The 10 Things I Never Fly Without

  Last week I wrote about the idea of flying carry on only.   I have done carry on only for short visits to see family but never for an actual vacation.   No matter where or why I am flying I do always have a carry on and I have certain things I never fly without.  Some of these never get unpacked from my carry on so that no matter what I know they are already packed and I know exactly where to find them.  Depending on my trip I will always have my personal carry on bag which is always some type of Vera Bradley bag since I just love all the pockets they have to help keep me organized.   If I am also taking a bag to put in the overhead I opt for a rolling bag so that I am not having to carry it.   Here are the things that I just have to have with me when I fly:

#1 - At least one complete change of clothes.   My luggage has been lost in the past and I was so thankful that I had that change of clothes in my carry on.  Now I never travel without a complete change of clothes that I know will be with me when I get off the plane.
  
#2 - Lotion.   Planes are always dry so it is very important to me to keep my skin moisturized.  My current favorite choice is Avalon Organics Nourishing Lavender.  I was shopping for a few things for a trip and grabbed it because it was TSA approved size.  I loved the smell so much that I bought bigger bottles and now I just refill the little one so that I always have it when I travel.  The lavender scent is perfect to help relax on a flight so I take a deep breath as I rub it on my face.   On long flights I will reapply a few times.

#3 - Lip balm.   This one should be tied with #2 as they pretty much go together and are equally important to me as I cannot stand when my lips get dry.  I like the EOS balls because their shape makes them so much easier to find in my bag.  

#4 - Candy.  I have a crazy sweet tooth and never travel without some candy.   You never know if you will even get a snack on some shorter flights and many times I don't care for the snack they do give so I always have something sweet in my bag.   I also like cookies but I find they do not travel as well as candy.

#5 - Something to read.  I used to say a book as I am a big fan of real paper books but I recently gave in and agreed that for longer trips where packing space is more limited I don't really need to be lugging around a heavy book so I opted for a kindle.  I would still prefer a real book but I have realized that they do take up a good chunk of carry on real estate and also weigh my bag down more than I would like so I limit real books to shorter flights where I am not packing as much in my carry on.  

#6 - Fuzzy socks.   I always like to take my shoes off once the plane takes off.  Even though I only travel wearing shoes with socks with I always put on another pair to keep my feet warmer.  Plus I figure it is just nicer for the person next to me that I cover up my sweaty socks that just came out of my shoes.   Nothing is worse than being stuck next to someone that flies barefoot - trust me I was stuck next to a large fellow that took off his shoes and was barefoot for the whole 8 hour flight.

#7 - Earbuds/Headphones.   I almost always watch movies on long flights so headphones are important.  On shorter flights I don't always use them but I always have them just in case.   I recently upgraded to the larger over the ear ones that offer noise cancellation and they have come in handy for sure (one of things living in Orlando means your fligths almost always have lots of kids).  

#8 - Laptop.   I admit that no matter where I am traveling or why I am always going to have my laptop with me.  I rarely use it on the plane but it just one of those things I do not leave home without and would never put it in a checked bag.  

#9 - Back up battery power/charger.  You never know how long your flight might really end up being so I always have back  up power in my carry on in case of delays or long connections.  

#10 - Blanket.   I am always cold and even though I dress in layers for my flights I cannot get really comfy without a blanket.   On our recent flight to Europe I took along a "big one" blanket I picked up at Kohls and it turned out to be the best one I have taken with me yet!   It wasn't heavy but it was super soft and the perfect size for getting all wrapped up to take a nap.  Normally I would have ranked this higher up but I realize that if it is short flight and packing space it limited I might not bring it (but I will wish that I had).  

Do you have anything that you always take with you on a plane?