Twice the Fun in Half the Luggage

Travel much? If you’ve even dared to venture into an airport lately you know how tiring it can be to stand in line at security, publicly disrobe, surrender all your liquids (who knew mascara was a liquid!?), and cram yourself cattle-car style into a metal tube with the rest of the impoverished masses. Fortunately, I am here to share several personal tips and tricks that will make your next trip much more enjoyable whether it be ninety minutes or nine hours.

One: We’ve all seen those crazy people at curbside check-in, bags falling down, hair all over the place, trying desperately to get identification tags on all their bags before the porter takes them away. Do yourself—and the rest of us—a favor and please use the cute luggage tags from flight001. Tongue-in-cheek labeling such as “This only looks like your black bag” and popular “go away” in large white letters insure your bags make it home with you—not the weird lady in aisle 6.

Two: Stop deluding yourself. You know you’re going to have to take off your shoes when you enter security so take a deep breath and be prepared for once, please. The cure is a cute retro-style sneaker sure to please both your fashion sense and your feet. Plus, you can slip the sneakers off easily for security checks and the socks (without holes, please) enable you avoid all those icky bare feet germs lurking on that suspicious rubber matting.

Three: Stash that boarding pass, luggage claim tag, and passport/identification in a handy microfiber document case. Of course, you can always upgrade from the dime-store zippered pencil holder to a snazzy leather number from Wilson’s Leather or eBags—just find something that works for you and keeps all those important papers organized and, most importantly, close at hand.

Four: Carryon with care. No, you do not need the entire contents of Borders Bookstore to survive the thirty minute commuter from Newark to JFK. You do, however, need the following items on any flight longer than half an hour.

Acupressure motion-sickness wristbands. The only thing worse than sitting next to the puking family is being the puking family. Turbulence—like seatmates—can never be predicted so arm yourself with a cure that doesn’t require liquid (which was confiscated in security anyway) or make you wait thirty minutes until the medicine kicks in by which time you have already humiliated yourself and met the airsickness bag up close and personal.

Floss. Those airplane mini-morsels they sell to you after your blood sugar—and your willpower—have hit rock bottom always leave a bad taste in your mouth and stuff stuck in between your teeth. Don’t brush your teeth in the airplane sink, however, since that water comes from tanks onboard that have been sitting stagnant for god knows how long. Instead, try a little floss and a finger toothbrush kit from Gerber. Yes, it’s for babies, but the delicious all-natural preservative-free apple and banana flavored gels will have you feeling fresh in no time.

Earplugs. A note of caution on the earplug issue: make sure you purchase airline-approved earplugs or all you’ll do is cause yourself a giant headache. Earplugs made for air travel allow your inner ear to equalize pressure while still blocking the sound of 34F’s ridiculous snoring. Plus, they give off a wonderful anti-social vibe that prevents even the most persistent chatterbox from verbally drowning you.

Eye Mask. This is a no-brainer. Whether you’re sitting next to Lucy Lookie-Loo performing her amazing windows-up, windows-down routine or Mr. Will Turn Into A Pile Of Dust If Exposed To Natural Light, a satin eyeshade blends your entire trip into one nice uniform shade of gray. However, dear reader, don’t purchase a velvet or microfiber eyeshade since the friction of the fabric against your eyelids can chafe after a few hours. Stick with satin, silk or another such slippery fabric.

Inflatable Neck Pillow: Yes, you make look a wee bit obsessive puffing into this plasticized pillow but you’ll thank me—and yourself—when you can squash it down post-flight to the size of a handi-wipe while everyone else throws their backs out lugging around gigantic chiropractic monstrosities.

Thing to splurge on: Your own blanket and a pair of disposable socks. Think about it—how many people’s faces (and other parts) have been on those “gently used” airline blankets? About four hundred. A day. Ick. Save yourself and your immune system by bringing along your own microfiber blanket. It’s the supermodel of cover-ups--machine-washable, fits in small places, and gives fantastic warmth for something so thin. Same story with the socks—sometimes a girl just needs to stretch her feet and a pair of socks you can toss on your way out the door make your economy coach seat a little less cramped without you having to worry your little head about catching some exotic toe fungus.

Next Article: More carryon essentials and my favorite travel-friendly gadgets.

by Christina Kale