If you’re Australian, one of the things I’ve come to discover in my 9 years, is the fact that when the single-digit temperatures hit, lots of people look to warmer skies and very often that means swapping Australian Winter with European Summer.. And if you’re one of the lucky ones who has the opportunity to do so, why not?
Personally, and despite growing up in Denmark where our winters can easily hit -10 degrees, and our summers can be a hit or miss, I’m not much of a fan of the cold. There, I said it.. This also means that I’m most likely going to try to visit home (Copenhagen) in July/August & potentially tie it in with a visit to London, because when I’m over that way anyway, it’s nice to get a little ‘holiday’ in.. I know what you’re thinking, but you’ll understand if you’re an expat who visits home frequently – it’s anything but a holiday, said in the nicest possible way.
Anyway, back to the actual point of this article – IN-FLIGHT MUST HAVES! Because, have you ever been stuck on a plane without that one vital thing that could change your flight from being a dream to a nightmare? Yep, me too..
So, I’m here to help rescue you with a quick check-list to make your life easier (& more comfortable).
Reusable Water-Bottle:
I thought it’d be best to start out with something simple.. BUT, as much as I thought this was well known, nearly every time I fly there’s someone who has to stop the scanning-queue to bin their water or soda. You can fill an empty water bottle after you clear security, it’s that easy. And you’ll help the environment, too. It’ll also help you save the air-staff’s time, by only asking them to fill your water-bottle a few times on the flight, instead of continuously asking for your plastic-cup to be topped up – it’s annoying for the both of you, if you’re one of those who always makes sure they’re hydrated.
Clear Travel Cases:
This may seem like an odd thing, but you have no idea how much time it will safe you when you’re needing to go to the flight-lavatory and there’s not as much light or room to move around as you’re used to. Being able to see what’s in your beauty-cases without having to open them up, will both help you on-board and also when you check-in your bags to make sure you don’t have any liquids over 100ml or flame-able items packed.
Carry-on With Built-in Charger:
The world has evolved, and never do you need to run out of battery again! As much as some people enjoy the flights to be ‘electronic-free’ and an escape from everything for a few hours, there are those of us that may need to be able to stay in touch with the world around us whether that’s due to work or simply because you enjoy being reachable.
Investing in a carry-on luggage that double up as a charger for your phone or laptop is a win/win. It also means that when the carry-on runs out of battery, you can use the USB-chord to charge your phone on the plane through the USB-outtake in the headrest in front of you.
Noise-Cancelling Headphones:
Back to the world of technology. And if you’ve ever forgotten your noise-cancelling headphones if you’re used to bringing them on a flight, then you understand when I say they’re a must to help with the noise from the plane and providing you a sense of relief from the ongoing and constant sound when up in the air.
You don’t need to use them to simply watch movies – you could pop on a guided meditation, an audiobook or a podcast to help you with the flight. The world is your oyster, but investing in a pair of good noise-cancelling headphones if you’re an avid traveller is one of my must top-tips you won’t regret putting your money into.
Contact Lenses, Glasses & Eye Drops:
This 3-way combo will save you from looking like you’ve bene out partying all night long, especially if you’re a contactlense wearer like myself. I always bring my disposable one-day contact lenses with me, and as soon as I get on the plane I swap over to wearing glasses. Because the air in the flight is so dry, it’ll also dry out your eyes much quicker. This is where good eye-drops also come in handy to use every few hours.
Magnesium Gel:
You may not think about this, but here’s the thing; how often do you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus when you get off a long-haul flight? Yep, my point exactly. Unless you’re flying business class, and even then, your body is sitting still in a small space for a longer period of time – something it’s not really used to. You’re bound to be experiencing muscle soreness and stiffness eventually.
You might even feel a headache coming on? Or maybe you’ve got period pains? A topical magnesium gel or spray will work instantly instead of oral-powders and it’s convenient enough to use simply in your seat or in the flight-lavatory.
Sleep Mask:
Even though you’re often gifted a sleep-mask onboard long-haul flights they just don’t really cut it for me. Either the material is too thing, it doesn’t cover my face or eyes enough or it’s irritating my skin.. So, instead of relying on what I’m given, I simply have invested in my own and bring it with me on-board.
If you can get your hands on a silk sleep-mask, it’ll be one of the best thing you’ve ever invested in for your travels. It feels so soft on your face and doesn’t irritate your skin. Basically it almost feels like you’re wearing nothing which is what I want when I use a sleep-mask.
Make-up Wipes:
Can be used for anything. Taking off your make-up, cleaning your hands, wiping your kids face after they’ve eaten if you’re travelling with children, freshening up under arms. There’s no limit. However, I do highly recommend using them to take off your make-up as soon as you step onto the plane. Let your skin breathe to prevent dryness and/or breakouts when in the sky. They’re also easily disposable which is obviously handy.
Travel Skincare Kit:
Depending on how long you’re away for, it will save you lots of space to invest in a little travel-kit of your favourite skincare-regime. Most brands to them these days, because they know how important it is to make space in your luggage for shopping or other necessities.. And if you’re one of those people who uses different cremes, mists, cleansers etc. etc. both day and night, it’ll quickly add up to your overall luggage if you don’t find them in a mini-version.
If you do invest in a travel-kit it also means you can take it on-board with you and cleanse your face as well as moisturise as soon as you set feet on the plane. I recommend doing this as well as investing in a facial-mist to hydrate your face with every 2 hours or so.
Supplements:
You didn’t think I’d do an article without having some type of natural aid included, did you?
Some of my favourite supplements include:
- Probiotics: essential for supporting digestive health, especially when traveling. Probiotics help support gut health by overpopulating the digestive tract with healthy organisms. While probiotics can’t prevent you fully from becoming ill, they can strengthen your stomach when you’re enjoying food you might not eat at home
- Melatonin: Melatonin is a natural hormone that is produced by the pineal gland in the brain and is only released at night. It’s sometimes called the ‘hormone of darkness’. It’s controlled by the 24-hour circadian clock, and its release tells the brain that it is nighttime. This is why it’s great to help kick jetlag.
- Enzymes: will help you digest foods better, especially if you’re eating foods that you’re not used to, which most of us do when we travel.
- Adaptogens: Adaptogens are herbs that help your body cope, or “adapt,” to stressful situations by regulating your body’s stress response. When we travel we can often end up running on adrenalin because everything is exciting and new, but it’s not our optimal state of being all the time.
- Collagen: collagen helps strengthen the skin and can also help you with rebuilding your gut if you suffer from leaky gut or gut-issues. It will also help with joint-pain and digestion.
Healthy Snacks:
Packing a few of your own snacks is an absolute game-changer. If you suddenly get hungry, it’s nice to know that you have a healthy option waiting for you in your bag if you want it. Or, you may even have a layover, but at an airport that doesn’t offer much else than MacDonal’s or nutrient-less options. Thinking ahead and grabbing a few snacks will save you big time.
Other things that will make your flight much more comfortable:
- A Big Scarf (as a blanket)
- Comfy & Warm Socks
- Compression Socks
- Toothbrush & Toothpaste
- Hair-Tie
- A Change of Clothes
- A Few Good Books
- Pre-Downloaded Podcast Episodes & Spotify Playlists
- Hand Sanitiser
- Chewing Gum or Mints (if you get blocked ears)
- Ear Plugs
- Pre-booked Meals if you have Intolerances
What’s Your Long-Haul Flight MUST HAVES?
