If you read my previous post on Keeping it Together, you’ll know that one of my two main rules for air travel is to hydrate. It’s nothing fancy. You just need to get a travel water bottle in the perfect shape and size.
If you do one thing in the pursuit of hydration, just. drink. water.
(remember: breathing = loss of moisture. You gotta breathe. So you gotta replace that moisture.)
The best way to do this is to bring your own water bottle to fill after you get through airport security and at every available opportunity after that.
I like a water bottle to be BIG to avoid running out, but it has to be tall and slim to stand *upright* without taking up too much space in my shoulder bag or backpack. It CANNOT lie down in the bottom of my bag. Just No.
A glass bottle is best– sure, it’s a little heavier than some, but it ensures that there aren’t any weird chemicals seeping into my water and reduces plastic production. Glass also cleans super easily, so when you fill it with wine lemonade to take to the beach, it’ll wash out easily with no lingering flavors.
I also need a screw-on cap (rather than one of those that pops up and you suck the water out) to reduce accidental leakage.
This one checks all my boxes for water bottle perfection: Glass, shatter resistant, silicone sleeve for grip and extra drop break protection, wide mouth, screw top, carrying handle, tall, skinny, CUTE. What more do we want, people? (Nothing. The answer is nothing)
These requirements for a tall and sexy water bottle ensure three things:
- Tall and skinny = small footprint. I don’t want a big bulky water bottle taking up space in my bag. I also find that I get a more comfortable grip on a bottle of this size. About 3 inches (7.5 cm) give or take is the best diameter.
- Upright posture = no leaks. It’s a very sad experience to hand your soaking wet passport to a customs official. Or to pull your crispy new issue of Vogue out only to discover half of it has been completely waterlogged by your water bottle condensation or leakage. An upright water bottle also makes it easier to grab the bottle for a quick sip without having to dig for it. Screw-on caps are best for leak reduction too. Nothing to pop open or slide out of place when the cabin pressure changes in flight.
- Glass = Clean Earth and Healthy You: Don’t get me started on plastic pollution and plastic’s possible health effects. I avoid contact with plastic and plastic waste whenever possible- especially when it’s touching my food or drink.
Luckily, I have found this perfect water bottle and am sharing the wisdom with you. Just GET one!
If you just can’t stomach the weight of a glass bottle, I’d also recommend this collapsible water pouch for a long day of touring around a city or heading out on a hike. It’s big (1 liter), easy to fill, and stands upright in your bag (or clips on), then collapses down and weighs very little (1.5 oz) when empty. I take this one with me when weight in my bag is an issue. It never leaks. I love it.
If you forget to bring your own water bottle, buy a big bottle of water in the air or train terminal (after you’re through security).
I typically avoid disposable water bottles and try to stick with glass (plastic pollution is an ISSUE) but in this case, I’ll make a rare exception and use the bottle for my entire trip- including the flight home. (hey, it keeps me from using MULTIPLE smaller bottles, so it’s still a decent plan B!)
I will SCOUR an entire airport to find one of the tall 1L size Smartwater or Life Wtr bottles. Smartwater and Life Wtr’s bottles tick all of my sexy water bottle requirement boxes (except the plastic, of course).
They stand up well inside my bag, take up very little space, have thin plastic to reduce weight (even though plastic is the last resort for me.. just looking for a silver lining), and are available almost anywhere. (If I’m in a place where Smartwater or Life Wtr bottles aren’t available, I can typically find a brand with a similar size and shape.)
Another hot tip that seems obvious, but I’ll say it because it’s so important:
Any time the flight attendants offer you water, TAKE IT. Sometimes it’s a little cup. Sometimes it’s a little bottle. Sometimes it’s a large bottle. DO NOT PASS UP THAT WATER.
Think of it as a reminder to take a sip. Drink it down immediately, use it to refill your larger bottle, or at the very least, stick it in your bag for later. It can also come in handy when you wake up in the middle of the night in your hotel room more parched than an old prune. Just take the water.
Finally: I. Love. In. Flight. Booze. And. Coffee.
I do. I love it. It gives the trip more of a vacay vibe, ya know? But you gotta go easy on that stuff.
Stick to 1 alcoholic drink- 2 max. Same for coffee.
The dehydration you’re already experiencing on the plane coupled with the diuretic properties of alcohol and caffeine will wreak havoc on your skin and organs. It’s not a great look. Doesn’t feel great, either.
And no, according to the Annals of Internal Medicine, you don’t get drunk any faster on an airplane than you do on the ground. This myth came from a study in the 1930s that didn’t take cabin pressure into account.
2 Additional Hot Tips For Staying Hydrated:
- Use a q-tip to swab a tiny bit of Aquaphor gel inside your nostrils before takeoff. (No, don’t use your finger. You’re in public. Also germs. If you forget a q-tip, just squirt a little inside your nose and pinch your nostrils to spread it around, but I really recommend just remembering to bring a few q-tips, ya’ filthy animal) This will keep the membranes inside your nose moist and prevent that painful dry sinus feeling. (I’ve heard it also apparently helps to protect you from airborne viruses… which seems like it makes sense, but I don’t have the data on that, so do with that information what you will.) I also do this on the ground when the seasons change and in hotel rooms to combat the dry air’s (rude) assault upon my sinuses. If you need another reason to get yourself a tube or two of travel-sized Aquaphor, it’s an EXCELLENT way to moisturize the backs of dry hands and a FANTASTIC lip protectant – it will prevent the dreaded painful cracked and flaky lips from hell. I don’t travel without it. Get. Some.
- If you just don’t like drinking plain water or if you’re losing electrolytes to sweat (Did we have to run to catch our flight? Did we have a particularly wild last night on vacay and now feel the morning-after effects of over-imbibing? No judgments…) try these Waterboy hydration/electrolyte packets in your water bottle. Don’t get me wrong, these aren’t your average sugar-and-dye-filled hydration packets. These are clean, sugar-free, chemical-free, low-calorie, and actually taste good. They’re also super lightweight and easy to toss in your bag. I discovered these after many years of looking for a product that would help my body recover from sweaty hikes and touring around Italy in the boiling hot summers. I needed quick on-the-go electrolytes that didn’t have a first ingredient that was pure SUGAR and a last ingredient I couldn’t pronounce (or recognized as poison-adjacent). These are it. 10/10 recommend for flavor and effects!
My other MUST-DO during any long-haul travel is MOVE YOURSELF. We won’t get into it here, but yes, of course I have tips on how to do it!
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The TWA Hotel
Sailing a Schooner on Elliott Bay
“Hiking” Mt. Rainier
Let’s Talk Hotel Toiletries.
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