Carry-on Essentials
With the holiday season comes a lot of travel. I don’t know about you, but I loathe packing my suitcase and figuring out what to bring on the plane or the front seat of the car. Over time, I’ve created a travel bucket in my pantry that holds my stash of travel essentials so I don’t have to run all over my house looking for stuff at the last minute. In addition to my iPhone and a book or two, here are the six travel essentials that always make their way into the seat pocket:
Ear plugs, Drugstore.com, $4.49
Noise canceling headphones, Bose, $299
Passport cover, Amazon, $9.90
Inflatable neck pillow, Eagle Creek @ eBags, $20
Sleep mask (adjustable!), BibBon, $25
Hand cream (and more), AHAVA @ 3floz.com, $22
Whether you’re traveling by plane or in the car, you may just want to tune out the people around you or the noise of your chosen method of transportation. If you can’t afford the Bose headphones (and they’re the best brand in my experience), ear plugs will provide some relief. If you’re staying at a hotel or in the bedroom next to your in-laws, ear plugs are a must-have to drown out what you’d rather not hear. Truth: I sleep with them every night. I’m weird like that.
A red (or other bright hue) passport cover will make this essential international travel doc easy to spot in your overstuffed bag. Just take it out of the cover when you hand your passport to the controller – most want to see the country’s seal right away and will be annoyed if they have to remove the cover themselves. You do not want to annoy a passport controller!
This inflatable neck pillow by Eagle Creek is covered in cozy fleece, which makes it comfortable but also offers the pillow some protection from puncture wounds. I settled on this model after too many inflatable pillows deflated under my head mid-flight.
I typically get my sleep masks from the little red-eye “gift bags” on overnight flights, but the elastic is cheap and starts out too tight and quickly becomes too loose. While this handmade version I found on Etsy is a bit pricey, it’s adjustable and pretty.
Airplanes have a very dry environment, and hand cream is essential. I love creams by AHAVA. When I visit Israel I usually stay at a Hilton that has mini AHAVA products in the bathroom, and I always dump them all in my toiletry bag before I check out. This pack of travel-sizes includes some great products – even a mask!
Want ideas for what to wear while traveling this season? Check out my posts on business travel looks and leisure travel style.
i always need hand cream and eye drops- my hands and contacts get sooo dry! i want that ahava set!
Thanks for the suggestions Laura. I always mean to get one of those neck pillows, they look so cozy.
I don’t know why I haven’t bought a neck pillow yet!