Air travel can be stressful, especially during the busy summer season. But with a little planning and careful packing, you can make the experience more enjoyable. With decades of medical travel experience, the SentinelMED team has recommendations on top comfort related travel gear to pack in your carry-on bag before your next flight.
Travel pillow. You could go through dozens of pillows trying to find the one that’s perfect for you. So before you buy one, think about what matters to you most. Considerations might include size, ability to block light, neck support, cooling ability or the feeling of the fabric on your skin.
Noise-canceling earbuds or headphones. Anyone who has flown before knows that airplane cabins can be extremely noisy. If you want to get some sleep – or just block out a chatty seatmate – earbuds or headphones can help. Again, you’ll need to think about your personal preferences – do you find over-the-ear or in-ear devices more comfortable? Is size, cost or foldability important to you? What about how they look?
Also, don't forget about earplugs if your goal is to sleep on your flight. There are so many choices – foam, moldable wax, pre-formed plastic, rubber or silicone are just a few examples. You can experiment before your flight to find which type is comfortable for you.
Wrap or blanket. You can’t count on finding a blanket on flights, especially shorter ones. Plus, you might prefer your own for hygienic reasons. A small, soft blanket or wrap can keep you warm, block out light and be a familiar comfort. Remember to check the size of the blanket you are considering and whether it is machine washable. If you want something to be able to drape over your shoulders on cooler days, a wrap might be a better choice.
Sleep mask. If you don’t want to use a pillow or blanket to block out cabin light, be sure to pack a sleep mask. They can be as simple as a silk or terry cloth eye covering, but some offer benefits such as a cooling layer or memory foam. Before your trip, try on your sleep mask to make sure the elastic band on the back isn’t too tight and the material feels comfortable against your skin.
Compression socks. Long flights offer limited opportunities to walk around or stretch your legs. Compression socks increase blood circulation and help prevent swelling in your feet and lower legs or, worse – deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is a blood clot in a deep vein.
Compression socks that are put on correctly and the proper size should feel like they are hugging your calves, not squeezing them. When buying socks, we recommend cotton or cotton blends for comfort and softness.
Motion sickness remedies. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) Liqui-Gel capsules are a favorite motion sickness prevention tip from Dr. Eugene Delaune, the medical director of SentinelMED. Acupressure wristbands and ginger chews can also help alleviate motion sickness.
Other Things to Consider
If you are on a long flight over several continents, you might want to add more to your travel bag, including lip balm and moisturizers, an organizer to keep everything easy to find, chargers, healthy snacks, sanitizer and a toothbrush and toothpaste.
About SentinelMED
As a medical transport assistance company, SentinelMED provides domestic and international medical transport, evacuation, and repatriation services. Our staff also can arrange for trained and experienced medical escorts to accompany travelers and provide basic medical care during transport. In many cases, our medical escorts travel with patients on commercial flights, a cost-effective alternative to air ambulance services.
At SentinelMED, we understand the complexity of delivering exceptional care to domestic medical travelers. Please contact us if you’d like to learn more about our services and staff.
