CARRY-ON TIPS AND ESSENTIALS FOR A LONG FLIGHT!

Hey Guys!

Long time, no talk!

As most of you already know (because I never shut up about it), I am heading to Australia at the end of the week… Yippee! I am VERY excited. Australia is somewhere I have wanted to go since the first time I  ever saw the movie Our Lips Are Sealed featuring the Olsen Twins! If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly suggest watching it… I don’t care how old you are, ITS THE OLSEN TWINS!

The one thing I am not excited for is the long, treacherous journey from Toronto, Ontario, to Brisbane, Australia. Three planes, 22.5 hours and a 14 hour time difference.. yup its going to be a VERY long flight. Luckily, I have been making list after list of travel essentials and preparing my carry-on accordingly!

When travelling, my carry-on is my lifeline. Anything I could possibly want or need while on the airplane HAS to be in that carry on, and it has to be organized and easy to find! You don’t want to be that person who takes up the whole aisle of the airplane for 10 minutes searching through their carry-on trying to find something! Personally, I prefer to bring a smaller bag so I am able to tuck it under the seat in front of me instead of putting it in the overhead compartment. I don’t always select my seat ahead of time, so I could be in the middle of two strangers on either side who will not be happy if I am continuing to make them move throughout the whole flight in order to get something from my bag. Having it under the seat in front of me is perfect because its easily accessible and no one has to get angry!

Here is a list of what you will find in my carry-on:

1. Noise cancelling headphones and/or earplugs.

The main reason for this is that the headphones the flight staff pass out are complete shit! ALWAYS make sure you bring your own headphones, or you will have a very uncomfortable movie experience. Noise cancelling headphones are your best bet because you can drown out the commotion around you, in particular, any screaming babies you might have on your flight (DEAR GOD PLEASE DONT LET THERE BE ANY SCREAMING BABIES AROUND ME!)

I am also packing earplugs because our flight from San Fransisco to Australia is 16 hours long so I know I am definitely going to want to get some sleep at some point, and ear plugs will help me drown out all the noise and pretend I am in my cozy bed on the ground and not 30,000 feet up in the air!

2. Neck Pillow, Travel Blanket, and Blow up foot stool 

My last flight was an overnight flight to Las Vegas and I really wanted to sleep so I purchased a neck pillow at the airport and oh my god it was the best decision I think I have ever made! I can’t believe all those years of travelling before this and I never thought to ever purchase such a glorious, comfortable thing. I am definitely not leaving home without my neck pillow! I also purchased a travel blanket, because I can not fall asleep without being all cozy and tucked in! Now, most airlines provide you with a blanket if you ask for one, but if they are not delivered to you in plastic wrap, DO NOT USE IT! They are the biggest germ-spreaders! I am bringing a blow-up foot stool because personally, I am way more comfortable if my feet are elevated! Also, it is recommended to keep your feet elevated on such a long flight to keep the circulation going through out your body!

3. IPAD and other entertainment 

A couple years ago Steve bought me an iPad and I think I have used it twice, but I am going to bring it on this flight! I just recently discovered you can buy books and read them directly off your iPad! I am a little bit challenged when it comes to technology so I have always just bought paper back books! Considering I have limited space in my carry on, this is the perfect way to keep busy by reading without shoving 4 or 5 books into my bag! I can just go into the iBooks app and download whatever books I feel like reading! I am also bringing my ADULT colouring book along with some pencil crayons! I love my new colouring book and it’s such a great way to pass the time and stay calm during the long flight! Steve and I are also bringing the Lord of The Rings trilogy! We found it at Walmart for $8.99 so we figured we might as well bring it with his laptop just in case the in-flight movies aren’t too great!

4. SNACKS!

Although meals are provided on long flights, airplane food is NOT the greatest and probably not a big enough meal to fill me up so I am bringing tons of snacks! Chex mix is my absolute favourite thing to snack on, and unfortunately it is not sold in canada so last time I was in the U.S. I stocked up on bags and I am going to bring some with me! I also picked up some KIND bars which are the perfect yummy, filling snack for a long flight!

5. Toiletries 

I am bringing a little baggy that includes my toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderante, hairbrush, and hair elastics! On a long flight, you don’t just WANT these items, your going to need them! I also put  Tylenol, tums, gravol and melatonin in the bag, just in case I get an upset stomach or need a sleep aid!

6. Change of clothes  

It’s always important to bring an extra change of clothes in your carry on! On a long flight, you might want to change  after sitting in the same clothes for a long period of time. Not only that, but if anything happened to your luggage on the way, you have at least one extra outfit as a backup plan until your luggage arrives!

… And that’s about it! If you have all of these things in your Carry on, you should be all set for your long plane ride! One thing I didn’t add on this list was my passport and wallet. I only didn’t add it because I like to have a separate purse that I hold these items in so I can keep a closer eye on them!

I hope I gave you guys some good tips for your flights and PLEASE wish me luck on mine! If I have forgotten a travel MUST-HAVE please let me know in the comments below!

-Keer xo