Seven Airplane Essentials

Never fail, these seven things are always in my carry on for long trips.

1. Face wipes Not only are they great to wash your face, but in a pinch, you can use them on the rest of your body too. I wish I had them that time I got onto a plane covered in salt water. I've found that Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes work best for my sensitive skin.

2. Headphones that are comfortable... I used to just use earbuds, but they would hurt after too long. So I finally broke down and bought nicer headphones and I only wish I had gotten them sooner! The ones I have aren't super bulky so they are lighter and are soft enough that I can wear them and fall asleep comfortably with them on, it's almost like a ear pillow. 

3. Giant Scarf This is a great multipurpose item. While running through the airport, wear it as a scarf so it doesn't even take space in your carryon. Then on the plane, you can bundle it up as a pillow, use it as a blanket, or cover your head with it to hide from talkative seat mates. This one from Aritzia would do the trick. I have a great one (which is actually meant to be a towel!) from Ethiopia that I take most places.

Here's me and my trusty scarf boarding a way to early in the morning flight...

4. Socks Especially in traveling to warmer climates, I'll find myself wearing sandals or shoes without socks, so I alway makes sure to have a warm pair of socks for the plane, because even if the cabin is warm, the floor is usually freezing, especially if your by the window.

5. Solid Perfume Yes, this is a little frivolous, but after hours or days of travel, it's just not possible to look amazing on arrival, but at least you can smell nice. Perfume solids are great for travel because they can't spill and don't have to come out of your bag to get through TSA.  I love Lush's Karma, it's a great pick me up, and I recently got Tea Olive from Hove Perfumeur in New Orleans. Next, I want to try to make my own! (To respect those stuck in an enclosed space with you, stick with something that's made with essential oils and isn't too strong)

6. Books/Movies/Music/Podcasts* I've learned to never rely on inflight entertainment. It's always a fun surprise when there's multiple movies I want to see, but backup options are necessary. Seasons of The Office and Modern Family have kept me entertained for countless hours this past year. I also like to have an audio book or podcasts and and a couple of books on my phone as well. A friend introduced me to this app, which has white noise and calming music and sounds, it's perfect for trying to fall asleep when you have noisy people around you.

This would be my "oh goody I get to sit by talkative strangers so I've shoved chocolate in my mouth so I don't have to respond to them" face...

7. Snacks I try and always have something that'll make me happy to pull out of my bag in the middle of the flight. Whether it's a chocolate bar or some almonds. Just a little something to crunch on. Especially helpful if the meal on your flight is some sort of octopus and anchovy concoction...which has been the case a few times on Asian airlines, not terrible, but not my top choice for airplane food.


*Don't forget to bring your charger in your carryon! I pretty much always travel with a laptop as well, but I rarely use it on flights. I have learned to always have it charged and use it to recharge my iPhone battery when I'm on a flight that doesn't have any sort of outlets.