What's In My Carry-On Bag

On Wednesday we leave for a 9-day vacation in southwest Florida. I pay as much attention to packing my carry-on bag as I do my suitcase. Making sure I have everything that's essential to a comfortable flight is a must regardless of whether the flight is 6 hours or 60 minutes. I always carry a big bag that I can carry on my shoulder. These types of bags are more convenient and put less strain on my lower back.

These are the go-to items in my carry-on bag:


Blanket
Airplanes are notoriously cold. I buy inexpensive, small blankets that I can easily fit in my bag and that, when I cover with them, don't spread out onto to the passenger next me. I like the $2.50 fleece blankets at Walmart for flights.

Lip Conditioner
My lips are super sensitive and become very dry quickly on airplanes. The lip conditioner from Caudalie is is my favorite lip balm for keeping them well hydrated while flying and before I go to bed at night.

Facial Spray
Just as my lips dry out quickly so does my face. Rather than lather on a heavy moisturizer, I'd rather use something light and refreshing. This rosewater facial spray from Mario Badescu is a face saver. It hydrates, refreshes, and offers a quick pick me up when you need it most.

Hand Sanitizer
With all the germs circulating on airplanes, I always carry hand sanitizer with me and use it frequently throughout the flight. The planes are tidied up after each flight, but they are not sanitized, so I always arm myself with Sun Bum's Baby Bum hand sanitizer.

Hand Cream
Hands that are dry and unprotected look aging and ugly. I always follow up my hand sanitizer with a good hand moisturizer to keep my hands from becoming chapped. I like Lano Coconutter Hand Cream. It has a very subtle smell and is effective without being thick and sticky.

Snacks/Water
I generally don't make a habit of eating on airplanes, but for longer flights, I like to keep Archer Farms trail mix from Target in my carryon for those times when hunger hits me out of the blue. I always carry an empty S'well bottle with me and buy a bottle of electrolyte water at the airport and pour it into the S'well for the flight.

Phone/Earbuds
It's sad to say, but I can't live without my phone, and even more so since I upgraded it last month. I have all the essential apps on it from banking to e-readers to social media to movies and music (need the earbuds for those!).

iPad Mini
I always bring my iPad mini as a backup device with me on the flight just in case my battery runs out or in the event that I'd rather watch a movie on a bigger screen than my phone offers.

Reading Glasses
If I plan to do any kind of reading or watching on the plane, I absolutely must have my reading glasses. My favorite pair is this blue tortoise shell pair.

Document Holder
Since I don't typically bring a purse on the plane with me, I need to have a place to keep my important documents such as passport for international travel, driver's license, and any debit/credit cards I'll need for the trip. Although it's specifically designed for a passport, his holder from ban.do works for any type of travel.