My Long Haul Hand Luggage Must-Haves

Comfort essentials:

·         Neck pillow and satin eye mask for sleeping, ensuring complete blackout is really important. I once sat on a flight where I had a really rubbish eye mask and I kept waking up from the light of the screen next to me, so I’m never going through that again! I upgraded my eye mask to a larger satin one which does the trick perfectly, so much so that it took the steward and my husband Shawn to wake me up on the way back from Fiji, and then I couldn’t see because the lights were so bright!! It was time for breakfast!!

·         Re-useable water bottle to re-fill after security – this is a big must for me on flights, being on a plane can make you super dehydrated and it’s really important you’re drinking plenty of fluids throughout the flight – not the alcoholic kind!

·         I also love to pack a scarf, mostly for an extra layer if I need it as sometimes planes can be quite chilly

·         Earplugs / noise cancelling headphones – I usually fall asleep watching a film which helps drown out the airplane noise and people talking

Sleep and Wellness:

·         Personal medication I always keep in my liquids bag so I know where it is, it makes it easy to find and is then really accessible as it’s usually on the top when we board

·         Toothbrush and toothpaste – I cannot stress how much more human you feel once you’ve brushed your teeth, it works miracles!

·         Spikey massage ball is brilliant for achy feet and also for sitting on mid-flight, especially if you’ve been sat for long hours at a time – although, I’d always recommend getting up regularly and going for a stroll

·         Compression socks are also a must for long haul flights, it helps improve circulation and prevents swelling

·         Face cream to moisturise throughout / towards the end of your flight

Entertainment & Tech:

·         Phone and phone charger for listening to music, I find this really relaxing and it can really change what mood I’m in

·         A good old book, I am a huge reader and can spend most of the flight reading so I never travel anywhere without one (and maybe a couple more in my suitcase!)

·         Something I recently forgot to pack is a pen for filling in landing forms!! This was a bit of a nightmare, but luckily a lovely lady in the security area when we landed happened to have a pen we could borrow! How embarrassing!!

Clothing and “just in case” items:

·         A whole spare change of clothes and a few extra pairs of pants because you never know if you’re going to get delayed, or your bags may not make it out the other side. Although this is pretty rare, I’d hate to arrive somewhere without any clothes! If I have a connection somewhere I also take another pair of comfy clothes to change at the halfway point, it really made a difference to me when we were coming home from Fiji, I felt so much fresher for the second flight.

·         Swimwear if we are going somewhere hot – again, just in case we lose a case, I always like to have a bikini in my backpack as it doesn’t take up much space and it means I can still enjoy the ocean/pool

·         Light layer for chilly planes

Important documents & valuables:

·         Passport and printed copies of all digital documents I have, just in case your phone dies

·         Visa information ready to go

·         Digital items such as a camera or iPad will always be with me in my backpack rather than in the hold so they’re looked after and well protected

My personal non-negotiables:

·         Cheeky panda bamboo wipes for cleaning down the airplane area I’ll be sat in, I always like to wipe the buttons, table and arm-rests down so I know they’re clean from the last passenger who used it

·         Tissues just in case I spill something mid-flight as I can be quite clumsy at times!

·         Scrunchie for my hair so I can pop my hair into a bun on top of my head out of the way, it doesn’t pull my hair and is super comfy!

Ready to put this list to good use on a real adventure? Get in touch and I will help you plan the long‑haul holiday that goes with it, tailored just for you.