Reddit mentions of Women's Light Weight Flyaway Cardigan Shawl Collar Shrug with Drape Pockets Cardi (Small, Black)

OK, this post is going to look like a series of ads but I promise that neither me nor anyone I know works for these companies; these are just products I love and wouldn't fly without.

Carry-on items: generally you're allowed one carry-on bag and one "personal item" (generally a non-luggage bag) so I always travel with a laptop backpack as my main carry-on and a big, soft, zippered tote as my personal item. I used to have this travel bag with a zillion pockets but it got to be such a pain trying to remember which pocket had which item it got stupid. Now with a big tote, I can just drag it out from under the seat, open it wide, and pull out one of the...

Packing cubes: Godsend. I buy them from ebags in various sizes, using the big ones for clothing in the pack, and the little ones in my tote. I use different colored ones in the tote for different things. Green for snacks, red for electronics, and blue for comfort items. Since all the small, easily jumbled items are in smaller bags, they're less likely to get lost in the bottom of my big bag. I try to keep my electronics cube better organized by using...

Gear ties: these are like durable, reusable twist ties for things like cords, cables, handfuls of hair elastics, anything you want to keep bundled up and untangled. When I want to use something like my earbuds or a charging cable, I just twist the tie around my tote handle so it won't get lost. Some of the items also in my electronics cube are:

Plug adapter (international travel, I have one for every country I'm hitting, even if it's just an airport stop - one 14-hour stranding in the Hong Kong airport overnight taught me that lesson.)

Compact multi-outlet power strip which can make you new best friends in airports and make the stupidly-configured power outlets in hotel rooms actually workable.

Four-port USB charger: one of these means I only need one outlet to charge my phone, tablet, e-book, and my...

Portable power bank: nothing sucks more than a long flight when all your electronic entertainment doodads have run out of juice. My power bank can charge my phone fully 3+ times and is about the same size as the phone itself.

Onto the comfort items! Some of them go into a packing cube in my tote, others are larger so they're separate.

Disinfecting wipes: I like these because they're individually wrapped and good for both hands and surfaces. First thing I do when I get onto a germ-factory airplane is wipe down my armrests and tray table. Also great for public restrooms when you find out there's no soap.

Filtering water bottle: in many cities around the world, airport bottled water is crazy expensive, and water bottle filling station water is, in a word, nasty. I can attach this bottle to my tote with a carabiner and the filter makes most municipal water taste at least halfway decent.

Travel pillow: personal preference but this one is my favorite. My husband prefers a memory foam donut one but I find it heavy and bulky and not supportive in the right way. The Travelrest rolls up to a compact shape and inflates in seconds.

Soft, layered clothing: I wear yoga pants, a sports bra, a t-shirt, a light drape cardigan and slip-on shoes. The only thing remotely binding I wear is...

Light compression socks: actually my pair is just a regular pair of knee socks in the Nordstrom house brand that I keep snug by only wearing them for flights and handwashing them so they don't lose their elasticity. No matter how often I get up and move around during a long flight I'll get puffy ankles if I don't wear snug socks. Over those, once I'm in my seat I put on...

Fuzzy slipper socks. My feet freeze on planes but I don't like wearing my shoes for that long. Even though I don't think my shoes smell, if I get the stinkeye from a neighbor, I put my shoes into a plastic bag, otherwise I can usually get them off and hide them under the seat in front of me before my seat mates arrive to my row. Because I get so cold on flights I also wear/carry a...

Pashmina or other large scarf: works as a fashion accessory, blanket, pillow, and a don't-talk-to-me barrier when worn like a hood. Also covers up that spot where you spilled your coffee on yourself because you had to be at the airport at 5:30 a.m.

Sleeping mask: slap one of these on, engage your (preferably noise-canceling) headphones, lean into your travel pillow, cuddle up under your scarf and try to forget you're rocketing 35K feet over the planet in a big metal tube.

Single-use toothbrushes: I love those little Wisp toothbrush things - I usually keep them in my handbag or work desk for those oh-shit-here-comes-the-CEO-and-I-just-had-a-grande-latte moments, but they're also great for a little freshening up on a plane or in an airport without needing to get out your actual toiletries.

Moisturizers: because plane air is so drying this includes travel-sized lotion, face moisturizer, and lip balm. So much lip balm. I like Aquaphor myself.

Snacks: be nice to your fellow travelers and keep your snacks non-smelly, quiet especially if it's an overnight flight, and not too messy. I like to bring things like clementines, Babybel cheese, trail mix, chocolate covered nuts, or granola bars. Gum is good for takeoffs and landings. If you're prone to motion sickness, candied ginger is great.

Have a comfortable flight!