Whether you’re team carry-on suitcase only or you prefer to check a bag, certain things should always come on the plane with you: medicine, valuable jewelry, electronics and, adds deputy features editor Katherine LaGrave, “an extra pair of clean underwear and socks, because you never know when you’ll get stuck without a bag—and this buys you at least a day!” While we, the Afar team, are big proponents of hotel-sink laundry (see below), this is not the first thing you’ll want to do after a long and tiring flight.
Afar’s editors, a group of avid and frequent travelers, know that carry-on essentials include and go beyond a neck pillow and face cream. Read on for the seven surprising things you’ll find in their carry-on bags.
1. A bandana
Executive editor Billie Cohen never travels anywhere without a bandana. “It works as a napkin. A barrier on a dirty airplane tray. An extra hair tamer. I’ve used them as an ankle gaiter when hiking in places with thorny bushes, to create an extra handle on a carry-on when the handle broke, and to attach an additional bag [to my suitcase]. They have a million uses, so I always have one handy.” We’re partial to the beautifully designed bandanas from Black female–owned All Very Goods.
2. Hotel-sink laundry supplies
If you’re staying in one place for a while, you can likely wash your clothes in a washer or drop them off at a laundry. If you’ll be on the go or in more remote areas, though, editorial director Sarika Bansal recommends packing a laundry bar; Cohen goes one step further by carrying a laundry line and sink stopper. Laundry bars are less messy than liquid detergent; Fels-Naptha is an inexpensive brand that’s been around since 1893. To dry, follow Bansal’s technique: Wring items well with a towel, then dry a bit further with a hair dryer if it’s available. Most things will dry overnight. Some things wash better in hotel sinks than others: Gym clothes, underwear, socks, base layers, and T-shirts are all easy; jeans, unless you’re spot-treating them, are heavy and take ages to dry.
3. Dryer sheets
We’re not suggesting you pack dryer sheets for laundry, but rather to keep your suitcase smelling fresh. Contributing editor Nicholas DeRenzo says, “I always try to remember to pack dryer sheets—especially when I’m going on a more active trip that will end with a suitcase filled with sweaty, smelly clothes. They’re a compact way to neutralize odors that don’t require liquid or aerosols, and they retain their scent for days and days. I’m especially partial to Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day basil scent, which smells more fresh and verdant than pesto-y.”
4. Ziploc bags
Always in the carry-on bag of deputy news editor Michelle Baran are a few Ziplocs “big and small. Small for things like making sandwiches and bringing smaller portions of snacks on the road; big for so many things, including dirty or wet clothes, shoes, etc.” Cohen, too, says she always carries Ziploc or silicone Ziploc-style bags, adding that they’re super practical for carrying snacks (the Stashers are a staff favorite), sequestering wet or dirty clothes, and wrapping up any leaky toiletries. One step up from a Ziploc bag is Itzy Ritzy’s sealed wet bag, which not only can hold anything you want to keep dry but is also washable.
5. Collapsible duffle bag
Both hotel editor Jennifer Flowers and DeRenzo swear by collapsible duffle bags for carrying home the inevitable souvenirs. DeRenzo says, “If I’m flying somewhere that has multiple legs, I never like to check a bag, because I’ve had my luggage lost one too many times for comfort. As such, I pack my carry-on to the bursting point and bring it with me on the plane, but I always tuck my collapsible duffle bag into the bottom (it folds up to about the size of a chunky magazine). When I arrive, I unfold the bag, use it as a hamper for dirty laundry, and then always have extra space to fit souvenirs, international snacks, or toiletries I want to bring home from the hotel.”
6. Reusable utensils
Reusable utensils are kind to the environment and surprisingly handy—for takeout, picnics, or eating an emergency pack of ramen in a hotel room after all the restaurants have shut for the night. “I always pack my Snow Peak cutlery set, while my husband takes their collapsible chopsticks, so we can skip the disposable utensils,” says Jessie Beck, associate director of SEO and video. The chopsticks are particularly easy to carry; they weigh one ounce and fold down and pack neatly into their own carrying pouch.
7. High-protein snacks
Have we mentioned how much we focus on carrying travel snacks? With flight delays all too common and airport food pricey (though sometimes tasty), carrying high-protein snacks to keep you from getting hangry is common sense. Nuts are Afar editors’ healthy snack of choice; they keep well (as long as the bag or container is closed tightly), and you don’t need that many to satiate yourself when feeling a little peckish.
