Booking economy on a commercial flight can often feel like paying for your own discomfort. The seats are too close together with little support, and the surrounding surfaces are undoubtedly dirty. The few inches you are given to create a personal bubble can be quickly erased by fellow passengers’ emotions, eating habits, and even bare feet (I’ll never understand taking your shoes off on a plane). That’s why it’s essential to pack carry-on items that will actually provide elements of ease in an otherwise aggravating setting.

While it’s true that you save relative cash when booking economy, you make up the difference with how much unspoken conflict you’re willing to endure. Thankfully, over the years I’ve learned which items encourage me to relax, block out the chaos, and settle in—regardless of where I’m seated in economy. Read on for the five essentials I pack before takeoff that prioritize comfort, including the carry-on bag I recommend most.

The Best Carry-On Bag for Effortless Travel

There’s usually no way to travel without packing a carry-on bag. Even the most well-heeled traveler—the person who has reached far-off places and considers airport lounges to be extensions of their living room—routinely needs a companion to their rolling luggage. This bag makes transit more bearable, and finding the right one can be the difference between fumbling for items and having them at your fingertips.

After years of cycling through various options, the carry-on bag that best suits my needs is the Catalina Deluxe Tote by Lo & Sons. This canvas tote comes with two compartments, a wide top for odds and ends plus a bottom compartment for shoes, and there’s a sleeve that can attach the tote to my wheeled luggage. The zippers are strong, the pockets are generous, and the overall construct is super intuitive.

On my recent flight to Chicago, I sat next to a woman who had the exact same review. “This bag is the best,” I said to her as we sat down. “I feel like everyone should get it,” she responded. So, it’s only fair to share what we know! Here are the five items I place inside it:

Nalgene 16-Ounce Wide-Mouth Water Bottle

Flight attendants have a hard job: They’re trained to keep passengers safe as they take their orders up and down the aisle. I don’t always like waiting for them to lug the drink cart my way when I’m thirsty, so I usually have this Nalgene 16-ounce water bottle on hand just in case. I fill it up at a water fountain in the terminal before a flight, and then refill it if I know it’ll be a while before reaching my hotel. Bottled water is needlessly expensive in terminals, and this is one way around that. Plus, Nagelene’s water bottle has a wide mouth that’s easy to clean on the go.

Brooklinen Silk Eye Mask

Light can be a source of stress on a flight. If you’re like me, then you don’t necessarily want to fly in a giant tube with all of the shades down while above landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Swiss Alps. I would like to marvel at these sights from the sky, even when the guy in 13C is angry that I’m casting a glare on his screen. The same thing goes for when I inevitably drift off to sleep during a red-eye, but then the flight attendants turn on all the lights to land—frustrating. To control my own response to light as much as possible, I pack this Brooklinen silk eye mask in my carry-on bag. It makes it so I get complete darkness no matter what’s going on around me, from a brand I love at home. (No apologies for sometimes looking out the window, we’re flying through the air.)

A Pair of Wired Earbuds

Traveling is usually more enjoyable when you keep things simple: Wearing outfits you already love, trying not to do too much in one day, and trusting in items that don’t overcomplicate your routine. That’s how I feel about bringing wired earbuds with me on flights. I don’t have to worry about charging them, they can block out sound without keeping me in too much of an observational bubble, and I’ll find them if they fall.

I commend people who unpack very expensive headphones on flights, but I’d be too scared to accidentally leave them behind. I’d also never bring AirPods along just in case they popped out of my ears—airplanes can be a black hole for ever finding them again. Wired earbuds are straightforward, and I store them in my carry-on bag between trips.

A Compact Travel Blanket

I’m someone who tends to run cold, plus I just like the feeling of being bundled while relaxing or trying to sleep. I used to travel with a scarf to help me stay warm on flights, which are notoriously chilly, but switched to this compact travel blanket for more coverage recently. A blanket might seem like one of those details that takes up unnecessary space in your luggage, particularly if you’re going somewhere hot, but trust me: You’ll be wishing you brought a blanket while shivering at 30,000 feet. Comfort comes more easily when you’re warm!

A Rich Face and Hand Moisturizer

Since it’s no secret that planes aren’t exactly germ-free, you probably already know to bring the following: disinfecting wipes for the tray table and arm rests, plus hand sanitizer for braving the in-flight bathrooms. But these items tend to further dry out your skin in a setting that’s already a soaring dehumidifier—and parched skin is not comfortable for long. That’s why I usually pack a face moisturizer and a hand moisturizer in my bag (they’re just the ones I use at home). By keeping my skin hydrated, I’m much cozier in transit.

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The Flight Edit: 5 Comfort Essentials I Never Travel Without