Carry-On Essentials for Long Flights: 30 Items to Bring Along

The Cotopaxi Allpa Pack is on the smaller end of carry-on packs, but it is still quite spacious and easier to carry along on long trips. It has handles on all sides and sits upright on its own, making it really easy to maneuver.

The backpack almost resembles a suitcase, with a full-wrap zipper opening on the main compartment, which lets you see all the contents easily. There’s also a padded laptop sleeve and compartments for things like passports and other essential items. The front panel is made of waterproof material to keep your things dry and all external zippers have the theftproof webbing sewn across the openings

Cotopaxi is well known for its great customer service, and the bag even has a lifetime warranty. 

The MochiThings Travel Pocket Clutch is a must-have every time we travel. It’s small enough to fit in most of my mid-size purses but expands quite a bit to fit all my essential items, like passports, credit cards, money, etc.

It’s not really long enough to fit tickets fully, so note that you’ll have to fold certain things. But, we actually prefer the smaller size since it’s easier to fit in certain compartments.

It comes in really cute colors and like all MochiThings, it’s great quality. It has space for a pen, 4 card slots, a passport pocket, and an extra pocket for anything else you might need.

The MochiThings Travel Pouch has been a lifesaver when it comes to keeping our things organized, particularly smaller things like cosmetics, pills, thumb drives, etc. The pouch is divided into 4 sections inside, though the dividers don’t go all the way down so things can shift around.

We sometimes wish the pouch was a bit wider to fit even more things, but it is quite compact so it fits easily into narrow spaces. The material is nice and durable. We’ve had ours for years and have never had an issue with zippers, seams, or any quality concerns.

Yes, you can always just use a plastic bag if you don’t have anything else to store your laundry in. But, the Miamica Travel Laundry Bag is tiny and much better for the environment.

The laundry bag starts out small and then unzips into a larger bag that can hold about a week’s worth of laundry.

The bag is lightweight, moisture resistant, and even machine washable for easy care. The quality is also pretty strong for being so thing. The drawstrings, zipper, and material are all suited for the wear and tear of travel.

The  Madewell Transport Camera Bag is a perfect companion to your carry-on bag. It’s the perfect size for holding your wallet, phone, and keys., and it comes with two straps. The canvas one is great for the summer months, while the leather one is nice to have for the fall. You can also use it without the straps like a small clutch.

The purse is small and light, and easy to pack inside your backpack or carry-on suitcase. It’s also really comfortable to carry on you during travel and the zipper keeps your essential things safe.

The only thing is that it’s not lined on the inside, but it’s still durable and very cute.

The iPad Air is one of the best things to carry along on a flight. It’s light and compact, but great for streaming movies, reading magazines, or looking things up.

Since it doesn’t have a keyboard, it’s not the most user-friendly when it comes to doing work, but it’s perfect for everything else.

The tablet is fast and slick, and much lighter than bigger laptops. It’s also ideal when traveling with children since it can keep them entertained for days.

We both love physical books but quickly realized that they are either too heavy or tough to find in certain countries. That’s when the Kindle Paperwhite became our new best friend. It’s light, reliable, and can pack a library of books and magazines.

Books on a Kindle are also generally cheaper and it’s great because you can adjust the size and font on the page, and you can even keep track of your reading speed. Just make sure to download the books you’ll want in advance of the trip since it does require Wi-Fi to do so.

We love the Jabra Elite Earbuds, which are comfortable, light, durable, and pretty affordable when it comes to earbuds. They fit really well and unlike other earbuds, rarely fall out. Jabra says these have a smaller design than the older version, providing an ideal fit for every ear shape. 

They have a wireless connection, so no need to deal with cables, and even have a noise-canceling feature, so you can filter out the world. The earbuds have up to 24 hours of battery time with a pocket-friendly charging case, and work really well for listening to music and taking calls.

The Anker Portable Charger is one of those incredibly important carry-on essentials for long flights, especially when we’re not certain whether the seat will have any charging devices.

The device is really light and charges most phones over 6 times and tablets at least 2 times. Plus, Anker has an excellent support staff always willing to answer questions or assist with concerns.

Its technology also offers recharge speeds up to twice as fast as standard portable chargers. A full recharge takes just over 6 hours. 

As travel bloggers, we always have our Sony A5100 Camera with us – for work and for fun. It’s easy to use and a great first camera to learn about photography. One of the key features is the mirror flip-up screen, great for making sure the lighting and focus are always right during selfies. 

Another great addition is that the camera comes with Wi-Fi, which means you can send photos taken on the camera to any other device, as long as you’re connected to the internet. The camera is also very light and the lens it comes with takes wonderful photos!

The Bestek Power Adapter is always in our carry-on bag because it acts as a power converter, has multiple charging sockets, and comes with different plug adapters. So, essentially, it has all in one.

It is a bit bigger than other adapters, but you can choose what sockets to bring with you, depending on the destination, and you don’t need to worry about any converter issues.

Plus, we love the fact that it allows us to charge all of our electronics in one place, without having to have plugs and cables in multiple locations.

Airalo is an international phone plan that works in over 190 countries. All you have to do is download the app, select your country and package, and install and activate the eSIM. It’s super easy to use and prices are incredibly affordable.

They offer packages for 7 or 30 days, with different levels of data available. Prices range anywhere from $5 – $30. It’s an eSIM, so you don’t need a physical SIM card, and the app walks you through the process step by step.

We’ve used it now in a number of different countries and have had a great experience. Make sure to use our referral code (CRISTI3010) for $3 off your first purchase.

Ever since the pandemic, we are much more careful about bringing hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes on all flights.

Our go-to are the EO Hand Sanitizer Spray, which is less sticky than others and has a slight hint of lavender smell, and the Clorox On The Go Wipes, which are known to kill 99.9% of germs.

Regardless of the restrictions, it’s always safe to bring along an N-95 mask for your flight. We started using the Powecom KN95 Face Mask after noticing a review from the New York Times and have had a good experience with them.

They are fairly comfortable and have a nose-bridge wire helping keep that area concealed. They allow for easy breathing and provide fast shipping. They also allow you to speak to a live customer service agent if you have any questions or concerns.

We would always bring along the traditional travel toiletry bottles, and they would either spill, were impossible to tell apart, or were tough to clean. That was the case until we discovered the magical Cadence Travel Capsules.

They are customizable, so you can label them in any way you want, they are magnetic, so they stick together and are easier to transport, and they are leakproof. Plus, because they are little capsules, they are so much easier to fill and clean that the traditional bottles. 

These are absolute musts in our carry-on since they are light and compact, and guarantee that we have all the toiletries or pills we need in one place.

The B. Immune Throat Spray is a powerful, natural immune support, helping combat sore throats and other ailments.

It’s made with high-grade bee propolis extract, from remote apiaries in the mountainous regions of Canada, and contains no artificial preservatives.

We carry a bottle with us at all times and has been a lifesaver whenever we’re feeling a bit off or whenever it seems like we might be catching a cold. All you have to do is spray four times inside your mouth and let it work its magic.

There are two more things that are always on our carry-on for several reasons. First is the Colgate Travel Toothbrush. As much as we love our electrical one, these little ones are great for trips. They are tiny and don’t require any water, but leave you feeling fresh and clean.

And the other is Tide to Go pens. These are so small and thin, but they work magic anytime there’s a spill or a stain. Just make sure to use it as soon as it happens, as it tends to work best this way.

The HappyLuxe Travel Wrap is an incredible addition for those of us who get cold often. It’s incredibly soft and can be used in so many ways.

You can use it as a traditional scarf, a wrap for cooler temperatures, or even a blanket during planes or train rides.

The wrap is machine washable, so no need to worry about dry cleaning or getting it ruined in the wash. And it also folds into a compact size, easily fitting into any carry-on bag.

The BLUblox Sleep Mask is a bit more pricey than other sleep masks, but oh so worth it! The material is incredibly soft, with no sharp edges, and comes with an adjustable strap that will fit all shape sizes.

Its contoured sides also make it possible for any type of sleeper to use, including side and belly sleepers.

It doesn’t apply any pressure to the eyes and the cups around the eye are velcro so you can adjust them. You might need to do this a couple of times to get it just right, but once you do, it blocks all light very effectively.

The trtl Travel Pillow has been an incredible addition to our carry-on items. It’s super soft and machine washable (essential after those long flights!) It’s easy to attach to the handle of your backpack or outside of your luggage, and only weighs half a pound.

The pillow is scientifically proven to keep your head in a better position while sleeping on a plane or a train, and it’s much easier to carry around than the traditional bulky ones. It’s also designed to look like a scarf, helping you stay nice a cozy.

Compression socks are particularly key during long flights since they can help the blood flow from your feet to your heart. They can also keep your legs from feeling achy and can even reduce odor and sweat.

The Swiftwick Compression Socks are our go-to. They are machine washable and use a very lightweight fiber, keeping your feet dry. The mesh used in the bottom of the foot is also thinly knitted, helping them cool. And yet, the socks provide firm support to help reduce overall fatigue.

The Hydro Flask Water Bottle comes with us everywhere. It has a unique double-wall vacuum insulation that protects cold and hot temperatures for hours. It’s made with stainless steel, which ensures durability and makes sure no flavors transfer. And it’s dishwasher safe.

We personally like the wide-mouth bottle, which you simply twist to drink or lock, and yet it’s completely leakproof. Plus, we love the philanthropic work Hydro Flask is doing by donating parts of its funds to non-profit organizations that focus on maintaining and restoring parks.

If you haven’t heard of Arbonne, we’re very glad to introduce you! They use premium plant-based ingredients to make things like lotion, makeup, vitamins, and protein.

We are obsessed with their Vanilla Moisturizing Lip Balm and their Nectarine Hand Lotion. They are both formulated with sustainably sourced shea butter and the scent is just right.

The comfort section wouldn’t be complete without a couple of items to help make us feel clean and refreshed – despite hours of travel.

The Pixi Glow Mist is incredible and gives you that bit of extra glow. Cristina likes to spray it on as a final touch after applying her makeup or anytime she needs a little refresher. And the Givenchy Travel Perfume is perfect to keep in your travel pouch and easy to use anytime.

We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance before embarking on your trip. There are several companies out there, but SafetyWing is our recommendation.

SafetyWing offers two different types of insurance: 1) nomad insurance, perfect for travelers looking for affordable and flexible coverage, that can either be easily extended or canceled at any point; and 2) a remote health plan, ideal for long-term travelers or full-time nomads since it includes coverage in the home country and anywhere in the world, and covers not only accidental injuries but also cancer treatments and routine care.

Overall, their platform is incredibly easy to use and the entire process is straightforward, and their customer service is knowledgeable and eager to help. You can purchase the insurance at any point from anywhere in the world, meaning you don’t have to do it before your trip, and there is no limit on the duration of your trip.

A spare change of clothes is an absolute must in our carry-ons. Cristina likes to carry a light maxi dress that can easily fit into the bag and is comfortable to travel in. You can also simply add a scarf or sweater to stay warm. The GRECERELLE Maxi Dress is a favorite.

Mike loves his Bluffwork Pants. They are light and do not wrinkle! Plus, they have a bunch of pockets, making it easy to travel and keep things in a safe place.

Probably more important than even clothes is to always carry with you a spare set of underwear. Cristina loves the Aerie No Show Underwear. They are so soft and comfortable, and perfect for any long trip.

And Mike always brings a couple of pairs of SAXX Boxer Briefs. They are made from super soft moisture-wicking fabric, that’s particularly useful when traveling.

If we’re traveling during the cold-weather season, we are sure to bring our packable puffer jackets. We both love Patagonia for the many philanthropic reasons, but we are also obsessed with their wardrobe.

For women, Cristina loves the AlpLight Down Jacket since it packs down small and still keeps you nice and warm. Mike prefers the hood, so he loves the SugarDown Hoody (but mainly because it’s the first fully biobased insulation piece, demonstrating demand for better animal welfare practices).

Realistically, you may not always need to bring a towel on your carry-on. Most hotels and Airbnbs do have towels, but all it takes is one bad experience for it to become a must-pack.

We love the PackTowl Microfiber Towel, which is great for camping, sports or travel. It is super absorbent (it soaks up four times its weight in water!) and dries incredibly quickly. What we especially love is how compact it is, folding tightly into its zippered pouch. This makes it easy to pack without taking much space at all.