You walk through the airport, board the plane, plop down in your seat, and buckle your seatbelt. You reach down into your bag and open it, only to discover that one of these items is missing. And you realize that you're gonna need it. You're in for a loooong flight.

1. Headphones

For me, this is the most important one of them all. If I don’t have a way to listen to my music, I’ve basically prepared myself for the worst. plane ride. ever.

2. Portable charger

If you’re like me and you like to listen to your music and read (or do other battery sucking activities) on your phone or tablet, a portable charger is a real life-saver on a plane ride.

3. Chapstick

I don’t know if it’s just me, but my lips always get super dry when I fly. When you’re at a high altitude, the air has far less moisture in it, so if you want to keep your lips from getting dry and chapped, slip a small tube in your pocket before you leave for the airport.

4. Lotion

The reasoning behind this is pretty much the same as bringing chapstick. Nobody likes dry, cracked hands.

5. A good book

There’s something really calming about reading while you’re high in the air. If you’re nervous about flying, it will help take your mind off things. Or, if there’s a book you’ve just really been wanting to get to but never seem to have the time, NOW is the time!

6. A jacket

Airplanes are either way too hot, or way too cold. In my experience, they’re always way too cold. I’d rather bring a jacket along and not need it than to say, “Nah, I won’t need it,” and have to shiver the entire time.

7. Travel-size tooothbrush/ toothpaste/ mouthwash

After flying for however long, and eating/drinking whatever you did, it’s always nice to get up near the end of the flight and freshen up. There’s nothing quite like a clean, refreshed mouth after you’ve been in the air for a while.

8. Hairbrush/comb

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken a nap on a flight and woken up with the back of my hair a knotted mess. Running a comb through your hair right before landing is a great idea to keep yourself from looking like you just slept the whole way there.

9. Hand sanitizer

You’ve just gone through security, boarded the plane, and touched the overhead compartment and your seatbelt. Gross. You’re definitely not going to want to touch your food, or your phone, or your face, or anything, with those nasty fingers.

10. Wet wipes

If you’re planning to eat on your flight or use the tray table for any other purpose, it’s a good idea to wipe it down first. Germs. Germs everywhere.

11. Tissues

I once was on a 7 hour flight where they had forgotten to re-stock the napkins. They also forgot to re-stock the tissues and toilet paper in the bathrooms, and the paper towels ran out an hour into the flight. Never again will I not pack a small packet of tissues.