What to Pack for a Long Haul Flight
Knowing what to pack for a long haul flight isn’t straight forward. There are so many things to consider like the duration of the flight, stop-overs, what kind of entertainment will be available on the plane and what you need in order to feel comfortable for an extended period of time.
Flying isn’t exactly an enjoyable experience but it’s necessary if you want to explore new and exciting places. While airplanes might not be the most comfortable of places there are things you can pack for a long haul flight to make the experience more enjoyable and relaxing. Read on to discover the long haul flight essentials packing list!
Clothes to pack for a long haul flight
Seeing as you could be spending upwards of 12 hours in the same seat, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re comfortable and this starts by making sure you’re wearing the correct clothing for a long flight. Slip-on shoes with wool socks are a must! This means you can take your shoes off during the flight and easily slip them back on when you come into land. If you’ve ever been on a long haul flight before, you’ll know that your feet will swell significantly and it can
be a struggle to fit them back into your lace-up sneakers! Wool socks will also help your feet to breathe during the long flight.
Eye masks and earplugs are exactly what you need for a long flight if you want to get some sleep. On daytime flights, the lights stay on so an eye mask can help you block that out and convince your body it’s time to get some rest. Equally, during night time flights there’s low-level lighting which can be distracting so having an eye mask is always handy.
Earplugs will help to drown out the sound of the plane’s engines and other people on the plane so you can catch some z’s!
Food to pack for a long haul flight
Before we talk about food, staying hydrated on long haul flights is super important. Studies have shown that being hydrated can help you defeat jet lag once you arrive at your destination. If being hydrated doesn’t kick the jet lag, it’s certainly not going to make you feel worse so make sure that you pack a water bottle for your long haul flight. Invest in a reusable aluminium water bottle as it keeps water cooler for longer instead of using disposable plastic ones which warm
up far too quickly.
As far as food goes on a long haul flight, you can expect food service to come round every few hours on a day time long haul flight. You’ll get a few snacks and 1-2 meals depending on the duration of the flight. However, on nighttime flights, you’ll get a meal as you take off and another as you land. Most airlines won’t disturb people trying to sleep on evening flights with foodservice coming around every few hours, but you can go up and ask if they have any snacks. To prepare
for the worst-case scenario, make sure you have a few things to snack on like nuts, fruit, trail mix, bars, and dark chocolate and a nice mid-flight treat.
Carry on luggage for a long haul flight
Once you have an idea of what you’re going to take on a long haul flight, you’re going to need some carry on luggage to pack it in. ALPAKA has a high-quality odour-absorbing packing cube which is ideal for neatly organising your clothes in your luggage while getting rid of the smell of dirty clothes. To learn more about the packing cube, click HERE.
At the end of the day, remember to trade some of your stuff for convenience, versatility, and fun. Real travel is about experiences, not your gear. Happy travels!
