What Should You Pack In Your Travel First Aid Kit?
Recently, a friend who is preparing to retire and wants to start travelling asked me what I had in my travel first aid kit. I had to think about it for a minute. On every holiday, I have taken things like band aids, hand sanitizer, aspirin and a pair of scissors, but they were not organized into a first aid kit. As I am now preparing to travel on my next journey, I have taken the time to research and speak with my doctor about what would be ideal to have in my travel first aid kit in addition to vitamins and any prescription medications I may require.
Some pharmacies do sell travel first aid kits but I have discovered that many of the items they include I do not think I would ever need, so for me customizing is the best solution. Look or ask for small containers of your favourite remedy or cream and save the large ones for home use. This way you are not adding unnecessary weight. Make sure you keep all prescription medications in original containers with labels. Not all countries have approved and legalized the same medications as we have in Canada.
Here is a list of essentials I have come up with for a travel first aid kit. Depending on your individual needs you may want to expand your list of necessities.
- Cough drops or throat lozenges
- Cold medication
- Motion sickness pills
- Pain medication (Tylenol, Aspirin, ibuprofen)
- Antidiarrhea medication
- Antihistamine tablets
- Laxatives
- Antacids
- Sunscreen
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Band aids (I bring a couple of each size)
- Antibiotic ointment (polysporin is the one I like)
- Antiseptic to clean wounds (like alcohol or hydrogen peroxide)
- Vinyl or latex disposal gloves.
- Small scissors
- Tweezers
I find a clear plastic Ziploc bag is excellent for holding all these items. It makes it easy to see what I am looking for and will contain any leaks should one occur.
Being prepared and organized makes travelling easy!
Written by: Joan Niemeier