Over the holidays I was lucky enough to visit the beauty that is New Zealand – an incredible destination for anyone wanting to be amazed by natural beauty. To be able to see such greatness, covering anything from beaches to glaciers, from mud pools to turquoise gorges cutting through mountains, was an absolute treat and it truly reaffirmed the beauty of our planet.
Unfortunately, I live on the other side of the world so New Zealand is a far-reached destination that requires an awful lot of flying, which isn’t doing any good for my carbon footprint. And going on such long flights isn’t very good for your body either. You are exposed to loud noises that could damage your hearing, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) risks are higher, and due to low cabin humidity you can easily get dehydrated.
Here’s a conscious edit to keep you a bit more comfortable on your next flight, whilst also sticking to your more sustainable and natural routines.
- Wearing something comfy is key for me – the seat is uncomfortable as it is so being stuck in non-comfy clothing doesn’t help. On this trip I wore Boody leggings and top. Their comfy and long-lasting clothing is made from bamboo and they work with certified companies ensuring the process is as sustainable and chemical-free as possible.
- Staying hydrated is important so make sure you bring extra water with you – to avoid having to buy and waste plastic bottles, bring your own reusable bottle and top it up at a drinking water point when you get to the airport (past security). Avoid caffeine and alcohol on the flight as both will dehydrate you further.
- If there is a vegetarian food option then book this in advance to minimise the meat intake.
- Pack light as more fuel is needed the heavier the plane is (and having to carry less stuff whilst on holiday is always a positive).
- As you get dehydrated, so does your skin. Bringing smaller bottles of skincare products in your hand luggage that you can re-apply during the flight will save you. And this is also the perfect time to make use of all those samples you keep forgetting about at the bottom of some drawer. My favourite travel buddy was the Sodashi face mist that I applied whenever I felt dry and tired. Same with the REN lip balm and hand cream. (See full bag in photo above)
- Offsetting your flight is a way to potentially make you feel less guilty for increasing your carbon footprint by travelling across the globe. Many airlines will have a scheme set up that you can tap into and there are also new initiatives such as carbotax.org that allows you to pay a voluntary ‘carbon tax’ to help offset your climate impact whilst protecting threatened forests.
Because of the fact that I live in a different country to my family and because of my love of travelling and exploring new parts of the world, I do need to fly every now and then. But considering taking the train more often, and going on weekend breaks closer to home, is something we should all be doing more of. And of course, when we do need to catch a flight there are various additional things we should be conscious of, like using public transport when getting to and from the airport, staying in eco-conscious accommodation, sticking to vegetarian and/or local food whilst at our destination etc etc.
What do you do to stay conscious when travelling? And do you have any tips for enduring long-haul flights? I’d love to hear them!