Packing6 min read
What to actually pack for a 24-hour flight
The list I use, in the order I use it, with the things everyone forgets.
Most packing lists are written by people who have not recently done twenty-four hours in economy. They tell you to bring a book. You will not read the book. Here is what actually earns its place in the bag.
The four that matter most
- A neck pillow that holds its shape. Memory foam, not the beads. Beads collapse and you wake up with your head on a stranger.
- A contoured sleep mask. Flat masks press on your lashes and your under-eyes, which is exactly where you do not want pressure for a day.
- Reusable earplugs. Engine drone is the thing keeping you awake, not the baby.
- Compression socks. The least glamorous item on this list and the one you will thank yourself for at passport control.
The ones people forget
- A folding toothbrush. Brushing your teeth an hour before landing resets you more than an extra hour of bad sleep.
- A foot hammock. Takes the pressure off your legs for the eight hours that usually wreck them.
- Something to de-puff with. A cold stainless gua sha does more in ninety seconds than any amount of hoping.
The order I use them
Boarding: pillow, mask, earplugs, socks. Cruise: hammock down, shoes off. Last hour: gua sha, teeth, moisturiser, and you walk off looking like a person.
Nothing here is clever. It is just the stuff you keep meaning to buy and never do, in one bag.