How to: Pack your cabin/carry-on bags.

Cabin dosen't mean the size of... and carry-on is not supposed to be a 'suggestion'.

When it comes to cabin bags it is hard to get it right. To much and you pull a back muscle cramming it into the overhead locker and too little and your suitcase invariably gets lost in transit and you're stuck with lipgloss and your passport for three days. After much personal trial and error and from observing the mistakes of others (a kids plastic trike is not going to fit overhead no matter which way you twist it), I think I have found the perfect arrangement. Bear in mind that this only works if you are not: going away for the weekend with no check-in baggage, that dude from http://www.onebag.com/, have kids, have massively exceeded your check-in allowance and are carrying heaps on board in a bid to avoid excess baggage payments.

Buy a big handbag: There are heaps around, in fact you probably have one (or half a dozen) already.

• Make sure it is good quality. You are probably going to have it stuffed full so the straps have to be sturdy(understatement of the century). Across body works best with a backpack on your back.


• Comfortable. You are going to want to throw this thing over your shoulder when your hands are full (with duty free bags). Make sure the straps don’t cut and that is not rough on the outside because that will cause pilling and wear on your clothes.


• It should zip-up fully and completely. This is important because planes move. Things move around and can roll out into overhead lockers and if you have it stuffed under the seat then on takeoff the lady in row 278 is going to really enjoy your newly purchased Evian spray.


• It should have lots of pockets and dividers. In a big bag this is important for easy retrival of passport and lip balm (plane air-the ring leader in the chapped lips circus). One of the best big bags around is the ubiquitous Mimco button bag. Its only real faults as the ultimate cabin bag are that there are not enough dividers, pockets and hidey holes. This problem can be alleviated by buying some really cute pencil/make-up cases that you can get everywhere (even the front of mags- thanks Madison!). These are great for keeping families of things together.


• Never have your bag completely stuffed full either. If you are lucky enough to fly Buisness('honeymoon class') or First then you will probably get one of those ‘in-flight’ packs that you will want to take with you. Also mags, gum and all the little stuff that you buy duty free will probably want to take up residence in your cabin bag.
  

What to pack: Cram as much stuff into it as humanly possible (just joking...).

• Passport, ticket, vaccination booklet, travel itinery, and frequent flyer cards, immigration forms, extra baggage tags, travel discount cards etc will probably be best in a travel wallet. I used to think these things were mega daggy but their practical factor has over ruled that.They are totally invaluable if you are going to a number of places. You can get some cute ones now and they are the sort of present that most people love giving.


• Phone, camera, ipod, chargers, electonic suduku etc. I always take my phone charger with me because it just makes lost luggage even more frustrating when you have diminishing battery bars to remind you of it. Also it really is best to keep your valuables with you but remember that crims go on holidays too so do't get complacent with them.


• Jewelry-see above.


• Pashmina, wrap or sarong. You only need to take one of these things. They each have a million and one uses. Mainly I think the blankets provided are itchy, potentially unwashed(I'm not going to go there) and prone to creating arching bolts of static. I use a pashmina/wrap on the upper half of my body and the staticy airline one on the lower. It also is great to wrap your top with the pashmina when you are eating because 2 hours into a 14 hour flight is not the best time to spill coffee down your white top (actually I don't think there is ever a best time).


• Undies. This hopefully dosen't need to much explaining but if your check-in bag decides it would have prefered a beach holiday to your ski trip, then the hotel gift-shop pair aren't going to cut it.


• A pen. Formost for crosswords and Cosmo quizzes but also for leaving a immigration/customs paper trail that would circle the earth.


• Make-up/toiletries etc. I think I would have a panic attack if I forgot hand-cream, but you will also need lip balm (sticky gloss feels rotten on dry lips), make-up wipes, hyper-moisturising cream/oil/serum with spf, deoderant (spray on is fine as long as it is under 100mls and is wearing a cap), toothpaste (and obviously brush) and make-up especially anything that says brightening/illuninating/de-Rachel Zoe-ing. Some added extras are: perfume (to clash with all that tester stuff), little Evian water spray, eyedrops and cuticle cream. The first thing to consider is that everything will need to fit into one clear plastic zip lock bag provided to you at the airport. Remember that the bag they give you is a pretty crappy zip lock so once it has been x-rayed put the stuff back into a proper case that seals thus preventing hand-cream from moisturizing the inside of your bag. N.B you can take eyelash curlers carry-on and from personal experience make-up wipes don't need to be 'clear-bagged'.


• 'Medical' kit. No, I'm not talking scapel and compression bandage but tissues, band-aids, cotton-buds, Nurofen/panadol, immodium (before you dismiss this think-food that has been sitting around for ages+minimal toilets= disaster waiting to happen).


• Entertainment. Books/ mags etc. Even if the airline you are travelling with advertises 389,000 movies on demand you won't be able to watch any if the entertainment system isn't working (happens all the time) or your individual tv/headphone plug is broken(i.e some brat has stuffed gum into it).


• Keys. For your home, car (as long as you are planning on driving it home, not your boyfriend who so kindly dropped you off) and baggage locks.


• Snacks-remember there is no 7/11 at 38, 000 feet.


• Water-(buy it duty-free or take an empty bottle and fill up at a post-security bubbler)the regulatory plastic cup half-filled is not going to touch on the amount of H2O that you need to turn your blood back into a liquid after a long flight.


• Other-togs (swimmers) one 'late'/lost bag and those 3 soul-destroying, sleep-in surrendering Saturday morning 'perfect' tog-hunting marathons will have been wasted.

Is this it? I think so. Also remember that most tickets will say how much you are allowed to take on-board and if worst comes to worst remember that on most airlines in addittion to your cabin bag you are allowed a hand-bag, a coat, umbrella and 'a resonable amount of reading material for the flight' (so Syd-Mel thats a brouchure and Syd-London thats an entire collection of Encyclopedia Britanica). Happy 'stowing'!

N.B it will be a freakin miracle if you get everything I have recommended, into a handbag.

www.fruitybeauty.com.au -excellent skin advice for plane shrivelled epidermis.

www.onebag.com -truely in my heart I wish this was possible.

www.mimco.com.au - for gorgeous general-purpose cabin bags.