Packing for a long haul flight can be suuppper long and suuuuper stressful. You don’t want to miss out anything essential, but you also don’t want to over pack and end up hauling around a mega heavy bag.
So, I have created a list of packing essentials that I bring with me for a long haul flight…
Essentials
Passport
Another form of ID
Money and wallet – I keep all of this on me so that I know it’s safe
Tech
Mobile phone
Headphones
Charger
Laptop/Ipad to watch stuff on
GoPro/camera
Food & drink
A refillable water bottle to top up at the airport
A sandwich/something substantial to keep you going (aeroplane food is very hit or miss)
Snacks, snacks and more snacks – crisps and sweets are winners!
Other bits and bobs
A book to read
A pack of cards for if you get really bored
Neck pillow – I can’t fly without one of these…life saver!
A pen – to fill out any visa forms on the plane (they give you document to fill in to confirm who you are and where you’re going).
Toothbrush and toothpaste – to freshen up on the stop over
Essentials
Adaptor plug
Folder with travel itinerary in it (this is what I do, but each to your own! I just like to keep everything SUPER organised when I’m away).
Clothing – other than the obvious…
Big T’s for beach cover-ups
A sun hat
Trainers for hiking
Flip flops for hostel showers and popping to the beach
2x canvas bags – 1 for dirty washing and 1 for taking to the beach
Toiletries
2x towels – 1 for beach and 1 for shower
Small shampoo and conditioner – you can buy more when you’re out there
Mozzy spray – a lot of it!
Antihistamine cream – for those pesky bug bites
A lot of sun cream
A couple of ‘nice’ outfits – for going out for dinner or heading to a party
Anything else?
Padlock – for your bag if you’re staying in hostels
Speakers – not essential, but a great addition
Earplugs – some hostels can be pretty noisy
Snorkel – if it doesn’t take up too much space, if not you can hire them
Pillows/sleeping bag – you wont need these and they’ll take up too much room
Expensive valuables – not worth loosing
Too much make-up – you probs wont even where it when you get there
Excessive amounts of toiletries – top up on these as and when instead
Hold bag
I use a backpack/wheeley suitcase – I’ll link a few here because it’s fab! It’s basically a backpack on wheels AKA best invention ever.
You are usually allowed 20kg of hold luggage (depending on your flight). My bag was jam packed and only weighed 16kg, so you don’t need to worry too much about this limit.
Carry on
Bring a bag that you can also use once you arrive. So something big enough to carry a load of your gear in for a day out.
I usually bring a decent sized rucksack and then pop a smaller side bag in my hold luggage to use as well once I’m there.
Download a load of entertainment on your phone/ipad – Spotify playlists, Netflix series and podcasts.
Check if you need a visa for your travels – you can usually apply for one via the government website for the country you are visiting.
Double and triple check that your passport is in date – don’t wanna get caught out on that one!
Sort yourself out some health insurance – better safe than sorry hey!
I’d love to know – leave a note in the comments and I’ll add it to the list.
