Long flights: love ‘em or hate ‘em? (Most people seem to fall into the latter category.) And let’s face it, there is nothing natural about cramming oneself into a long cylinder and being jetted thousands of miles around the globe. It’s about as far from “natural” as you can get, and our bodies often are none too happy about the process.
But, hey, on the other end of that interminably long flight is where all the good stuff happens. There are new friends to be made, new fish to chase and new sunsets to photograph. New things to experience. The key is arriving in good enough shape to be able to enjoy it.
In the past year I’ve logged a few airlines miles — heading to Samoa for a fly-fishing shoot, flying to the Peruvian jungle for a SUP first descent, crossing the Pacific (again) to fish for and photograph golden char in Japan, and (most recently) heading to Jordan for an adventure travel shoot. I’m about to pack my life into Pelican cases and old Patagonia duffels once more and fly to far northern Europe for a fishing project. Add in dozens of in-country flights here in the States, and I’ve had a few chances to finesse my in-flight routine.
This post is split into two parts; part one will discuss “What to Do” on long flights — little tips and tricks that you can use to make your flight easier. The second part “What to Pack” shares a few of the things I like to fly with, and why they might be worth trying. Give them a read and then please share your best tips for long-haul flights!
Here are a few things to consider on your next long-haul flight:
What to Do
Leg room is more important some times than others… coming back home from a South Pacific shoot with infected, swollen feet necessitates flip-flops and plenty of moving.
• The longer the flight, the more leg room you’ll want (trust me on this). As you’re packing your carry-on, use a modular packing system: I keep all my “care kit (more on that below) items in a smaller grab bag that I can pull from my pack and shove in the seat pocket, leaving more room under the seat in front of me if I so desire. While I’d always rather keep my pack close, sometimes it’s just worth the ability to stretch out, especially if I wasn’t able to snag an exit-row or upgrade seat.
• I’ll detail what I put in my “care kit” below (I’m on the road as I write this, and it’s literally sitting in my ThinkTank camera bag next to me!). Think about what you reach for over the period of a typical workday: a certain kind of snack, hand lotion, lip balm, whatever… put it in a little packet and keep it close. It’ll make a world of different once the in-flight restlessness settles in!
• Drink a LOT. No, not the fun booze offerings — plain old water. Yes, you’ll have to get up and use the bathroom. Yes, it’s a pain. But hydration helps battle jet lag, exhaustion and just makes you feel overall better. Trust me on this one. The drinking is good, and the getting up more often is good.
• Consider fasting on flights with significant time change. This is an odd one, and the suggestion is often accompanied by a raised eyebrow. An exceptionally well-traveled military friend provided the suggestion years ago, and it isn’t until recently I’ve actually tried it. (Spoiler: I should have tried it sooner!) It’s certainly not a fit for everyone, but I’ve found this helps jet lag symptoms significantly on long flights.
Flying to Jordan last month, I would arrive at 2AM and have to be ready to go for the first day’s work at 6AM that same morning — no time at all to shake the jet lag from 30+ hours of travel and 10 hours of time change. I fasted on the longest leg — Salt Lake City to Paris — and then ate a late meal in Paris, which was only one hour from my destination time in Amman. I experienced very little jet lag and woke up the next morning a bit tired, sure, but ready to roll. Give it a try… it might be your new secret weapon.
• Dress comfortably! Again, personal preference. I have an odd habit of meeting people who will later become clients in foreign airports, so I’ll never be the sweatshirt-and-yoga-pants traveler. If that’s how you like to travel, go for it! My typical travel uniform consists of lightweight, loose linen pants from prAna, lightweight base layer, a jacket and slip-on shoes comfortable enough to sprint for the next plane if needed.
I also always travel with a big, comfy scarf — perfect as a blanket on the plane or something to wrap up in if I end up sleeping on the airport floor because of a delayed flight. (There was that one very cold night sleeping on top of a heating vent in Washington Reagan after a shoot in Belize…) Bottom line, be comfortable.
• I’ve also just (finally) added compression socks to my arsenal. I’ll put them on once I’m boarding the longest flight leg, and often pull them off once I’m arriving at my destination. These socks from Icebreaker breathe well, keep my circulation rolling and, hey, are kind of cute. (Of odd importance when you’re ridiculously tired and have an eight-hour layover to face before the next flight.)
In Part 2 we’ll look at a few other things you might consider adding to your in-flight kit!
• Pack your snacks. Airline food is notoriously bad and, even if you’re planning to fast as discussed above, you’ll want something for one you reach your destination. My go-to snacks are 
the lane and into a busy shoot schedule, so was willing to try anything that would help. To my pleasant surprise these, along with fasting during the longest flight, kept me feeling great. Again, everyone’s body is different, but these homeopathic pills are worth a try if you tend to get hit hard by jet lag.
