Traveling can be stressful. Certain items can save space in your carry-on and will prove essential to a stress-free traveling experience. You need things in your bag that will make traveling super effortless.

Read on if you benefit from packing lists that you can check and recheck before you're off to the airport. This guide will talk you through the essentials for your carry-on that you could regret not packing later. If you're aware of the carry-on items you'll be needing, you can travel safer, smarter, and lighter!

What to Pack in a Carry On? Best Travel Products to Include in 2022

Here's the ultimate guide to choosing what to pack in your carry-on. Choose from these essentials to create your packing list!

1) Toiletries Bag

A toiletries bag is a necessity, even if you have a bag of toiletries in a suitcase that you're checking in. If your luggage is lost, you will benefit from having toiletries with you. You may also consider adding a makeup bag to your travel kit if that’s how you roll. Here's what you might keep in this toiletries bag:

On the plane, especially if you're getting a long-haul flight, you may find that the oxygenated air and strong blasts of air conditioning can weather the skin and make it dry. To prevent your skin from getting flaky and sore, consider putting some moisturizer in your carry-on. Try packing a small bottle of body lotion instead, so you have a multi-purpose item in your suitcase.

b. Sanitizer

Hundreds of people travel through the airport daily, and you will need some hand sanitizer to apply regularly after touching door handles and products in the duty-free store. This is a definite must-have to place in your travel accessories kit.

c. Mini Dental Kit
A mini dental kit is a must-have in your carry-on. If your stowaway luggage gets lost, you don't want to be walking around with bad breath for a few days. A mini dental kit usually contains a small toothbrush, floss, mini toothpaste, and a mini bottle of mouthwash. This can come in handy if you're prone to falling asleep on long-haul flights and can help you step off the plane feeling fresh. Instead of a mini dental kit, you may wish to pick up a small bottle of breath spray or take some mints on the flight with you.

d. Lip Balm

Like your skin, your lips can dry out on the plane. So, packing a little lip balm with your travel accessories is a must. You can use a moisturizer on your lips to save space in your travel bag.

e. Travel-Sized Bottles
Travel-sized bottles of sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and body lotion will help you to ensure you're well prepared if your hotel room does not have these travel products. You can also pack a travel-sized bottle of perfume to keep yourself smelling fresh, even after that long flight. Travel-sized bottles allow you to pack in-flight essentials without wasting space. You can buy travel-sized versions of the products you like, or you can buy the bottles yourself and fill them up if you can't find travel-sized versions of your essential toiletries.

2) Lavender Essential Oil (For Jet Lag)

Lavender essential oil is a must-have for a long flight ahead and can help calm anxious minds. Simply inhale the essential oil from the bottle, or place some on a tissue to breathe it in and soothe yourself during flight. You can also rub some oil on your temples to help you get to sleep or relax during a long flight.

3) Peppermint Essential Oil (Energy Booster)

Peppermint essential oil has proven effective in preventing fatigue and improving exercise performance. This makes it a great addition to your travel accessories. By inhaling peppermint essential oil, you will be able to take deep and rejuvenating breaths to boost your energy towards the end of your flight. Flying can leave you feeling groggy, so this is an excellent solution.

4) Headphones/Earphones

Crying baby on the plane? No problem. If you pack noise-canceling headphones and earphones for your flight, you will be able to relax and listen to your favorite music. If you have a music streaming app, try downloading some sleep sounds, like a rainy jazz cafe, to help you get some shut-eye on your flight. The pressurized cabin can be pretty noisy, so it's nice to have songs and sounds you like to help you relax.

5) Portable Charger/Battery Pack

If you've ever run out of battery on your phone in a foreign country or new place, you'll know how scary it can be. To ensure you always have your phone handy, you should bring a portable charger or power bank with you in your travel accessories kit. Portable chargers are small so that they won't take up too much room in your tote bag or travel bag. This is a genuine must-have accessory for your carry-on and could save you a lot of trouble down the line.

6) Neck Pillow

Airplane seating offers just enough support so that you can sit comfortably but doesn't seem to provide excellent support when you're trying to sleep on a plane. Neck pillows do not have to fit inside your carry-on bag and can be carried alongside it to save space. Try sprinkling some relaxing essential oils with sedative properties on your neck pillow, like chamomile or lavender essential oils. This will help you drift off, which can be pretty tricky to manage on a plane. Alternatively, try bringing a small throw pillow with you, as this could work just as well.

7) Eye Mask

If you've traveled on a plane before, you know that they only dim the lights during nighttime hours, and it can be pretty difficult to sleep with the harsh fluorescent lighting. Sometimes they offer complimentary eye masks on a flight, but to be on the safe side, you may want to bring an eye mask with you. An alternative to the eye mask would be a small flannel that you can place over your eyes while you sleep if you don't have time to run out and grab an eye mask before setting off.

8) Travel Wallet

When traveling, one of the priorities is always to keep track of your passport, plane tickets, and other essential travel documents. This is where a travel wallet comes in handy. You can keep all your foreign currency, passport, credit cards, and other documents safely stored inside. This way, you won't lose your passport at the bottom of your bag and have it readily available along with all other essential items. If you don't have a travel wallet, a small cosmetics bag will work just as well for keeping all of your important travel documents and money in one place. One of the essential travel documents right now is a vaccine card.

9) Travel Shoe Bag

There's no doubt that you'll need to bring a pair of shoes with you on your trip - but you'll need to ensure the dirt from your shoes doesn't get all over your clothes and travel accessories. That's where a travel shoe bag comes in. With a travel shoe bag, you will keep your shoes separate from everything else and keep the rest of your stuff clean. If you don't have a travel shoe bag, then a plastic or cotton laundry bag will work just as well.

10) Water Bottle (Collapsible) 

A water bottle is handy wherever you go but can take up quite a bit of room in your travel bag. Luckily, there are new innovative collapsible water bottles to help you out. When you've finished the water inside, you can simply collapse the water bottle and store it neatly away for when you next need it. An alternative to this product would be a collapsible cup that you can fill up and drink from when necessary and store away easily in your bag.

11) Electronics Organizer

Wires can be the most frustrating thing to pack, as they always seem to end up in knots by the time you arrive at your destination. An electronics organizer has many compartments to store wires and electronics neatly and safely so that they do not get scratched or damaged by other things in your bag. If you do not have an electronics organizer, you can use cable ties to keep your cables neat.

12) Earplugs

Noise-canceling headphones are great travel accessories if you like to sleep with music and ambient sounds, but earplugs are best if you need complete silence to sleep. Earplugs come in a handy container, so you don't lose them, and you can wash them between uses so they are pretty sustainable. Earplugs make a great addition to your travel accessories. Noise-canceling headphones can serve as a substitute for earplugs, so you don't have to pack both.

13) Travel-Size Steamer

Trying to keep your silk clothing from creasing in your luggage is a nightmare. And, you can’t iron some materials. So if you need to keep silk and other delicate materials from getting creased before you wear them on your travels, consider investing in a travel-size steamer. It will allow you to decrease your clothes without taking too much room. If you don't have a travel-sized steamer, then you could use a travel-sized steam iron, which will allow you to steam your silk while it's hung up on a door frame.

14) Comfy Sneakers

When you arrive at your destination, you may need to do quite a bit of walking. So, always pack a pair of comfy sneakers or comfortable walking shoes in your carry-on, especially if you plan to wear heels on your travels. If you don't want to take up too much room, then a pair of sliders will be more portable and easy to walk in.

15) Travel Adapter

A travel adapter will save you from running out of battery on your travels. You will be able to plug in your hairdryer and electronics in your hotel room, too. A travel adapter is extremely portable and will fit into your travel bag. Try using a portable charger while you're on the go.

Summary

Now that you know all the travel accessories you might want to pack in your carry-on, you can start to make a list so that you don't forget anything when it's time to embark on your travels. Pick the items you think you'll find most valuable, and add them to the list!

BluZen is a family business that provides essential oils to help soothe its customers in any situation, whether on the go or at home. We create our quality essential oils to provide customers with the tools for a holistic approach to their health and emotional wellness.