Long international flights are a necessary evil when you love to travel. I may love arriving in Ireland, East Africa, or Vietnam, but I don't know too many people who get excited about sitting inside a giant metal tube for 10, 12, or even 16+ hours!
Over the years I've taken my fair share of long-haul flights and I've learned that surviving them has very little to do with luck and almost everything to do with preparation. I used to show up with so many things packed into my carry on that I almost couldn't find anything.
After enough overnight flights, awkward sleeping positions, dry skin, and regrettable packing choices, I've narrowed down exactly what I always bring with me. These are the items that make a long international flight feel less like an endurance event and more like the beginning of the trip itself.
