Not to brag, but I got the next best thing to first class this morning; an aisle seat, and nobody’s in the middle!
I’m generally a proponent of carrying (and owning) the least possible amount of stuff, but there are a few things that will make flying in steerage with the rest of the peasants a better (if not quite pleasant) experience. Some of these are my own thoughts; some are crowdsourced from friends. (Yeah, it’s a small crowd.)
Here they are, in no particular order:
1. A tablet. I’m thoroughly immersed in the Apple ecosystem, so I carry an iPad Mini 4 with a Logitech keyboard case. It’s beat to hell, and the case is missing the soft rubber around the edges — it’s been all around the world. I plan on upgrading to an iPad Pro in the near future, but for now, my trusty (read as “beat to hell”) companion will have to do. I do most of my creative work on this, as well as reading and watching movies. (If anyone wants to donate to the “buy me a new iPad” fund, email me for details.) If you have an insanely large smartphone, you might be able to forego this.
2. A hoodie. I like mine from the Salty Dawg Saloon in Homer, Alaska. It’s the heaviest hoodie I’ve ever had. Any will do, though. For sleeping on planes, this is the best thing there is. Put your headphones on, flip the hood over them, and zone out — which leads us to…
3. Noise-cancelling headphones. I really like my Beats, because they come with a nice case, they pack relatively small, and they have an insane battery life. Other people claim they’re good for up to 40 hours of play between charges. I’ve never taken the time to measure, but I can vouch that they’ll get you from Anchorage to Tokyo and back on one charge.
4. Charger cables. Seriously, make sure you have all the cables for whatever devices you have with you, and at least one wall brick. First world problems, I know, but it sucks when your iPad dies in the middle of your 57th viewing of Meru. An external battery back is nice, too. Most flights on Alaska and Delta have chargers built into the back of the seats now, but some of the third-world airlines, like United, haven’t caught up yet. To be fair, though, if I fly United I’m mostly concerned about getting beat up.
5. A toothbrush and toothpaste. There’s not a whole lot you can do hygiene-wise on a plane or during a short layover, but simply brushing your teeth can be a game changer.
6. A book. Yes, an actual paper book. Right now I’m reading the Second Norton Critical Edition of Moby Dick. Sometimes it’s nice to put down the screen and stare at a piece of paper for a few hours instead.
7. Snacks. Bring whatever disgusting, fatty salt-laden snacks you’re into, because you’ll pay a lot more for them after you go through airport security. Or you could take something worth eating; I like jerky and dehydrated apples, though I’ve been known to bring an entire pizza.
8. A backpack to carry all this fun stuff. There are all kinds of carry-on options. Rolling suitcases are garbage; if you need something with wheels, you brought too much stuff. Messenger bags suck to carry for more than a few minutes, and I like to book flights with long layovers. A nice backpack with padded shoulder straps and organizer pockets for all your little widgets makes it a lot easier to enjoy yourself when you’re stuck in a random city for an hour or a day.
9. A water bottle. Bring an empty water bottle through security, and you can fill it up on the other side. It’s important to stay hydrated when you’re traveling, because the air on planes is super dry. Trust me, you’ll feel better. I’m terrible about drinking water, so I usually bring a few packets of flavored drink mix to liven things up.
10. Smartphone. Even if you don’t use it to communicate (I usually like to keep contact to a minimum while traveling), it’s a useful tool. I carry an iPhone 7 that I got secondhand from my brother when he upgraded, because I’m too cheap to buy my own. It’s a GPS, an Uber/Lyft hailer, a TripAdvisor/Yelp platform and my primary camera most of the time. Sure, I’ve got a decent Canon DSLR, but I don’t usually bring it unless I’m traveling for a paid photography gig. Until I feel like spending $1,000 on a new mirrorless, the iPhone will do.
11. (Yes, I know the title said 10. This one’s a freebie. You’re welcome.)
Pants. Self-explanatory. They’re comfortable. Bonus, they might keep you out of jail. (Disclaimer: nothing I say should be taken as legal advice. Ever.)
Leave a comment! What are your traveling must-haves? What sarcastic remarks would you like to make? What else should I post about?
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