Nothing is more difficult than paring down what you’re traveling with to the bare essentials like determining what goes in the carry on vs the checked bag. But these days I’m an expert packer and know exactly what to toss in my carry on.

An empty water bottle, TSA won’t let you bring water

With all the time I’ve managed to spend away from home, I’ve picked up what I feel are some handy tips over the years.

A Pashmina. I don’t tend to wear big bulky scarves in my daily life, even when it’s snowing out, I’m just not a fan of them. But, a pashmina is a perfectly chic, lightweight, blanket alternative on flights when the temperatures are out of your control. They’re something you can cuddle up with on a long flight that isn’t one of the staticky fleece blankets the airline provides

Snacks. Pack your carry on with plenty of snacks. If you’ve got a short flight, you’ll be lucky for a tiny pack of peanuts or pretzels. If you’re on a longer flight, the food will be gross on the best of days. High in sodium, and not particularly fresh, the plane food will leave you bloated and greasy-feeling. I greatly prefer the protein bars I’ve got in my bag to the rock hard roll and three pieces of lettuce “salad” that can be found on my tray. And if you really feel compelled to eat the provided meal, opt for the vegetarian platter instead of the regular one. You can request it in advance of your flight, usually when you book your ticket. They’ll bring it out to you special before the rest of the meals are served so it’s still hot when it gets to you.

Compression socks/tights. These babies are your new best friends. Rapid elevation changes take a toll on your body and if you aren’t one of the fortunate few with an isle seat who can get up and walk around every now and then, your feet and ankles have a high chance of swelling up from the pressure and lack of movement (the movement helps with healthy blood flow that keeps the swelling down. I usually wear compression socks under boots so they’re hidden.

Silk eye masks. Get one now. Not only do they block out the light so you can sleep easier on the flight but sleeping on silk is known for helping to deflate the puffiness under your eyes so you look refreshed when you land.

Moisturizer. Lather on a liberal amount of moisturizer before a flight. Your skin produces extra oil when it’s dried in its attempt to help you out. With the toll the super drying airplane air takes on your skin it puts those sebaceous glands into overdrive trying to produce enough oil to keep your skin from drying out. This is why we deplane feeling equal parts dried out and shiny/greasy. I use a primer intended for full-coverage stage makeup and a light cc cream before heading out to the airport. Not until I land at my destination do I apply more makeup than the mascara, brow gel, and lip color I flew with. Keeping the makeup basic helps from appearing smudgy after waking up face first on your tray table eons after you originally departed.

Wipes. Take the time to sanitize your space when you first sit down, you have no idea how was sitting in your seat before you, no reason to take any chances. Bonus is you’ll have something to wipe your hands with before you eating, too.

Word to the wise: aisle seats mean you won’t have to crawl over anyone on your way to the bathroom. And they let you stretch out your legs more. Window seats mean you can lean up against something more substantial than your headrest when it’s time to catch some zzzs. Middle seats pretty much stink no matter what. Exit rows have extra leg room. Pick your seat accordingly.

Happy travels!

xo,

Kate