What to Pack for Your Long-Haul Flight

Photo credit: Mina Seville
Considering how much I love traveling, I really despise flying. Over the years, I’ve been trying to streamline a routine in hopes of easing my stress, and I’ve come to find that a large part of that is making sure that my carry-on bag is packed efficiently with only my favorite items.
 
First and most importantly, get a checklist. There are a billion apps out there that you can download to list out all your to-do’s. I like Wunderlist – it allows me to modify my list, even when I’m up in the air. During my previous travels, I realized that a headphone splitter might come in handy and that prompted me to put that on the list. I like to think that each time I get on a plane, it’s a little more tolerable than the last because I’ve learned from past mistakes.
 
Here is a short glimpse of my list of carry-on essentials:

Sanitizing wipes
By now, I’m sure we’ve all seen the fear mongering specials about germs. I don’t want to project my OCD issues onto you, but I once saw someone using their tray as a changing table. So, it might be prudent to give everything in your vicinity a wipe before you enjoy that fine airplane cuisine.
 
 
Laptop
Unless I’m traveling for work, I don’t usually spend a lot of time on my computer. However, I do back up photos on the laptop every day to avoid losing them. I also like to make sure that I have plenty of things to watch if the in-flight entertainment is lacking or if it’s an especially long journey.
 

The aforementioned headphone splitter
A big part of travel, for me, is shared experiences. Air travel goes by quickly if you can binge watch a show with your travel buddy or have a few movies to watch together. It’s almost as if you’re having a lazy Sunday or a date night (not really, but I find that this small delusion helps get me through international flights).
 
Camera
I may not use it on the flight, but I don’t trust leaving my gear in checked luggage.Pacsafe’s Anti-Theft Camera Backpack holds the camera body and all the lenses I need. It even has security hooks for a little-added protection, too!

Photo credit: Mina Seville
Face mist
I used to think that this was such a frivolity, but don’t knock it ’till you’ve tried it. It’s amazing how something so simple can be an instant mood refresher. The travel-sized Mario Badescu sprays of rose and green tea are my favorite. I look forward to trying the new lavender one, as lavender is supposed to have a relaxing effect.

Photo credit: Mina Seville
 
By Mina Seville
Photographer, Mina Seville lives in San Francisco and travels the world shooting beautiful hotels, people, slices of life, and anything that moves her. Lately, she’s been finding inspiration in Tokyo and Hawaii ,which you can see on herwebsiteand Instagram.