Travel by Stephanie

Even if they share similar dimensions, not all personal item bags are created equal. If you’re in the market for new gear, I recommend doing some research before you start shopping…especially if you’re a carry-on-only traveler like me. Choosing the right personal item for your needs can make both prepping for a trip and enjoying the trip much easier. 

One of the considerations when shopping for or packing a personal item is the ease of accessing items in your bag while it’s stowed under the seat in front of you. For longer flights especially, there are a variety of items you might need during travel. Not all bags are made with quick-access storage in mind, and a confined space makes it even more challenging to grab what you need mid-flight. If your personal item isn’t quite up to the task due to its lackluster layout and organization (or even if it is!), an in-flight bag can come in handy.  

I use a small zipper pouch that fits into one of the exterior pockets of my personal item. (Another option is a small fanny pack that you wear while sightseeing or visiting a theme park!)

Then, I add the essentials I’m most likely to reach for during my flight:

• ear buds
• lip moisturizer
• hand sanitizer
• EarPlanes
• phone

Other ideas include:

• hand lotion
• tissues
• gum or candy
• an eReader device (I keep this in my personal item because my in-flight bag isn’t large enough)
• a hair tie or clip
• medicine

I keep this bag in an easy-to-reach spot, either next to me in the seat or in an easily reachable exterior pocket in my personal item.  I never, ever, ever (I cannot emphasize this enough) put items in the seat pocket. These pockets are absolutely disgusting, not cleaned, and are used by passengers to hold some pretty nasty things.

Once in destination, I toss the pouch into our family backpack (which my husband wears) or transfer the items to my fanny pack so we have the essentials in one spot when we’re out exploring.