10 Hand Luggage Essentials When Travelling

If you have check-in luggage you may wonder what the point of hand luggage is. Do you need anything other than your documents/money? Technically no… but it will make your life a lot easier if you do! Victory lies in preparation right? Here are our 10 hand luggage essentials to make life easier when travelling!

10 Hand Luggage Essentials

1. Documents & local currency. When travelling we slim down to our passports, a couple of cards we use for travelling and local currency in a small wallet. Having local currency & debit/credit cards covers every scenario when landing with onwards transport. Your passport… well you wouldn’t be on the plane without it and you certainly don’t want to lose it!
   
2. Refillable water bottle. Now obviously you can’t take a full water bottle through security but to save you from overpriced shops you can bring through an empty one. A lot of Airports now have free water refill stations situated past security. This also has the added benefit of you having a drink to sip at your leisure on the plane rather than having to wait for the cabin crew service.
   
3. Snacks. With a lot of sitting around, particularly on the aeroplane itself you are bound to get hungry. Bringing your own snacks makes sure you get food you like (particularly with dietary requirements!) You also won’t need to spend a fortune on the onboard menu.
   
4. Gadgets & Chargers. It’s much better to take your gadgets in your hand-luggage where you can keep a watchful eye over them (and they can keep you entertained!) e.g. GoPro, Laptop, iPad etc. A lot of aircraft now feature USB charging points to charge your devices so make sure you pack your wires to keep your devices charged. We also take a battery pack with us… It’s extremely useful if the aircraft doesn’t have USB charging points or if you have a long onwards journey after landing!
   
5. Medical Essentials. If you have any medication or aids you require make sure you take some in your hand luggage. If your check-in luggage gets lost you could be without medication for a few days.
   
6. Fresh clothes. Have a set of fresh clothes in your hand luggage to avoid being caught out by any check-in luggage delays or losses. If you are travelling long-haul or have a stopover it’s also useful to have a freshen up and fresh clothes really helps!
   
7. Toothpaste/brush & chewing gum. If you are on a long international flight, particularly overnight, there is nothing worse than feeling a ‘layer’ on your teeth. Packing your toothpaste/brush in your hand luggage means you can have a quick freshen up. If you don’t fancy that chewing gum normally does the job until you can get to your hotel room.
   
8. Wipes. We always pack cleaning wipes (even before COVID.) Why? Will even though Airlines ‘say’ they thoroughly clean seats in between flights the evidence doesn’t always support that. We like to quickly wipe over seats and table trays etc before using them.
   
9. Weather appropriate alternatives. Despite it being amazing to arrive at every destination with the sun beaming down it doesn’t always work like that. I like to pack a light raincoat if it’s meant to be sunny or pack sunglasses. Alternatively I leave space for a coat in my bag if it is meant to be raining. Packing the opposite allows you to be covered no matter what!
   
10. Sleeping aids! If you aren’t in business class with your points on a long-haul flight you’ll probably want some sleeping aids. I can’t normally sleep well on my plane but my partner says a neck pillow or similar support is essential when you don’t have a business class bed.

Conclusion

What are your hand luggage essentials that you can’t live without when flying? Let us know in the comments below!

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