Send this checklist to the friend who doesn't know how to pack his carry-on bag
Having these five simple things makes travel so much easier. Now if only that annoying friend of yours would remember.
(Photo: Chern Ling)
Packing a carry-on bag is almost a science, really. For the most part, experienced travellers know exactly what they will need, and have streamlined it to just the bare necessities.
Sure, there are those personal things that vary from traveller to traveller, like your choice of neck pillow, fleece hoodie or emergency backup cookies.
But every jet-setter worth those precious frequent flyer miles knows that there is a core list of essentials that will make travel so much smoother, faster and easier if you have them on you.
Of course, we all have that one friend who can never get his act together, and is always asking to borrow items from you because he neglected to pack his own.
This person deserves to spend his afterlife in a purgatory of seats that don’t recline, air plane food where they don't even bother with a menu, and immigration lines that never end.
We all have that friend. Save yourself the frustration and send that person this checklist. Even if they don’t thank you, you’ll thank you the next time you (have to) travel together.
PEN
We all want to clear immigration quickly and smoothly, so bring a pen. You will need it for filling in immigration forms. Some airlines provide pens on board, but many don’t. And no one wants to lend you their pen and wait for you to finish filling in your first, middle, last and Chinese names.
EMPTY BOTTLE
Bring an empty bottle so that you can fill it at the drinking fountain after you go through the security scanner. Then, we won’t have to listen to you whine that you’re thirsty, especially on a budget flight where you’re too scroogey to pay for water.
And we sure as heck don’t want to share our water with you. Or step out of the security queue with you while you attempt, with great difficulty, to down a fresh bottle of water like a recruit at a water parade.
READ:Â The Princess, The Influencer and other friends you don't want to travel with
EYE SHADES
Bring the gosh-darn eye shades so that you’ll be able to sleep on the red-eye flight, and we won’t have to put up with your crankiness when we get there.
PORTABLE CHARGER
If you don’t bring your own portable charger and you ask to borrow ours, and you use up all our juice, leaving us with only 3 per cent of battery left to last us the rest of the journey, we will hurt you with a fruit fork.
SPARE PAIR OF UNDERWEAR
In case of unexpected flight delays, not (necessarily) because of incontinence. If we have to wait for hours in transit, we won’t be able to take a shower, brush our teeth or lie down in comfort – but at least you’ll feel better if you have a fresh pair of underwear to change into. Never underestimate the power of clean underwear.
And we're not lending you ours.
