What’s Your Must-Pack Travel Item?

The biggest thing I’m never taking out of my travel(and hiking) bag is my Streamlight flashlight. Got it ages ago from https://gritrsports.com/ and it proved to be handy in almost every situation. The only thing you gotta think about is extra batteries. Flashlight gonna be as useful in a packed city you’re visiting as in complete wilderness. Never going anywhere without it!

I’d love to hear tips of anyone who has flown with their dog overseas?

Refillable water bottle to cut down on single-use plastic and to stay hydrated throughout the flight.
Hand sanitizer because germs.
A giant scarf that can double as pillow or blanket as needed.
Earphones to listen to podcasts or to plug into the in-flight entertainment.
Kindle Paperwhite because reading is sexy.

Lotion, my Kindle and a scarf the size of a picnic blanket (I’m always cold). Depending on the airline (and length of the flight), I’ll also buy a tiny bottle of gin in duty free for a makeshift G&T — you’ll thank me later.

1. What I affectionately call my travel blankie. It’s just a Turkish bath towel, but it serves so many purposes. It’s a blanket on the plane, or if you’re warm, you can roll it up for a lumbar pillow! It’s a picnic blanket! A shawl around the hotel/Airbnb! A scarf! A beach towel! It’s pretty thin so it barely takes up any room in your luggage, but it definitely provides a lot of comfort.

2. Dr. Scholls moleskin. It comes in a big roll, so you need to precut tabs, but it is SO SO much better than a bandaid when it comes to blisters. I have a few pieces in all of my purses so I pretty much never leave home without it, but I make sure to restock prior to any trip. It has been a lifesaver on countless occasions. Seriously life changing.

Ear plugs!! Always a life saver for the plane and the trip

My pillow. It’s not a fancy one or anything, I just like that it lets me rest my head on a piece of home & familiarity when I’m staying in a hotel or air B&B. (When I travel internationally, I just take the pillowcase, but that works too!)

For kids- the best airplane packing item is a new, little stuffed friend- that arrives just as we take-off. (Those TY minis have been great!) It’s an awesome distraction and small enough to stick in mom’s purse.

For my 3 kids – If the flight is longer than 2 hours, Their iPads, re-usable water bottles that they fill at the terminal, LOTS of snacks for them, Uno or 5 crowns, Crayons, and a sketchbook. I also buy them at the snack area a pack of gum (For take off and landing) and those Mr. Invisible activity books from the 80’s that they still sell. My two older ones also bring a book. For me, a book, water, and oh, more snacks/food for my girls. Sometimes a crossword puzzle. This is the one time I can take a nap if they are watching a movie, but most of the time I’m taking them all back and forth to and from the bathroom. Good to know about the hot water for tea.

Cucumber slices! So cheap for some much needed freshness.
I used to bring a whole cucumber (if I’m going to eat it all in one sitting, why bother?), but then it kept setting off the alarm bells at TSA. They’d pull me over for a bag search, pull it out and give it a once over before eyeing me and giving it back. It felt like they thought I was trying to transport a vegetable dildo. So, now I slice.

Here’s mine! Besides the usual suspects (water, reading material, chapstick, pashmina etc:)
1. Smooth Move Tea by Traditional Medicinals
Flying tends to slow things down for me and this is a safe, mellow way to get me back on schedule.

2. Pizza
The night before a trip (whether going or coming) I order a pizza. My son and I enjoy an easy, celebratory dinner and the leftovers go in a handy tupperware container ( so many other uses!). Neither of us mind it cold and no matter what adventures or mishaps travelling throw at us, I know we have the perfect, not smelly snack.

MAGAZINES!

I always scoop up a handful once I arrive at the airport + a decent sized book.

And as always a clean, makeup free face.
I apply Indie Lee’s toner & face oil mid flight to keep the moister and hydration locked in. They’re the best!

Oh man, I can’t wait to read all of these. As a 100k+ miles a year flier, I take my flight prep very seriously! I always have:
– CBD lip balm
– Socks
– Noise cancelling headphones
– Dongle to charge and be plugged into headphones at the same time
– Fully charged kindle with a few new books on it
– Podcasts that don’t require me to follow an in-depth story in case of napping (Armchair Expert is a fave)
– Some downloaded episodes of something on Netflix
– the Trtl! Game changer!

Travel hacks are my favorite CoJ posts!! I’ve gotten so many good tips from savvy CoJ readers!

Eye or face masks! Sephora has great ones that you can pick up and keep in your bag for a super quick pick-me-up. For long flights I’ll sleep with the cucumber eye masks on and by the time I wake up, the flight attendants are serving breakfast and I can peel them off and pat in any excess. A really nice treat and something I actually look forward to on a plane.

I never eat airplane food, it’s full of additives! I try to eat before and just bring a banana or two if I feel like eating something. Bananas are easily digestible, come in their own organic container if you will, are full of potassium and keep your blood sugar in check!

I have two small pouches that are always at the ready for travel. One goes in my seat pocket for easy access and includes hand sanitizer, earbuds, a charger, gum, eyedrops, dramamine, two ibuprofen, hair ties, and a pen. The other stays in my under-seat bag and has tampons/liners, even more hair ties, thermacare heat wraps in case of tension headache, and a small first aid kit with neosporin, anti itch cream, more ibuprofen, benedryl, nyquil, and big bandaids.

Finally, after trying every single travel pillow out there, I found the perfect pillow for me at Target of all places. It folds up into whatever position you need and magically stays there. I’m always in the middle seat because I am an airplane martyr for my family, and this is the ONLY pillow I’ve used that lets me sleep upright. Plus it’s relatively compact for packing. https://www.target.com/p/positionable-lumbar-travel-pillow-made-by-design-8482/-/A-54098884

My one travel item is my Slinky Dog neck pillow. I used to put the pillow “ring” behind my head but have since learned that it’s way more comfortable to put the “ring” bit under my chin — that way I can rest my head on Slinky’s head and bam, no more lolling head and resultant neck cricks.

I also make sure to carry a canvas carry on bag so that it can fit under the seat in front of me as opposed to stashing it in the overhead compartment. It makes for easier access to my toiletries on long haul flights and also more peace of mind — there have been too many cases of theft from baggage stowed in overhead compartments. Thieves have been known to just openly and brazenly take bags under the guise of removing their own bags and cutting them open to get at any valuables inside, then putting them back while the owners are asleep or otherwise none the wiser. And yes I am talking about other passengers! There’s no way to tell for sure that they’re not just taking their own bags unless u spot someone taking your bag, so I never travel with expensive jewellery and I make sure anything valuable is in my bag at my feet, or in my purse.

Not necessarily a plane item, but I always pack a pair of sweats no matter where I go. For some reason I always overlook the down time I spend in the hotel or AirBnb and there’s something super relaxing about slipping into sweats vs PJs.

I purchased a toblerone bar before my first international flight when I was 16. Now, 16 years later, it’s become a tradition (and good luck charm?) for me to always have a toblerone before boarding an international flight. Nothing makes 24 hours of travel more bearable than a really good chocolate bar.

As a longtime business traveler, I’ve been through my fair share of travel pillows but NOTHING compares to the Trtl. It’s essentially half of a fuzzy neck brace that has revolutionized plane sleeping for me. If you can get past looking a little silly, I promise you that you’ll never have a sore neck after a flight again. Just pop on an eye mask and you’re golden.

WELEDA SKIN FOOD!

And I have a small travel bag that I always travel with and it includes: cleansing water, toner, some Yonka serum for hydration, Weleda, Xanax (I’m NOT a fan of flying), compression socks, hand sanitizer, gum and a variety of non-perishable snacks. Sounds simple, but this bag has saved me more times than I can count.

I also bought a Vapur foldable water bottle as I refuse to use the single-use water bottles. I traveled for 3 weeks in Europe and used this everyday. I will get some kind of charcoal filter / bottle situation so I can drink from any tap without concern.

I’m in Europe for work so the long flights from Portland can be verrrry long.

I also have an iPad that’s full with David Whyte, Peter Mayle, Matt Kahn and British smut mags.

I’ve never been great at sleeping on planes so for long hauls I try to be realistic and have plenty of odds and ends to keep me busy. You will always find in my personal item earplugs, eye mask, notebook for doodling and making lists, reusable fold-able bag, two sets of headphones (don’t forget that iPhone headphones won’t work on the plane!), thick long socks, a scarf that can double duty as a blanket, and an empty Tupperware! The empty Tupperware essential started years ago on an international flight. Vegetarian meals on flight can be disappointing, to say the least. I started meal prepping something simple for flights and then use my Tupperware throughout the trip. Leftovers don’t go to waste, apples don’t get bruised and beaten in the bottom of my bag, croissants keep their lustrous flakiness. It’s a simple trick but that Tupperware is usually my most used item.

For long overnight flights, I always pack instant oatmeal and a teabag. Then I ask for two cups of hot water and I have a meal much better than some airline food!

Carmex, and most importantly my uniqlo puffer vest, because I usually fall asleep warm and wake up cold when I sleep on flights and I find just keeping my core warm helps regulate body temperature, plus these can also double as a pillow when its in its pouch for shorter flights.

A positive attitude. (Currently traveling with a 6 month old.)