14 Things To Help Survive Long Flights
You’d think, after the amount of traveling I’ve done,
I’d be super organized when it comes to flying and long-haul flights. But nope, I’m still here, still (almost) missing flights, overpacking my bags and constantly forgetting things. However, our recent flight to Switzerland was so painfully long, I vowed that I wouldn’t be stepping on another long-haul flight again until I made some serious changes. Spoiler alert: I made the said changes just in time for the 14 hour+ flight to Australia, and let me tell you, they were total game changers! And by “they”, I mean two of the first few things on the list below {ahem compression socks + magnesium powder}. I’m sure for many of you, these items may not be groundbreaking, and you may even be thinking, “Really?! She didn’t know about compression socks before! Girl, get with the program!” But what can I say, other than sometimes I’m just a little behind the times.
Outside of those two recent additions, most of the other items I’ve been incorporating into my in-flight routine for years now. In fact, many of the items are what you’d find on my carry-on regardless of flight length, and that’s because they’re truly all life/flight savers no matter how long (or short) a flight is.
I have upcoming posts planned for what I pack in my carry-on, my in-flight beauty favorites, some of my favorite travel snacks and a more detailed post on all my travel supplements, but, in the meantime, keep scrolling to read the deets on 14 things to help survive long flights.
What are some of the things you bring, or do, to survive a long flight?
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Snacks, Peppermint Tea + A Water Bottle // Airplane food is down right garbage (we all know this), so I always bring my own snacks and food, usually some protein bars, organic peanut butter m&m’s (I can’t fly without them!), nuts and, if I can, I like to bring things like celery and carrot sticks to help with hydration + fiber intake. Peppermint tea is great to bring as it helps aid in digestion and bloating, with headaches, keeping you relaxed and calming any tummy issues. I also always bring an empty water bottle to fill up before take-off so I don’t have to rely on the flight attendants to get water (especially since I need it for supplements and such).
9. Noise Cancelling Headphones // For the screaming baby you need to drown out, to avoid the seat mate you don’t want to talk to, to listen to the music you want to, to do a calming meditation if you get nervous flying, whatever the issues, noise cancelling headphones are the solution.
10. Charging Cables // I always have my phone, headphones and portable charger fully charged before I board, but, just in case, I like to have all my charging cables, because there is nothing worse than a long flight with a device you can’t use.
11. Download Music + Movies // You can’t always count on technology (case in point, the wifi was out on our flight from Sydney back to LAX), so make sure you always have at least something to keep you entertained.
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Extra Layers // I range from incredibly hot to incredibly cold on planes, but I like to always be prepared, and also have extra layers to use as makeshift blankets and/or pillows.
13. Exercising // You’re pretty limited when it comes to movement on the plane (obviously), so, before I even get to the airport, I like to get in a good workout or walk (if timing allows). Then, when I’m actually on the plane, I’ll try to get up, move around and do a few basic stretches every few hours. Many of the exercises I shared in my “Desk Exercises” post also work really well up in the air, so I’ll incorporate a few of those when I can. As the saying goes, anything is better than nothing.
14. Remove Shoes // This may seem like a no-brainer, but I can’t tell you how many people don’t do this. Look, I’m not telling you to kick up your (potentially smelly, sockless, dirty) feet and relax, but at least take your shoes off (unless your feet are, you know, really gross or something, and put on a pair of compression socks instead.. Trust me, you aren’t going anywhere for a while and you’ll feel so much more comfortable, plus help avoid your feet from puffing up.
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Compression Socks + Leggings // Wow. Wow. Wow. If you get one thing for a long flight, make it compression socks. I got mine for under $4 at FaceValue, but you can find tons of options on Amazon (which I’ve linked below in the shopping widget). They’re a total game changer and your legs (and body) will thank you. They have significantly helped me reduce post-flight swelling (just make sure you get the knee-high ones and pull them all the way up to your knees, preferably under compression leggings). Also, while I usually have quite a bit of pain and cramping in my legs, I didn’t get either flying to and from Australia, and I didn’t move around any differently than I normally would. Outside of the addition of some supplements (see next point), the socks were the only thing I changed. In other words, don’t make another long flight without them.
2. Supplements // Forget a pill box, I have a whole pill bag. Of course, I always have the standards, things like Motrin, but I also bring magnesium powder in these handy dandy individual packets (to help avoid pain and muscle stiffness, as well as aid with digestion and bloating), a turmeric + probiotic pill (to boost immunity and aid with digestion + bloating), papaya tablets (another option to help with digestion + bloating), melatonin (to aid in sleep + adjusting to the time zone I’m traveling to), emergen-c (to get a dose of vitamin C to aid in boosting immune system), electrolyte mix (to help with dehydration), CBD oil (to calm nerves and anxiety, ease muscle tension + help with sleep) and ginger (I bring candied ginger…just a piece helps calm any tummy troubles and also helps keep immune systems strong). Just call me the traveling pharmacy!
3. Essential Oils // I like to bring frankincense for my head (a few drops rubbed into your temples and behind your ears works wonders for head pressure/headaches) and lemon to add to my water (vitamin C helps boost your immune system, as well as helping with digestion, and consequently, bloating; just be sure to get an essential oil that is safe to ingest).
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Jade Roller // Much to the amusement of my plane neighbors, I love to use my jade roller frequently throughout a flight to avoid having a bloated face when I land.
5. Eye Mask // To help drown out light, your neighbor’s tv screen, etc. I take melatonin, do my in-air night routine, place on my eye mask and finish by pressing play on something calming to listen to via my noise cancelling headphones. This helps me sleep, adjust to my new time zone, or, at the very least, feel more relaxed.
6. Face Wipes, Detox Oil, Toothbrush/Toothpaste + Deodorant // I have a whole slew of toiletry products I carry-on the plane, but it’s enough to write another post on another day. For the sake of this post, all that we need to be concerned with are these 4 items right here, my mainstays, my can’t-live-without-them, my holy grails. Even though I like to wash my face and leave it make-up free for flights, it still never fails to feel incredibly dirty, so I use anti-pollution face wipes all flight long, followed by frequent face slatherings with oil (preferably detox oil). I also like to brush my teeth and reapply deodorant right before landing…it just helps make me feel so much fresher than I know I actually am. (Also, if you’ve ever lost your luggage, you learn really quickly what to pack on a carry-on so you don’t feel like a totally miserable, lost person in a foreign place with no luggage and no belongings. Deodorant and a toothbrush both fall under that category.)
7. An Organizer // In the past, an extra long flight had a tendency to turn me into an unorganized mess and/or lose at least half of my belongings. So, now, I travel with a little organizer, where I can stow, and easily find, all my things, from cords to gum to my jade roller to my passport to a pen. It also gives me a spot to safely keep things like jewelry I take off mid-flight or customs papers I need to enter the country I’m landing in.
