norske

Wow! You all have some great lists! I have an overseas flight coming up in a few months and it has been several years since I've done that so both the lists and the luggage options are very useful. I was contemplating a blanket. Looks like most of you prefer to take one. Thanks for all the ideas!

anaggie

WOW !!!

baglady

I've been told I don't pack like someone who travels as much as I do. I say, to the contrary, I've traveled so much that I pack as much as I do

Shesells

I'd hate to be the people in the rows around you trying to share an overhead bin with all that!

KrisiO

In my handy pack (a see-through toiletry bag) that I keep in the seat nook:

anti-bacterial hand wipes
lotion
lip balm
small mirror compact
tissue pack
listerine strips

In my tote:
ipod
a magazine and/or book
makeup bag (concealer pencil, blush, eye shadow, lipstick)
face wipes
small hair brush
change of undies

baglady

My backpack goes in wheels first and takes up less space than a typical overhead wheeled bag does. My tote fits nicely under the seat in front of me. I carry a lot but it all fits!

Shesells

Fair enough! Wasn't having a go but the size of carry on bags in the US astounds me. The best ever was a cello - and yes the woman did try to fit it overhead and no she didn't book a seat for it

amsNYC

From a sample sale last year or the year before - so soft and so warm!

rkt10

I have trouble staying asleep on long flights, mostly because I can't get truly comfortable. I discovered to my great pleasure that I could roll up my king-sized foam rubber bed pillow and by wrapping it and fastening it with ribbon, I could jam the thin into my carry-on, use it during the flight, and roll it up in my seat shortly before landing.

I would say that I was a tiny bit embarrassed at the thought of "taking my pillow" but that once I got over that part, I was so grateful to have it. Big difference in feeling really rested at the end of my flights.

Now I"ve not yet flown in a true flat bed seat but I still think my pillow might be a welcome addition... and that also means I have it to use at my destination.

Rita

KathrynInCanada

My long flights take me through London so I need to get this all into one bag.

I've got a 2 part rolling convertible backpack (one piece zips off to make a carry on and a business sized piece is a small backpack). The carry on meets the UK carry on limits as long as I don't put anything in the outside pockets. For my flights through the UK, I put the backpack in my checked bag, otherwise it is also part of my carryon and I zip the two pieces together until I get onto the plane – where the larger piece it put above me and the small one under the seat ahead.

Because it is cheap, flexible sided, and nothing special (no compartments, reinforcement, or padding), the carry on is a kilogram lighter than my other rollaboards. Which could be a bonus should anyone weigh my bag!

Packed in it:

Laptop, separate hard drive (size of a deck of cards), and electrical plug and plug adapters for all countries I'm flying to and through.

Camera

Data Projector (when we are traveling with it) (but cables and plug are in checked bags)

The portfolio my laptop fits into (it is a tiny x40, the size of a piece of paper, so I use a padded portfolio as a case). That also holds important papers to work on, blank pad of paper and a pen.

Entertainment kit (folding headphones, mike for skype calls, adapters for Air Canada headphone plugs, splitter so dh and I can listen to something together, my mp3 player & cable, and extra batteries – all in an Air Canada amenity bag.)

My inflatables: lumbar pillow, neck pillow, 1st classsleeper/

Silk sleeping bag liner (to give me some extra warmth that won't slip off me in the night.)

Empty 16 oz water bottle (filled after security.)

Cloth bag that rolls up really small to split things up when I get through security.

Several Glucerna bars, possibly some dry cereal plus any other promising snacks I've nicked from the lounge.

Makeup in a baggie; (just eyeliner, powdered foundation, eye shadow)

Long flight comfort kit: Dove makeup remover wipes to use as a pre-soaped wash cloth, tissues, eye mask, ear plugs, cloth mouth mask (which I moisten and put over my mouth and nose on long flights to breath slightly moister air.), extra Lightdays pads

Travel slippers (I switch to those once on board)

Freedom baggie: eye drops, moisturizer, hand cream x2 lipstick & balm x2, toothbrush and paste (don't see the logic in splitting them up), antibiotic cream

Medicines in another baggie: decongestant, allergy, pain meds (assorted), GI meds, strap for my ankle, bandaids

Hair combs, bobby pins, hair elastics.

Mini hot water bottle (for cramps or my back), the flight attendant can put hot water from the galley in it for me.

Change of underwear, socks, sometimes a shirt. Tampons.

Jewelry (in a hard sided eye glasses case as camouflage)

Purse: money, credit cards, passport, gum, itinerary, palm pilot, nail file, comb, sunglasses, LED flashlight – this purse is small and converts to a fanny pack (bum bag) from a shoulder bag so I wear it on me while seated on the plane so I don't have to bend to get things from my other bag.

Magazines (The Economist - I'm always several weeks behind!)

I also carry on:

A shawl no matter what the weather as it doubles as a blanket for me on the plane or a lumbar roll when I'm in a taxi or restaurant. In warm weather I wear pants, shirt, blazer, socks and often hiking boots (best for walking in airports and keeping my feet warm on CRJs.) In the winter I add a coat, hat, scarf and gloves to that and I wear them until I'm through security, and then put them into my cloth bag.

My cane (but it slides into the hole the roller handle comes out of so I can attach it to my carry-on case.) I need the cane only to get up out of a seat after sitting for a long time and for the first 100 – 200 yards of walking after a flight. But it is also useful for looping through the handle of the bag under the seat in front of me to pull it towards me since I can't bend forward much, and I also use it to push things back under the seat.

On an overnight flight, I'll use all the comfort stuff unless I'm lucky and don't need the meds and hot water bottle. I must look a sight, headphones over my ears, eye mask, mouth mask, in a sleeping bag with its head cover over my head, a shawl over me, on a 'bed' of inflatable pillows and seat liner. Oh, and my mp3 player is attached to my arm so I won't lose it in the dark!

My camera, external speakers (in my checked bags), palm pilot, mp3 player, and external hard drive all use the same USB cable so I only have to carry two with me (one as backup in my checked bag). The palm pilot trickle charges off my USB port so I don't have to carry a power adapter for it. And my mp3 batteries and camera batteries use the same recharger so that is one less charger I have to carry. But the charger is checked.

It sounds like a lot but it all fits into my one carry on bag. Barely, but it does fit!