What’s in my bag? 2024 Edition – The “Flight Kit”

In 2024 most of my “setup” hasn’t changed too much (If It ain’t broke, why fix it!). I figure now is a good time to update and share what my typical travel setup looks like. Typically, I will fly with a carry-on, a small backpack and/or a personal item. Generally, the luggage and backpack are the same two I’ve used for several years and are in my original “What’s in my Bag” post. They continue to serve me well and since my carry-on is a bit older I’m not as concerned about scuffs and scratches when I end up checking it in. 

For this series of posts I’m going to go through the different parts of my “kit” and share some of the thinking behind why I carry the things I do. Let’s start with the smallest part: The “Personal Item” or the “Flight Kit”

The “Personal Item”

In a previous post with tips on flying, I refer to this as my “flight kit”. It’s a small bag that holds everything I need for a typical flight. It’s small enough to fit in a backpack and an airplane seatback pocket. In the past, I used an amenity kit bag that I got from a Turkish Air flight. It would contain items that I felt were essential while flying. Over the years the contents would change as my approach to flying continued to evolve. But generally it would consists of charging cables, pens, earphones, alcoholic wipes and hand sanitizer.

The New Kit

Recently, I came across a small Lole belt bag from Costco that is roughly the same dimensions as my trusty flight kit. So I started to incorporate it on my trips and find that it replaces the original kit well and also adds extra uses which makes it a very versatile part of my overall travel setup now. 

These days, it not only holds my flying essentials, but also what’s required on an airport travel day. Before, I would only pull out my flight kit when I get to my airplane seat. Now I have this in front of me constantly and rarely need to go into my backpack or luggage for anything else. It makes the airport ground experience easier and the airplane boarding process more efficient. It also doubles as a mini day pack once I arrive at a destination and is still small enough to fit in the seatback pocket in front of me.

Because I keep items like my passport in this bag, checking in is a breeze. Passing through security, I throw my phone and watch inside and place the bag on a scanner tray. This reduces loose items that can be forgotten or even stolen at security. The same cable that you use to charge on a plane will work the same at an airport charging station. For me not having to go into any of my bigger bags while in transit is great!

The Contents

So what do I typically have on me when I’m going through the airport or on the plane? Below is a list of items that will almost always travel with me. 

Wireless Earbuds

When waiting for your flight to board, catching up on a show or throwing on some tunes is a great way to pass the time. Having ear buds will prevent you from being that “one person” who has their speakers on full blast in a crowd! In addition, being able to call home and check in with friends or family after you’ve landed is also a great reason to carry a set with you. There aren’t too many private places in an airport so having earbuds makes those conversations a bit more discreet.

While in the air, Bluetooth enabled inflight entertainment systems are only starting to make it onboard. Budget airlines may not even have screens or offer their entertainment via WIFI through your own device. So connecting to your phone or tablet with your earbuds is also beneficial. Being wireless while flying makes everything just a little bit easier, especially on longer flights when there is the inevitable “bathroom shuffle”.

Bluetooth Transmitter

Even with airplane fleet modernizations, it’ll still be some time before you can wirelessly connect to entertainment onboard every plane. So in the meantime, having a device that can connect to an audio jack and still connect to your earbuds solves all the in flight issues stated above. Conversely to modernization, I’ll also bring a two prong to single aux adapter for those “older” planes that that still have that interface.

Multi USB port charger

Whether you’re still on the ground or in the air, being able to charge your devices is important. While many airports, lounges and planes have USB ports available for charging, its not a certainty. And often when USB ports aren’t available a regular power plug is. So having a charging brick is super useful. In addition sometimes you need to charge more than one device, and having a charger that has multiple ports makes it a lot easier. For me personally, this one charger is capable of charging all my devices including my phone, earbuds, Bluetooth transmitter and even my laptop if needed.

NOTE: If travelling internationally, I will often bring a small plug adapter since charging ports differ from country to country.

USB-A to USB-C and USB-C to USB-C charging Cables

Generally all my devices use USB-C connections. However, most airports and planes still have USB-A ports as its a more common interface. So I’ll keep one USB-A to USB-C cable in my flight kit since I primarily charge my phone on travel days. It’s easier with a single cable vs. pulling out a charger and a cable. I will keep a USB-C to USB-C cable in my kit on the very rare instances that there are USB-C ports available. 

Slim Battery

I’ll carry a slim battery with me just in case I can’t find any place to charge my devices. There have been instances when the charger on the plane is broken or has very weak trickle charge. So instead of arriving to a destination with a dead phone, I’ll connect it to my phone before I land. This ensures my phone is ready to go for all the post landing activities. The one I have is very low profile and slips easily into the back of my bag so it doesn’t take up too much space and is also great once I arrive at and start exploring a destination. 

Hand Sanitizer & Wipes

This is something that started during the pandemic and has stuck ever since. While its not so much to prevent me from getting sick anymore, I did start to notice that cleanliness on airplanes can often be hit and miss. So making sure to wipe down a tray table or even to sanitize my hands before eating is routine for me now. Sometimes an airline will provide a wet towel or wet wipes, but just in case, I will always have one with me. 

Wired Earphones

As mentioned in my tips for flying post, I will always carry a pair of wired earphones with me. Firstly, technology can fail. From running out of battery to things simply not working, having backup audio is always helpful. Secondly, on many short haul routes, even full service airlines will only offer earphones for a fee. I discovered this on a domestic flight once. They had entertainment systems but would charge you if you wanted earphones. Ever since then, I’ve kept a pair of wired earphones in my flight kit just in case. Oddly enough, the ones I keep are the complimentary earphones offered by the same airline on their long haul routes. 

The Rest

The remaining items are pretty straight forward. I will always have a pen in this flight kit. Even as the world continues to modernize, I still find myself filling out an immigration card from time to time. Having a pen allows me to prefill the forms prior to landing vs looking for one after landing. As stated above, I will also keep my passport and identification in the flight kit. This allows me to have everything I need in one place so I don’t have to rummage through my bags to get it. In addition, there’s enough room for me to throw my watch and my phone inside when passing through security, further keeping it all in one place.

As I continue to travel I continue to refine the contents of the bag. While different situations will call for some adjustments. Most of the above is pretty standard for me now. Is it perfect? Likely not, but I find it works for me and how I like to transit. Hopefully there are some items above that will help you too! And if there are suggestions that you may have from your own experiences, I would love to hear about them in the comments!