In flight essentials

Knowing what you need to bring on a flight can be confusing. Listed down below are some essentials I always bring with me on a flight to make it a bit more pleasurable.

Hand cream

As everyone knows flying is very dehydrating for the skin. My hands especially suffer from this, that´s why it´s good to bring a small handcream that is not too sticky and sinks in the skin quickly. 

Wet wipes, tissues and hand sanitizer

A lot of germs can be found in the air circulating in the aircraft. I find that wetwipes, tissues and hand sanitizer always come in handy. 

Mints or gum

Some airplane food can have unexpected amounts of garlic or a long travel day has not kept your breath feeling it´s freshest. Mints or gum will definitely do the trick. If you choose to bring chewing gum make sure it´s not made out of plastic, as most gums are today. My tip is to go with mints instead to contribute to zero waste. Think of all the streets littered full with chewing gum.   

Sheet mask

Treating yourself to a sheet mask on the flight can be such a luxury and really help your skin from feeling dehydrated. Do not think about the stares you might get, it´s definetly worth it. 

Toiletry bag

Bring the toiletries you think you might need such as toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant and face cream. It you are only travelling with a carry-on you will have to be smart with your toiletries, as the total amount of liquids can not exceed 1 L in a sealed plastic bag. Each liquid can be maximum 100 ml and you can bring 10 of those containers. You can always put your favourite toiletries in smaller containers if you want to bring them on your trip. 

Powerbank

Make sure that your power bank isn’t too powerful as some of these are banned from planes. Bringing a power bank ensures you that your phone never will run out of battery, especially if your tickets are on your phone.  

Reuasble water bottle

Buying water at airports is usually very expensive. Save some money and bring your own water bottle. You can fill it up after passing security and always ask to top it up on the plane. If you don´t want your waterbottle taking up space I would reccomend using a foldable one. This is one of the things we can do to reduce our plastic waste. In some places in the world its not possible to drink the tap water, and of course in this case there is no other option than to buy bottled water.   

Snacks

Once again food and drinks are always overpriced in airports. Instead bring your favourtite snacks from home. This means that you will always have an emergency snack at the times you most need it. If I´m not going on a long haul flight i often also bring my own food, this way I can save money and eat food that I know I will enjoy. If you have room I recommend bringing a small container with a spork. This means that you can say no to plastic and once again contribute to zero waste. 

Pouch with cables

I find it easier to keep all of my cables together in one smaller pouch. There I usually pack all my chargers and headphones. This prevents unwanted tangled cables in your bag. 

Folder with documents

To stay organized gather all your travel documents: boarding passes, hotel bookings, itineraries and your passport in one folder. You won´t have to be digging in your bag to find them it they all are in the same place. 

Book

Reading a book on a flight or while waiting in an airport can be very relaxing. It can be nice to get a break from screens and personally I find it easier to read books in physical format. 

Podcasts, films and magazines

If you subscribe to services like Netflix you can download movies to watch in offline mode. The same goes for magazines and podcasts. Here are some examples of applications I use:

• Netflix: movies
• Readly: magazines
• Spotify: music
• Podcasts

Notebook and pen

I always like to take notes while travelling. Whether it´s journaling, writing up places I´ve visited, prices or restaurant recommendations it´s always good to have a notebook on hand. 

Electronic devices

Make sure to always bring your electronic devices with you on the plane. DO NOT PUT YOUR COMPUTER IN A CHECK-IN BAG! 

Sunglasses

These can be nice to have easily accessible when you arrive at your destination.

Wallet

Your wallet is of course always good to bring with you in your carry-on as you never know when you might need it. 

A spare change of clothes

You never know if your luggage will arrive at the same time as you. It can therefore be good to bring a small pouch with a change of clothes just incase your luggage is lost.