Packing 101: Personal Item

Traveling within the U.S., you are almost always guaranteed a personal item in addition to carry-on luggage, although some budget carriers are starting to discontinue this practice. If you are traveling elsewhere, check with your airline to see their guidelines. I like to use my personal item to keep items readily available that I think I'll need during the flight or immediately after.

I always use a purse for my personal item, because it saves me the trouble of packing one. Generally, I pack:

wallet with ID (or passport if it's an international flight)
an empty glass water bottle, to fill after security
lip balm
boarding pass (I always print mine)
a snack (I prefer a Larabar)
311 toiletries bag, which I transfer to my carry-on after security
e-reader (I use a Kindle Paperwhite, with an Omoton cover)
phone
keys
scarf (to keep warm or use as a pillow)

As you can see, there is plenty of space in this bag for more, if needed, but I try to keep what I carry to a minimum so that each item is easily accessible. I've also fit everything into a bag about 2/3 the size when I needed to bring a different purse, although it makes things slightly harder to access.

That said, depending on flight duration, I may also pack a regular book or magazine, headphones, socks (especially on trans-oceanic flights), and my glasses case (in case I want to take a nap). On a really long flight, I'll make sure that my toothpaste/brush and face wash are accessible to freshen up either before landing, or right after.

Because I travel carry-on only, I don't worry about packing a change of clothes or putting valuables in my personal item, but you may want to consider this if you're checking luggage.

What are your in-flight essentials?