Travelling is not for the faint hearted you guys. 😓Packing for a holiday is very different to packing forever. This includes packing your carry-on and backpack because that will definitely look different to a carry-on and backpack that’s going for a holiday, right?

Packing your whole life up isn’t easy, and having had the pleasure (sorry, the torture) for the past 2 months to pack, unpack throw things out, repack realise that we need to throw more things out, unpack, sort through stuff, repack and basically repeat that process over and over again. I have decided to try to live a minimalist life. It’s so much better, I will write a whole blog on how to go about this. 📦📦📦

I am going to list a few things that most backpacks should have, be it for holiday or immigration purposes.

Carry-ons:

• One full outfit or a change of clothes – this will help if you have a layover somewhere especially if the layover is longer than 4 hours
• Toiletries – to freshen up during your layover because believe it or not you probably stink. Sitting on a flight for 12 hours in and out of consciousness will leave your breath smelling bad. Pack some:
  • Mouthwash and Toothpaste
  • Wet wipes
  • Spray deodorant and roll on
  • A little bottle of hand sanitizer
  • A little bottle of lotion
  • Face cloth
  • Sanitary pads (for the ladies, just for in case)
  • Sunscreen

• A small bag of basic make-up (for the ladies) – to look decent during your layover. You will probably have bags under your eyes and your hair will be a mess. Having a touch of base and lipstick will make you feel better
• Something warm – if you not already wearing something warm when you get on the plane then add it into your carry-on, it can get quite chilly in the plane
• Basic medication – if you like me and suffer from allergies and sinusitis then a whiff of someone’s terrible perfume will set you off. Stock up on some:
  • Antihistamines
  • Nasal spray for congestion
  • Headache tablets
  • Anti-diarrhea tablets (you never know, let’s not traumatize the whole plane)
  • Anti-nausea tablets
  • Eyedrops (they help if your eyes get irritated easily)
• Memory foam neck pillow – avoid neck spasms

Items for your backpack:

• Noise-canceling headphones – these will help if your plane has any humans below the age of 5 or just having better sound while watching movies
• Your iPad or a magazine to read, play games or catch up on the latest news
• Kindle – for all the bookworms who don’t have an opportunity to read books because of work, now is the chance, you’re on the plane for 12 or more hours
• Gum or mints – because your breath will smell 🤢
• Lip balm – your lips will be ashy and cracked 👄
• A pack of tissues – no one wants to hear you sniffing all the time 🤧
• Your wallet with forex for wherever you are going or laying over
• A power bank to charge your phone, iPad or whatever else
• A camera (for those who do it for the gram) or you could use your phone

How to dress for flying;

• Track pants or leggings – makes it easier to move around
• Comfortable, breathable shirt
• Comfortable bra (for the ladies)
• Long socks (for those whose feet always get cold like mine)
• Comfortable, breathable and walking takkies. Wearing pumps is probably not a good idea because they smell and your feet will probably get cold and why aren’t you wearing socks, because no one wants to see your feet when you decide to take the pumps off

These are just a few items that I found helpful and obviously used the most and made the trip so much easier.

 

 

**Please note this is my opinion and something I swear by.