Traveling with Bo :: My Carry-On Bag

From in-flight entertainment, to staying relaxed and comfortable, our carry-on essentials can make a big difference to the way we enjoy travel. Take a peek inside Bo Ismono’s carry-on bag to see how he makes the most out of flights…

In this episode I will show you which essentials I pack in my carry-on backpack. I believe it’s obvious that expensive equipment like my MacBook Pro, camera, etc. of course go into my carry-on backpack, so let’s talk about the not so obvious stuff.

During a flight I want to be entertained and depending on the length of the flight I will use either my phone or my tablet. These need to be charged of course, so it is important to pack a USB cable and a charger. But not all airplane seats have an outlet or USB port so I pack a battery pack as well. This old Anker battery pack can charge my phone at least twice. If you get a battery pack, try to balance capacity and weight of the battery pack. It’s no use in my opinion to get the biggest capacity and just leave it at home because it’s too heavy.

To block engine noise and enjoy whatever entertainment I’m watching or listening to on my phone I use the Bose QC25 noise cancelling headphones. These are also great if you just want to take a nap, by the way. Of course, I don’t want to hold the phone the whole flight so I got this cheap phone stand from Amazon.

It is important to stay hydrated during the flight and water is really expensive in airports so I bring this Brita fill and go water bottle. It has a filter in the top so I can fill it up with tap water after I pass the TSA security check. In addition to water, I also pack an energy bar of some kind.

It’s not only about staying hydrated but also about staying warm. Even if you’re flying to a hot destination, the chances are pretty high that the airplane and air conditioning at the airport is going to be very cold. That is why I not only dress in layers but also pack this Patagonia vest. It keeps me warm during the flight and is fairly compact folded together. Last but not least a pen and a notebook is also always handy. So these are all my essentials that I pack inside my carry-on backpack.