My family and friends will tell you I am a notorious over-packer. YEP- I have been that person who has had to open my suitcase and start distributing things in the middle of the check- in line. Am I proud of this? No. I would rather save myself the embarrassment, but I’m the opposite of a minimalist especially when I check a bag. The good news is that I have perfected what I travel with in my carry on, mainly because I hate being uncomfortable and lugging heavy bags through the airport. And who wants to deal with a million things going through security?
My motto: take everything and anything in a checked bag, but be strategic with what you take on the plane with you. I know a lot of you will say NEVER CHECK A BAG and I would agree with you most of the time, but there are times -at least for me- when I can’t help it especially when traveling internationally.
The good news is that regardless of how you travel, this list is for you. I put together my favorites of everything that I make sure to carry with me and have accessible while on the plane.
It’s all about the bag.
No one wants to be lugging uncomfortable, heavy baggage through an airport or have to worry about getting all that crap through security. Depending on if I’m checking a bag or not determines my carry on choices.
If I’m not checking a bag and taking my carry on suitcase with me, than my go to bag is:
Why? Because it’s durable, pretty reasonable and comes in really cute colors. It also reminds me of a really good Beis dupe for a fraction of the cost. I bought this as a gift for a friend, and quickly realized how much I needed one. I LOVE that it has the shoe compartment. You can use this bag for a weekend away or as a carry on. It has a lot of storage and room for organization which is always a plus for me.
The other bag I love and live for especially on longer travel days, is what my mom and I affectionately call our “wheelies.”
There are many different variations of what we call a wheelie- this is just one of the more reasonable ones I found and am linking here. It doesn’t matter which one you get, there is nothing like being able to wheel your carry on through the airport, onto the airplane and have it also fit under the seat for easy access. I cannot rave enough about my wheelie. It allows for max storage and organization which is always a plus.
Now it’s all about the CLEAR bag.
Depending on where you’re traveling, a clear TSA approved bag for liquids is always a good purchase. Keeping your liquids together is only going to make your life easier and allow for a smoother security process. Whether you are required to put your liquids in a clear plastic bag that is given to you at the airport or if you can just keep them in your clear bag, keeping them together and easily accessible is your best bet.
As you all know, I just got back from traveling abroad and went through security in the UK. I made the mistake of not transferring all of my liquids to the baggy they provided, but I did have them out and in a separate toiletries bag. My entire party that I was traveling with was flagged including myself, but my process was significantly quicker just because of keeping my liquids together. I cannot recommend enough having a liquids- only bag. It won’t do you wrong and just allows you to be as organized as possible.
& the cord case.
When it comes to traveling I am all about organization, which is definitely funny considering I’m not a super organized person in my day to day. I’m more of an organized chaos type of person, but when you’re sitting in economy, in a row with strangers, you need to be as quick as possible when digging through your carry on. So the control freak inside of me likes to know where everything I pack is.
I didn’t know I needed or wanted a cord case until my mom bought me one (thanks ma!) and now it’s probably one of my favorite things. There is nothing like keeping all of your headphones, Airpods and charging cords in one area.
The skincare.
It doesn’t take an expert to tell you that airplane air is SO drying and you need to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Besides drinking as much water as you can while flying, it’s also really important to make sure that during the flight and after, you’re taking care of your skin. If you look up different skin routines for airplane travel they range from super intense to moderately intense. I’m not a person who takes a really long time on my skincare normally and I have even less patience when flying so I try it keep it simple but effective.
Before I leave for the airport, I make sure to do my full skincare routine and use a heavy duty moisturizer. Also, don’t forget sunscreen! The research is scattered but if you’re sitting by the window there is a chance you are receiving a greater amount of sun exposure than just being outside because of the altitude.
If I’m flying on an overnight flight or internationally, then I will do an abbreviated skincare routine on the flight which mostly just consists of a good cleanser, vitamin C serum, eye cream or eye mask, and a hydrating moisturizer. On my flight to India, I did discover this amazing mask that’s linked below.
Some of my faves:
- Sunscreen https://go.shopmy.us/p-1574814
- Face Mask https://go.shopmy.us/p-1579816
- Cleanser & Moisturizer https://go.shopmy.us/p-1579821
- Lip Mask https://go.shopmy.us/p-1579812
A great read.
I love reading normally, but I particularly love reading on a plane. Especially with a blanket and a couple of hours to kill!
Whether you own a kindle or prefer good old fashioned books like myself, reading a good book on vacation is one of life’s simple pleasures.
Sleep and other necessities.
This one is an easy one- whatever you need to be as comfortable as possible. Sometimes it’s a neck pillow or a sleep mask.
These are mine.. Yours might be different, but this is anything you would want with you when traveling.
- Wipes
- Hand sanitizer
- Vaseline
- Toothbrush and Toothpaste (if you’re traveling in business class, they usually supply this)
- Laptop & charger
- Airpods/headphones
- Meds-including your preferred headache & GI meds you might find yourself needing.
- WATER!- flying makes you extremely dehydrated. Make sure you are drinking lots of water.
****If you’re checking a bag, carry at least one outfit with you on your carry on. You’ll thank me when your luggage gets left in Miami and you’re in Panama at a resort with nothing but your carry on. 🙂
Your favorite travel buddy,
