For The Plane Trip
Once your luggage is packed and ready to go, it’s time to consider the essential items to bring in your carry-on for the plane ride. One important tip before packing all these items: make sure all the tech items are fully charged and bring along charging cables (usually one USB-A-to-USB-C and one USB-C-to-USB-C should suffice for the latest tech) to keep them charged as needed.
Noise Canceling Headphones
The first thing I make sure is charged and ready to go in my carry-on backpack whenever I travel is my wireless noise cancelling headphones. For this trip, I took along the Marshall Monitor II A.N.C., which were released a few years ago. These hi-fi headphones are the first in Marshall’s over-ear line-up to include active noise cancellation. But what really stood out to me is the promise that these headphones can last with ANC on for up to 30 hours and up to 45 hours without. For a flight to Italy and back from Toronto, which would be just under 20 hours both ways, I was able to charge them, pack them, and wear them without having to recharge before heading back home – and still had battery life to spare. I kept ANC on the entire flight while wearing them, using them even for a quieter background while I tried to catch some ZZZs.
One thing to note with these headphones: if you’re trying to pair them with a second device after already pairing with a first, you will need to turn Bluetooth off on the first device, then press and hold the gold button to turn the headphones on and continue holding the button for about 10 seconds total until you hear a second chime. Trying to connect without doing this may result in the Marshall Monitor II Bluetooth LE connection being the only one that shows up on the device’s pairing list, and this connection doesn’t support audio transmission. It took me a few tries and research online to figure this out and finally get the headphones connected to the Google Pixel Tablet I planned to use for watching movies and shows on the flight.
Once on the flight, I used the gold mode button to control ANC. A short press toggles between ANC and monitoring mode: push and hold it for two seconds to turn ANC on or off. To adjust the level of noise cancelling, however, you need to use the Marshall Bluetooth app, which you’ll only be able to tap into if you have Wi-Fi on the plane.
Note that with these or any other wireless headphones, you’ll need to bring along a 3.5mm cable if supported (these ones do come with one) to connect to a seatback entertainment system. I used the included cable when I wanted to watch shows from the seatback system versus my tablet.
Extra Pair of Earbuds
I always keep an extra pair of wired earbuds in my carry-on just in case the battery in my wireless noise cancelling headphones dies (if you use ones that take standard cell batteries, make sure to pack an extra set). If your phone does not have a 3.5mm jack, make sure to bring along the required adapter. For my iPhone, I have a 3.5mm-Lightning connector. But for this trip, I brought along the new Shokz OpenFit open-ear true wireless earbuds. What I like about these buds, which I began testing for my trail walks and runs at home before leaving for the trip, is that they use patented air conduction technology so they don’t have to actually go in your ears but rather sit on them. The neat Dolphin Arc ear hooks, meanwhile, rest comfortably behind your ears like the old Bluetooth headsets of yesteryear (but which a much sleeker design).
They don’t rival true ANC travel headphones, but they are a good back-up option for travel, or to pack and wear for your morning runs or hotel workout sessions. The seven hours of listening per charge and up to 28 with the included charging case means I had more than enough juice as back-up for the duration of the trip.
Portable Charging Bank
A portable charging bank comes in handy not only for the plane ride (sometimes, airline USB-A sockets don’t work) but also to bring along in your travel backpack or fanny pack. They are also a lifesaver if, like me, you don’t realize that the charging cable you brough has a USB-C connector and the plane only has a USB-A outlet. You’ll probably be out sight-seeing or on various adventures all day, so this will ensure your phone is always juiced up, even if you’re out from morning to night.
I usually pack two of these chargers so I always have one ready to go. With three phones being used for photos, navigation, and more, we drained the battery of a portable charger every day to keep our devices. My recommendation is to pay more for a portable charging bank that has cables built in so you don’t need to bring a loose one with you every time.
Tablet
This year, rather than download TV show episodes and movies from my favourite streaming services to my iPhone, I downloaded them to the new Google Pixel Tablet and brought this along as an entertainment device option for the nine-hour flight. I bought a third-party kickstand case for it so easily prop it up on the tray table. (While the Google Pixel Tablet Case is stunning in design, I could not stomach the high price tag.) A case is also worthwhile to add all around protection thanks to the folio flap that protects the screen when closed.
Smartwatch or Fitness Tracker
I’m a stickler for capturing my steps and closing my rings, so an Apple Watch is an essential piece of tech to bring along. You might have another preferred smartwatch or activity tracker brand. I’d highly advise bringing one and its charging cable (especially for an Apple Watch that requires daily charging) so you can keep track of your daily steps, calorie burn, and exercise minutes. Especially if it’s a trip where you’ll be eating (go ahead and indulge!) and walking a lot, it’s useful to be able to see your stats at the end of each day and for the duration of the trip.
A smartwatch is also a great way to keep on top of appointments and reservations, and even pay for items using the Apple Wallet app on the Apple Watch (or comparable digital wallet on another smartwatch, like Google or Samsung Wallet).