The Mini Flight Essentials Kit

The Mini Flight Essentials Kit

Airplanes are dry, noisy, and uncomfortable. Every last thing you can do to make those hours in the air more bearable is worth the effort.
But bumping into strangers when you rummage around in your stuff is no fun. And just thinking about dragging around a bunch of extra stuff that I’ll only use on my flight is giving me anxiety.
So, I came up with this adorable, pocket sized airplane comfort kit that packs a ton of tiny essentials to keep me comfy in the air. For long haul flights, I have a slightly more extensive setup, but when I don’t need to bust out the big guns (like comfy socks, eye mask, or noise canceling headphones), this mini flight comfort kit is perfect.
Here’s where I found this adorable container, what I put in my kit for my upcoming 5 hour flight, and a few extra ideas for a total of 20 pocket sized items you could fill your kit with.

The Container

The container is the plastic cover from a travel sized package of cotton swabs. I like this one because it’s transparent, but you could also use things like Altoids tins, or a plastic video game case.
The case from a travel pack of Q-Tip brand cotton swabs works too, but it’s slightly different dimensions than mine.

What’s In My Flight Essentials Kit

I chose these items because I can feel pretty run-down after a flight. The dry air, cramped space, and constant noise can really drain me. I need items that will keep me feeling fresh, hydrated, and healthy.

Feeling Fresh

For longer flights I’m concerned with other freshness issues, but for shorter flights I kind of just want to keep my mouth clean and fresh. Sodas and coffee from beverage service are breath killers. These flight essentials are small but help keep the dragon breath at bay.
I’m Bringing

• mini “tooth brush” with built in “toothpaste”
• Listerine strips

Combat Dry Air

Planes are dry so the typical recommendation is to drink a lot of water. But for flights longer than a couple of hours my eyes still get dry and my lips start to chap. I’ve even gotten nose bleeds after long haul flights from the dry air.
I have TSA Pre-Check, which means for participating flights I don’t have to separate my liquids at security. If you don’t have TSA Pre-Check or you’re flying on an airline that doesn’t offer Pre-Check, just remember to pop the eye drops into your quart sized bag of liquids when you go through security.
I’m Bringing

• Burt’s Bees lib balm
• single use eye drop sticks like these

Also Consider

• trial sized eye drops (ask your optometrist)
• single use hand lotion like Squeeze Pods
• single use saline nasal drops like these

Staying Healthy

It’s SO easy to catch a cold on an airplane. Thankfully there are a few steps you can take to prevent a cold in the first place. One of my favorite methods is to pop a zinc lozenge. Zinc prevents cold viruses from replicating in your mouth , which means even if you’re exposed the virus won’t have a chance to take hold and actually make you sick. One or two zinc lozenges are absolutely essential in my flight comfort kit.
For longer flights – especially ones I’ll be eating on – I’ll also bring other medications and supplements like digestive enzymes or an extra dose of anti-anxiety medication.
I’m Taking

• a Coldeze zinc lozenge

Also  Consider

• digestive enzymes (I use these)
• heartburn medication
• aspirin or other pain reliever
• anxiety medicine
• motion sickness medicine
• an electrolyte tablet or capsule for better hydration

TIP! If you don’t want to pack pills loose in your comfort kit, consider popping them into a contacts case or a pocket sized pill pouch and sticking that in your pocket. That’s what I’ll be doing with my enzymes and anxiety meds for our long haul flight to Indonesia.

Keep Your Ears Happy

For long haul flights I bust out my noise canceling headphones. But for flights less than 6 hours I feel like they’re overkill. But I still might want to block out some of that engine noise or the sounds of a poor unhappy baby. Lucky for me, foam earplugs take up about the same amount of room as a tampon, so if I’m sure it’s not that time of the month, I might swap out my period protection for a pair of foam earplugs.
Earbuds take up a surprising amount of space relative to the other items, so consider just sticking these directly in your pocket if you need them.
Earplugs and buds make my ears itch after a while, so having a cotton swab or two on hand would be nice to refresh my ears after a flight.
Consider

• a pair of ear plugs
• a couple of cotton swabs
• ear buds

The Joys of Being a Woman

I’m transitioning to using a menstrual cup but I don’t quite have the hang of it. And since my period is slightly unpredictable, I don’t want to have to rummage around for my cup if I have a “Woops! I just started my period” moment. Thankfully tampons without an applicator take up like, no space.
I’m Taking

• an OB tampon
• a panty liner

Bonus Important Life Questions: Does anyone else hate the word “panty”? What do they call these in the UK? Pants liners?

Refill Your Flight Essentials Kit

The point of this pocket sized flight essentials kit is to keep everything you need to stay comfortable on hand, in doses just big enough to get you through the flight. You’ll want to re-fill your flight essentials before your next flight, so remember to pack spares of anything you would use up like pills, eye drops, or your single use toothbrush. Those can go in your checked bag or in a less convenient part of your carryon since you won’t need them until you fly again.

Share It!

Never again will I elbow my neighbor while I rummage for my ear plugs hidden in my purse. And I won’t have to awkwardly dig through my roll-aboard in the overhead bin, on my tiptoes, while trying not to pull my luggage (and everyone else’s) into the aisle.
Tony and I both have pocket sized flight essentials kits and we’re excited to use them on our upcoming flights to visit family in the US. If this post has you excited to make your own travel essentials kit, make sure to Pin it, and share it!

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