Life Hacker gives us 10 tips for air travel. One where I heartily agree:
10. Ignore the Food for Better Sleep
My addition: pack Clif bars and oranges. Also, stay hydrated (you’ll have less jet lag), so skip wine and coffee. Bring, or ask for, extra water. (If you hate the idea of buying a $3 bottle in the terminal, bring an empty bottle and fill it at the water fountain after security.)
Finally, one of the more unexpected tips:
7. Pack a Starter Pistol (or Actual Gun) to Protect Valuables
Their rationale: Nobody will mess with your checked camera if it’s packed with a pistol and held extra secure.
Before you run out to the gun shop, two thoughts: do you really want to backpack Europe with a pistol? And possibly more important, when the airline bumps you off a flight and loses your luggage, do you really want to have a gun handy?
4 Responses
As far as I know, the thing about coffee dehydrating you is a persistent myth. (See, for example: http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100153347.)
On your first point, allow me a tangential rant. “Better sleep” nowadays often means getting on a plane and popping a sleeping pill or two. I’ve been known to do it myself. But I think those of us who are knocking ourselves out for the duration of long flights need to be more conscientious about requesting window seats. It’s really a dick move to pass out and force people to climb over you or rudely shake you from your coma if they have to use the restroom.
I agree with not drinking coffee, only because it will keep you awake. I don’t know of any solid evidence that it won’t hydrate just about as well as water. Of course, you can’t beat water, as you say.
The gun would be in your checked in bags, so you would not have it handy when the airline loses your luggage.