What to Pack in Your International Carry On

Whenever I travel, what to pack in my international carry on is always an important part of my packing plan. These are my long flight essentials along…

Questions I consider include if I want to work or not and am I likely to be hungry before my arrival. For a long flight, the answer is definitely yes to all of the above plus whatever else I can think of! Here is the list of what to pack in your international carryon!

Since I’m now traveling with our kiddo (currently 5 years old), I have a list at the end about what else we pack for him!

{Read: How to Stay Healthy When Flying}
{Read: Carry on travel packing tips}

CONTENTS

Long Flight Essentials

The bag you select is up to you. There’s something to be said about backpacks, but some of us love a good shoulder bag that can also be used during travel (i.e. a purse). No matter the style you select, I can’t recommend having a luggage strap enough!

I’ve recently purchased this backpack to hold all my stuff – perfect except that I wish the water bottle holders were larger. This shoulder bag is also a fabulous option with a luggage strap (a stylish recycled product!). It just makes travel with all your luggage that much easier (and better for your back).

The brown leather bag shown in these pictures is no longer available, but this leather zipper tote from Cuyana is almost identical in size and even has better interior storage options. Sadly no luggage strap, but it’s small enough that you might now over pack! Maybe! 🙃

International Flight Carry On Packing List

Because the contents of my international carry on bag are all I have for a while, I have a wide variety of necessities…

ereader/books
airpods and/or headphones
snacks
refillable water bottle
scarf
chapstick, gum, pen
eye mask
undies
vitamins/medictions
toothbrush/toothpaste
face wash & moisturizer
hydrating face mask (if desired)
small hand towel
passports
travel wallet

ENTERTAINMENT:

I’m taking my laptop onboard but may not use it in flight. For entertainment, I plan to read my book, listen to music, play solitaire on my phone, watch movies, and sleep!!

An e-reader is a recent addition to my arsenal. While e-readers are a great way to read books sustainably, I first wanted one just to save space and weight when traveling (one of my easy sustainable travel tips). I’ve since fallen in love with it for all times, but it’s especially good here. I preload ebooks from my local library for the whole trip, so I’m good to go. A notebook and pens are always a must too (usually for to do lists and ideas on the flight home).

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SNACKS:

Since I eat regularly, I’m taking snacks along for the ride (roughly similar to my healthy road trip snacks) – healthy and a little less so. I always like to have some hard candy too – usually peppermints for me.

What to Pack in Hand Luggage on Plane

NECESSITIES: Whenever I’m flying for a trip, I always have a scarf with me that serves both fashion and function. It also triples as a pillow or a light blanket if necessary.

You’ll also find my mini carryall that I pull right out of my purse (full of the everyday necessities like chapstick, hand lotion, and a pen). When I arrive, I’ll put it back in my travel purse and be ready to go.

And of course, my jewelry box. After losing my luggage for a few days when I was younger, I realized that my jewelry would be the irreplaceable thing for me, so I’m always sure to have it with me. And considering our 7days without luggage a few years ago, this has still always served me well.

Because I hope to sleep on the plane, I’m sticking in my eye mask. I’ve had this one since junior high or high school. It can be a real lifesaver!

And, not pictured, after those lost luggage experiences, I always tuck in an extra pair of undies and a few days of vitamins/medications.

Long Flight Toiletry Essentials

And finally among my toiletries, for super long travel days, I bring my toothbrush and face wash in my carryon. I find that brushing my teeth and washing my face before “bedtime” can really help me ease into the less than comfortable sleeping situation.

It’ll be a slightly longer trip to the bathroom (in flight or in the airport), but it’s well worth it. I’ll also stick a small hand towel into my international carry on bag.

This one is an extra to be sure, but I swear by it. I always bring a clear moisturizing face mask. This jet lag face mask is the best. It goes on clear, so no one will know it’s on, and it doesn’t required wiping off. It just slowly hydrates and suffuses into your skin!

And all of these are part of my toiletries packing list – I don’t double up on anything.

And, of course, you’ll need your passport and wallet. I LOVE this Panama Travel Wallet (wait for one of the site’s 25% site wide sales) for our tickets, luggage tracking numbers, passports, and currencies.

And then I always travel with a small wallet. See what I pack in my travel wallet!

Long Flight Essentials for Kids

Since kids encompasses babies to pre-teens, these will vary, obviously. Our kiddo is 5 years old and we’ve been traveling internationally with him since he was 3 years old. Here’s what we bring for him.

Ipad (preloaded with free apps (currently loving Khan Academy Kids with WiFi and offline modes) books from the library – Libby App)
bluetooth headphones (preferably with jack in case he wants to watch a movie on the plane)
ALL THE SNACKS! No shortage here!
Activity Books (we LOVE Peter Pauper Press books if you can’t find any locally)
Sleeping Necessities (lovies and, when he was younger, his sleep sack)!