Why is a $10 dry bag your best carry on?

Well for starters, it’s small enough to fit under the seat in front of you, even in the emergency exit isle. I choose to sit there every chance I can get, even if there is other seats available because of my height and mass. A small suitcase or a back pack won’t do if you’re there, because the entire isle must be clear of any obstructions.

Secondly, avoid all the commotion and nonsense of storing something or anything in the overhead bins. I think a fully packed plane could efficiently board and off load passengers in 15 minutes or less if people just ducked into their seats with a smaller carry on. As soon as the seatbelt lights go off, I’m standing ready to step off the aircraft. Grip it and rip it.

Thirdly, while you’re in transit and catching a connection, you can move about easily and won’t have to worry about waiting for the hand-cap stall in the bathroom. I just store my bag on the hanger and it’s just that easy. No such issues as trusting a crowd after leaving your stuff outside the door.

Forthcoming, you can buy these anywhere. I picked up a solid unit in Thailand that came with a shoulder strap, plus a sleeve for a phone. If yours gets old, or suffers a rip, buy a new one and use the old model as a shell for future protection of your new investment with little or no difference in shape or size.

Fifthly, for their size, they hold a large amount of gear. I pack my carry-on the same way every time I fly. One of everything I can survive with if my checked bag gets delayed or lost. Better safe than sorry in my opinion.

Six-pence, they tend to match every outfit imaginable. Every outfit of mine anyways. I tend to dress relaxed and low key, so a dry bag is perfect for helping people keep their distance as much as possible.

Lucky seven, your gear inside has a serious level of protection. If you or anyone spills on it, or you accidentally drop in on a wet floor, or when you’re in the bathroom putting on deodorant and brushing your teeth, that wet countertop won’t soak your books or your spare outfit.

Octopus, should you start off with a back pack and it proves to be too heavy, or over dimension, using the dry bag as a sleeve inside it for your clothes etc can split the weight and cut the original size down to conform for regulations. Two carry ons are sometimes better than one.

Niner, if you pack it correctly, you can have it double as the best pillow to sleep on the airport floor.

When I was travelling from Winnipeg to Bogota, I had 30 hours of in-transit time. Being of a certain shape and size, I find it hard to get any kind of real sleep while aboard an airplane. I can nod off here and there if I’m tired enough, but I tend to gravitate into the isle and wake up as often as people run into me.

You can rent sleeping areas sometimes in certain airports, but if you’re a cheap old Ukrainian like me, you don’t got time for that. I was tired enough after two days on four hours of sleep to bite the bullet and sleep on the floor of an international airport. A first for me.

The best place I could think of to set up camp was at at gate that had just ushered it’s passengers through, the least busy part of the carpeted area. I found a handicap bench of seats and laid down in front of them, with a glass wall on the other side.

This would prove to be rewarding. Though only a two hour duration, this rest was needed to the point of blinking in and out even as I was laying down. No sooner had I hit the floor, I was fading away from the rush hour traffic and boarding calls.

Having put my alarm on full blast and vibrate, I woke up with cloudy images of planes rolling in slow motion, and the sounds of an airport city. It was nice to have reset there even for only a couple of hours. It would prove enough to carry me through a big night of scotch and land safe on the other side.

The art of the carry on pillow

Here’s exactly how I pack to do it.

One full outfit consisting of a pair of sweat pants, one T-shirt, one pair of underwear, and one pair of socks. Two novels which are used for a base. Tooth brush and tooth paste. Notebook and pen. Eye drops. Swiss Army cologne.

Have your novels on the bottom of the bag, spine down. Fold your pants and shirt to suit similar but overlapping dimensions to the novels. Everything else will be fine atop your new set up. Roll the handle down a few folds and clip it all shut. Remember to put your phone, passport etc in the bag at this time if you aren’t wearing clothes with reliable pockets.

I like to sleep face up with my shades on so if the authorities need to wake you up, they know you’re cool.

If done correctly, you should have a firm pillow that’s ready to be your buddy. Set your alarm an hour before your flight begins boarding and be sure to confirm your gate on the board as they do change from time to time.

Thanks for reading, stay tuned for more travel stories, hacks and something secret coming in May.