I’ve had a lot of people say to me, I love to travel, but I just hate the flights! I laugh a little inside as I LOVE to fly. I look forward to that time on a plane where my cell phone will not be ringing (at least not yet!). I guess I’ve always been able to get comfortable on a plane, but there are a few “essentials” that make the trip, wherever I’m headed, much more enjoyable. Here’s some of the gear in my carry-on–for short haul flights of only a couple of hours.
- Water bottle: Even on short flights, it is important to stay hydrated. This is for the benefit of your skin, your eyes, your digestion and your mental focus. Yet, if you’re in the air for only 2-3 hours, you may only get one pass by the flight attendants with the refreshment cart offering water. Even longer flights might not offer water when you are most thirsty for it. I admit it, I’m thrifty, so I just can’t spend the high prices airports love to charge for a bottle of water! I find bringing an empty bottle with me, filling it at the fountain inside of the security checkpoints and bringing it aboard gives me all the refreshment I need, whenever I need it.
- Antibacterial wipes: You’ve heard about all the bacteria that are found in planes, particularly on the tray tables and arm rests, right? Ugh! Anti-bacterial wipes to the rescue! Right after stowing your carry on, give a quick wipe to the arm rests and tray table, and any tech buttons you plan on touching. Its a good start to landing healthy.
- Tissues: The last thing you need is to get s runny nose and not have a tissue, or, have someone in the seat beside you in the same predicament. Bring a travel pack of tissues and you’re ready to share.
- Big Scarf: I used to think the idea of layering up was obvious to female travelers, as we may often be traveling from one extreme in temperature to another–with a third thrown in up in the sky between them, yet I am still amazed at what I see people wear to fly. I’ve been on flights that feel like ovens and others that feel like freezers, so I like to be prepared for both. My typical flight look is pants/leggings/long skirt with a short sleeved top, a long cardigan, and a trusty big scarf. When I say “big”, I’m not exaggerating. I have a few I fly with regularly which are large enough to be blankets for a twin size bed. They also need to be lightweight and sqishable into small spaces, and to not look ridiculous when you wrap them around your neck, so I opt for silk or lightweight wool. My favorite pashmina style big scarf is from a trip to Nepal, and a few of my usual silk ones are cut down sarees from India (just bring the saree to a tailor to get the seams finished after cutting). These are some of the “functional souvenirs” I’ve picked up along the way. Not only do they come in handy, look beautiful and feel so comfortable, but they remind me of my adventures there each time I use them.
My favorite pashmina style big scarf is from a trip to Nepal, and a few of my usual silk ones are cut down sarees from India. These are some of the “functional souvenirs” I’ve picked up along the way. Not only do they come in handy, look beautiful and feel so comfortable, but they remind me of my adventures there each time I use them.
5. Mints: I don’t know why but it is my experience that people in the seats beside me on shorter flights are more chatty than those on longer flights. Carry along some mints, and you’ll feel fresh for any new friends you make beside you.
6. Earbuds: In case you don’t have a chatty person in the seat next to you–or maybe more importantly if you do and need to tune them all for a while, come prepared with your own earbuds to connect to your phone, mp3 player or in-flight entertainment system.
7. Your smile and grace: Perhaps the most important thing you can take with you when you head to the airport is a smile and some grace. You never know who you will meet, and who you may influence or inspire with your actions. You also never know what you may encounter–hours of delay, cancelled flights, short staffed flights during holiday seasons–oh, you get the idea. Think positively in any of these situations, just smile, be kind, and your trip will be a lot more pleasant.
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