies they have on offer. You may also not be interested in jumping mid way into a 5-year old sitcom series.

I don’t know why it took me so long, but I just recently started downloading movies and TV series from Netflix onto my phone. Now I can watch exactly what I want to watch on a screen that I can see no matter how far back the person in front of me has reclined their seat.

Pack your iPhone with netflix shows you want to catch up on.

Now with you carryon bag properly packed for your long haul flight, all you have to do is sit back, pray for a safe flight and hope that the seat next to you stays empty.

Are there any other items you regularly pack to help you survive hours on a plane? Please leave a comment below and let me know. I still have a little room left in my bag to add a few things.