My 8 Long Haul Flight Essentials

Long. Haul. Flight. Three words to strike terror into the heart of anyone that values legroom, non-recycled air and their sanity. Never fear, dear reader. Having recently experienced my first long haul flight in a very long time, I am here to share 8 items that made those airborne hours slightly more bearable and less like hurtling through the sky at 500mph in a glorified metal tube while I ate my body weight in plane cuisine, fiddled with every button I could find and tried not to think of that scene from Cast Away.

1. A good book (or 3!)

If you're a fellow bookworm then you'll already know that this is an absolute must. Now, I'll share something with you as long as you swear not to tell anyone. Promise? Ok, here goes. Normally, I use... a Kindle. There, I said it. I know, I know, it's just not the same as a proper book but when you read as much as I do and you're not quite home-library rich yet, needs must. However, I treated myself and enjoyed a pre-flight visit to WH Smith for some physical books. I even opened them and inhaled the aroma of new pages. Strange looks? Yes. Lovingly rolled eyes from my husband? Yes. Bliss? Also yes.

My choices:

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris - I absolutely love Paris' novel Behind Closed Doors and recommend it to everyone I know, so I was so hyped up for this one.

Confessions of a Forty-Something F*ck Up by Alexandra Potter - I may only just be approaching 30, but it never hurts to be prepared right? Lots of laughs in this one.

Happy Sexy Millionaire by Steven Bartlett - I'm still working my way through it, but I'm a big fan so far.

2. Neck pillow, eye mask and ear plugs

I've grouped these together because I bought them as a bundle, and also because they are the ultimate package deal for getting as much sleep as you can at 38,000 feet. I loved this set from Amazon, and found the fact that you can secure the pillow with the toggle particularly useful to avoid a PM (Pillow Malfunction).

3. Blanket scarf

No link for this one unfortunately, because it was a trusty Primark find. My lovely scarf is a lightweight wool-type material in a mid-grey that pairs well with most outfits and is large enough to be used as a blanket. Trust me, when the blanket provided by your airline proves to be akin to Tarzan's loincloth (size AND smell, people!), you'll be glad of the extra layer.

4. Tinted lip balm

Ah, cabin air. Icy, dry and harsher than Rotten Tomatoes' rating of Jaws: The Revenge (0% in case you're wondering). The air onboard my flight seemed absolutely determined to strip all the moisture from my skin, including my lips. This Burt's Bees pomegranate lip balm was an absolute godsend and added a very subtle pop of colour which I'm always game for.

5. Small zip pouch/makeup bag

When I was packing my hand luggage, I threw in this Stasher bag (it came free in a beauty subscription box a while back), on a whim. I'm so very glad that I did. Prior to stowing my bag in the overhead locker, I removed a few small items that I would want access to such as headphones, the aforementioned lip balm, a snack and my glasses. This saved me from getting up and down constantly during the flight but also from losing things in the dark and dirty cavern that is the seat pocket.

6. Hand sanitiser

As a sufferer of emetophobia (an intense fear of vomiting), travelling can be stressful for me due to all the germ-laden surfaces. As I told my husband very seriously and romantically on our recent honeymoon, "Imagine how many other people have touched those buffet serving tongs. Now, imagine how many of those people don't wash their hands after using the toilet." I spent most of our journey smothered in Carex and, if nothing else, it massively reduced my constant fear of needing to ask the stewardess for a paper bag. I'd call that a success, wouldn't you?

7. Eye drops

I'm a contact lens wearer and a terrible one at that. I wear them for much longer than I'm supposed to, occasionally forget to take them out before a nap and I wear them in the shower. I didn't realise that the latter was a cardinal sin until I was shamed by my optometrist at my most recent appointment. Yet, despite the judging look she gave me, I left that appointment feeling very upbeat because I had some brand new, optometrist approved, contact lens safe eye drops. I don't know if they're any different from other eye drops, but they certainly made me feel less guilty about my clandestine clear-visioned showers. As a bonus, using these eye drops after I removed my lenses made my eyes much more comfortable for the rest of the flight.

8. A sturdy tote bag

If I'm going to recommend 8 essential items then I feel it's only right that I recommend something decent to carry them in! I like my hand luggage to be durable and spacious without sacrificing style. I chose this Kipling tote bag because it felt heavy duty, had interior and exterior pockets for organising my belongings and offered plenty of space for everything on this list and more. I can see myself using this versatile bag on a myriad of future occasions.

So, there we have it! 8 essential items that might just make your next air adventure a little bit more comfortable.

Safe travels and may all your flights be free of turbulence.

Frankie