Five Items Women Should Always Keep in a Carry-on Bag

After carefully packing her weekend bag for a trip to San Francisco, my mom faced quite the packing challenge. My dad had neglected to place their suitcase in the car on their way to the airport, leaving them both without anything to wear for 48 hours. With an arrival time in San Francisco of late evening, they were left with few options to pick up clothes to wear for the weekend. A number of things can go wrong when you pack for a vacation or trip. Your bag can be lost for days. Your husband could forget to put said bag in the car. To combat the potential hiccup in the road, women can make their arrival much smoother if they merely have these five staples in their carry-on bag.

Black Leggings: On the chance that your bag doesn’t make it on the plane, you want to have a few items in your carry-on that could get you through a few days of travel. I try to always travel with black leggings in my carry-on bag. Not only can they be worn out and about if you need to, but they also can act as your pajamas. Your emergency clothing stash in your carry-on should be filled with basics and basic colors, hence the need for black leggings and not some crazy color. You need these makeshift pants to go with everything.

A Change of Underwear: Ladies, unmentionables aren’t the easiest to pick up in a mad dash if your bag is lost or some other problem arises. You could wear a strange size or only a certain brand works for you. Also, a change of underwear might be your most urgent item needed if your bag is lost. Usually you can re-wear your plane outfit if your flight touches down too late for any stores to still be open. However, the same can’t be said of your underwear. By having a change of underwear with you, you can wait to make the frantic mall search in the morning.

Makeup and Cosmetics: Most women have a bag full of cosmetics that cost a pretty penny. If you stash your makeup in your checked luggage, you run the risk of having to re-buy everything you have which can in turn be pretty pricey. I always try to keep my makeup in my carry-on tote for this reason along with any other cosmetics or medications that I have to have with me. Even if you don’t want to lug your entire makeup collection in your carry-on, you should at least always travel with a few essentials in your carry-on bag like powder, mascara and chap-stick.

A White or Gray T-Shirt: Most of us don’t want to add too much weight to our carry-on bags. In the case of your emergency stash of essentials, you want to keep all items light and compact. If you are left without your luggage when you arrive at your destination, a white or gray basic t-shirt can be a lifesaver. Especially in the case of international travel, you often merely need something fresh to put on after touchdown.

A Plane Outfit That Makes Sense: If your bags are lost, your plane outfit becomes that old friend you might not want to face. While you can stash away all sorts of essentials in your carry-on bag, the reality is, your plane outfit will be a crucial component if your bags are lost. I always try to wear a pretty neutral color palette on the airline for this reason. I find a black knit pant is always best if my luggage is lost. I know that I have pants that can go casual and dressy, day and night. I also always wear a comfortable, well-worn pair of shoes on the plane in a neutral color just in case I have to wear them for a few days before my luggage arrives or I can get to a store. Bottom line, always pay careful attention to your plane outfit. You could be wearing it awhile.