Pilots are mission-minded, and they are also mindful of weight and balance. Through trial and error, they'll assemble and make room in the confines of a cockpit for the equipment that will work best. Check out what you need when you need to pack light.
Baggage compartment space and weight and balance limit what you can take on a cross-country trip in a smaller airplane—but packing light doesn't mean foregoing backups. Batteries, emergency equipment, and even a spare headset make it into my essential packing list.
I confess that I seldom carry an actual helmet in my military-style helmet bag. But the soft-sided bag itself is a bottomless pit that easily accommodates my other aviation items—and since the bag has only one heavy-duty zipper, you don't have to wonder which secret compartment to open to find the item you're looking for. Hand-held radio, Afrin, chewing gum, and sunglasses are all in the same place. Just fish around and you'll find it.
Check out more in the 2018 AOPA Gear Guide.