What's in my hand luggage? ♡

It's probably the part about travelling that stresses me out the most; packing. What outfits should I take? Do I really need four different pairs of shoes? Or all three of those bikinis? If I pack that will it come out of my suitcase looking like a dishrag so I can't wear it without an iron? All very serious questions. When it comes to my hand luggage I try to keep it simple - partly because I don't want to pack a load of unnecessary stuff, but also because it's the only place to which I can distribute all the crap I buy whilst on holiday when my suitcase goes over the weight limit (as it inevitably will). And when going on holiday next week I have 5kg of hand luggage and 15kg of checked baggage. So I need to be space efficient! Here's the run down of what I usually include in my hand luggage.

Passport & Travel Documents

Obvs... I always keep my travel documents, tickets, boarding passes etc in this handy little wallet that I picked up in Home Bargains for £2.99! It fits your passport, EHIC card/bank card/whatever other card you may need inside one cover whilst also having plenty of room for the 16253920 pieces of paper you end up printing off and taking with you... you know, just in case.

Purse with ££ and €€

Kinda self explanatory. I usually take enough pound sterling to get me through the airport and then some more, just in case you need some emergency money (or have to buy emergency makeup in Duty Free).

Phone and Headphones

Of course my phone is a must, and I honestly don't think I could get through a plane journey without headphones. Whether it's to drown out the screaming children three rows behind you, or to listen to a chilled playlist when your nerves are in overdrive during turbulence, they always help.

A good book!

Getting lost in a book is such a great way to help the plane journey pass by quickly. I usually take a good few books on holiday and pick one of them to pop in my rucksack; this time I've chosen Empire of the Sun by JG Ballard - something I've had on my book case for a long time and haven't read yet.

A good film.

[Obviously I don't take the DVD with me] but having a few films available to watch on my laptop through iTunes is one of my favourite ways to keep myself entertained on the plane. The flight for our holiday next week is only two and a half hours so I might not even watch anything, but just in case I've prepared one of my all time favourites 'The Breakfast Club'.

Portable Phone Charger

An absolute must-have item for me wherever I go!

My Camera

Not pictured, as I was using it to take the photos, but my camera is probably the most important thing in my rucksack - although having your great big DSLR camera bag makes it mega awkward to fit everything back into your bag in some sort of logical order after security. I am that person who's rapidly shoving everything back into my bag as more and more people come through the security gates.

Tangle Teezer and Hair Bobbles

Because sometimes I just need to brush my hair and shove it in a quick messy bun!

Powder and Powder Brush

For a quick freshen up when we get off the plane at the other side - I never wear makeup to fly in but travelling always makes my skin really oily so I like to have a little bit of something to hand to rectify the situation!

Lip Balm

Because I always have to have some on me! One of my favourites is the classic cherry Carmex.

Compact Mirror

Kind of an obvious one, but it's something I always need to have to hand! This vintage Hello Kitty one is my favourite, it's so cute, and so 'me'.

What 'must haves' do you always include in your hand luggage?

Maddie x