There are some items that go without saying as must-haves for your carry-on luggage: passport, wallet, phone and other electronic valuables are things you will need during the journey or want to protect from baggage handlers who may not have quite the sentimental feelings toward your belongings that you do.
There are other items that may not immediately come to mind as essentials, but will add an element of convenience, comfort and peace of mind to your journey – not to mention acting as something of an insurance policy in case you are unlucky and your bag is nowhere to be found when you arrive at your destination.
1. All travel documents
In the days of mobile boarding passes it’s easy to decide that printing travel documents is not necessary, but having a hard copy of all your itineraries alongside that handy app will ensure you are never caught out if something happens that means you can’t access the electronic version. Travel itineraries, copies of your passport ID page, and confirmation of your travel insurance and any visa applications can all come in useful.
2.Accommodation addresses and contact details
Whether you’re travelling on a tour or not, it’s a good idea to know where you’re staying and have the information ready at hand. A small notebook with address details, contact phone numbers or email addresses, and confirmation numbers is a great idea to include in your carry on. Address details are particularly important as not only can you unexpectedly need them if you have to take an unplanned taxi or ask for help, but many countries that require incoming passengers to complete arrival cards ask for this information – and in certain places, you will find passport control a lot more difficult if you cannot tell them where you are staying!
3.Spare underwear and socks
Do not underestimate the value of being able to swap out your socks and underwear, particularly if travelling a long way on multiple flights. If you can fit it in your carry on – and naturally depending on your flying outfit of choice – an extra shirt can also go a long way. Particularly if, like yours truly, you have been known to spill something on your shirt during the first in-flight meal.
4. At least one water bottle
While it’s true that liquids in containers over 50 or 100 ml, depending on the country you are flying out of and where you are landing, are banned, an empty water bottle is not. The longer you are in the air, the more dehydrated you become, and no number of well-meaning half-filled plastic cups of water will be enough to quench your body’s serious thirst.
Carrying an empty water bottle through security, which you can then fill up, is therefore not only a great idea to help you feel comfortable on the flight but will also help you adjust quickly to any time changes – dehydration and jetlag are not a good combination for travellers eager to hit the ground running.
There is one catch however: some countries do not allow passengers to board the plane with a bottle of water, so take a meaningless plastic one in case yours is confiscated on a final, devastating pre-boarding luggage check.
5.Toothbrush and toiletries
Brushing your teeth goes a long way toward helping you feel fresh while enduring long-haul travel in particular, so don’t forget your toothbrush! Other toiletries that should always come with you in your carry on include roll-on deodorant (no aerosol cans allowed!) and a small tube of moisturiser to counteract the plane’s apparent need to suck all the moisture from your innocent being.
6.Chargers
Your phone and other electronics will be useless without your chargers, so include them in your carry on even if you’re only flying for one hour and depart with batteries fully charged – you never know if you might receive an unlucky strike from the lost-baggage gods.
7. Entertainment!
Perhaps something to entertain is not quite as essential as other items on this list, but it’s better to have a book or something to watch handy, to fill the hours spent waiting or help when you draw the seat with the broken in-flight entertainment set.
Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC
