Staying Healthy While Traveling – Planes, Trains & Car Rentals

I miss Traveling… the notion of an out of town adventure is never far from my thoughts. Maybe it’s the months-long shelter in place or the EU taking us off the guest list that makes me want it more. 🙂 At the same time, I’m a little concerned about boarding a plane or train. Who am I kidding… right now, it’s a little nerve racking going to a crowded Costco!  But our time for travel & adventure will come. Staying healthy while traveling will likely require a few extra steps.

We’ll adapt & move forward…we always do.

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain

First Things First

For the moment, there’s some pressing matters that need our attention & vigilance: Pulling together to defeat Covid, seeing BLM through to positive change, rebooting the economy, moving away from incredibly divisive politics (who’s the jackass that made wearing a mask a political statement?… he said rhetorically), VOTING IN NOVEMBER.

That said, we can do our part to overcome these challenges AND begin to make plans. In the months ahead, adventures involving plane & train travel will hopefully be back on the agenda. Adopting some updated strategies, similar to post 911, will become the new normal.

This month, Jaunty is publishing a series of articles around staying healthy while traveling. Most of the products and recommendations will be useful long after Covid is in our rear view.

When we look at the steps for healthier travel, it makes you wonder why we weren’t doing this years ago. Who the hell wants to catch a cold or the flu on a trip anyways, let alone Covid?

Staying healthy while flying

While we emphasize plane travel, most of the recommendations below apply to train trips, rental cars, RV’s, commuter rail etc….

Staying healthy while traveling begins with some essentials that provide peace of mind, ensuring you’re as safe as possible en route to your adventure.

Check out  Stress Free Travel Ideas for a more comfortable flight

Affiliate disclosure…

TSA approved carry on bags

First, you’ll need a clear, inexpensive TSA approved bag to carry on. The clear front allows for smooth TSA screening & easy access to your items, during the flight.

Plus, in those first couple of minutes before take off, you can quickly find what you need to disinfect your seating & pull out needed supplies without fumbling around.

Procase TSA Approved Travel Bag Pouch

Lermende Clear Toiletry Bag TSA Approved

TSA Approved Toiletry Bag With Handle Strap

Nozin Nasal Swab

Kills germs (up to 12 hours) & moisturizes your nasal passages for travel. Think of Nozin as a hand sanitizer for your nasal passages!

Beekeepers Natural Propolis Spray – germ fighting throat spray

“Uses bee propolis for natural germ fighting properties, lots of antioxidants, and 300+ beneficial compounds, we like to think of propolis as nature’s ultimate defender.”

Wipes – clean your hands, tray table, steering wheel etc…

Herban Essentials wipes

All Natural, germ killing, mood lifting essential oil towelettes Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Aromatherapie

Germ X hand sanitizing wipes

Erbaviva Lavender & Eucalyptus Hand Sanitizer

C.O. Bigelow Hand Sanitizer with soothing aloe

Masks

There are a wide variety of masks available for civilian protection. N95 masks & ATSM 3 surgical masks are unfortunately hard to come by (& mostly reserved for medical personnel). Studies suggest that two or three layer civilian masks are most effective at limiting the transmission of droplets, thereby protecting those around you.

We’re not going to recommend any specific mask brands as availability and style changes rapidly.  Amazon, Etsy, Medidental, Walmart are good shopping options.

Plastic Face Shields

As airlines move back to full flights, the additional protection afforded from Unisex face shields might be worth the small investment (& the fear of being self conscious).

The benefits of Plastic face shields are two fold:  One, they protect your eyes and face from virus exposure & two, they discourage you from touching your face. Some experts feel that shields might be more effective than masks alone.

While it took us a few months to embrace the idea (& value) of mask wearing, face shields, while traveling in close quarters, might be worth jumping on sooner than later. Qatar Airways has already made face shields mandatory on all their flights.

If the idea of a face shield is a bridge too far, perhaps consider safety glasses/goggles for your flight or train trip…

Clear Plastic Face Shield

Clear Face Cover with glasses frame

MediaBlink Face Shield

We don’t have a relationship with these guys, but I like their story. Based in New Orleans, they retooled their factory to make masks for medical workers sorely lacking in PPE. Their foundation has given out 18,000 masks to medical and other workers in need. They now sell directly to customers. Give em a look….

Seat Covers

Disposable seat covers help create a barrier between you & your seat for your flight

Fresh Flight – Disposable Airplane Seat Covers

Airplane Seat Cover (2pcs)

Disposable gloves come in handy for cleaning up your travel space, a trip to the restroom, navigating the airport

Tiblu reusable snack/food bags

Reusable pouches for packing tasty, healthy snacks before your flight. Some airlines have cut back or removed in-flight service. Odds are, you can pack a healthier, tastier snack than what most airlines/airports offer!

Have you seen Jaunty’s article on the healthiest cookware?

Also, Stress Free Travel Ideas for a more comfortable flight

Portable water bottles

Once you’ve cleared TSA, you can fill up your Hydro flask with the hot/cold drink of  choice,  for the flight.  Or, the Larq self cleaning water bottle that  lets you sanitize on the fly…

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