How to: Pack A First Aid Kit For Travel

By Lola (Akinmade) Åkerström On July 30, 2010 · 6 Comments

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Currently volunteering with 12 community projects in 12 countries over the course of 12 months, The Global Citizen Project’s Charyn Pfeuffer explains how to pack a first aid kit when traveling and volunteering long term.

Photo by Robert Thomson.

From Charyn

People frequently ask me what I pack in my travel first aid kit. I tweak the contents of my kit depending upon the destination, availability of pharmaceutical supplies and foreseeable medical services.

Believe it or not, everything on this list fits into a fairly small zipped container, with the exception of prescription drugs, which I always put in my carry on luggage – just in case.

Since most of my volunteer projects for The Global Citizen Project are in impoverished places, I plan to take this locked and loaded version of my travel first aid kit to all the destinations.

Once there, I can pick and choose what I may need on a daily basis and stash a short list of items in my day pack (in a Ziplock bag to play it weather safe). So far, I haven’t run into a situation where I’ve needed something not on this grandmaster list.

Since I’m always eager to improve my Girl Scout-like packing and travel skills, please share any can’t-live-without first aid items I should add to my kit.

* Ace bandage

* American Red Cross Adult CPR with First Aid card

* Antifungal cream

* Aspirin

* Bandaids (various sizes)

* Benadryl (pill and cream form)

* Cloth tape

* Condoms (if sexually active)

* EpiPen

* First aid antiseptic

* Gauze All Purpose Dressings (4” x 4”)

* Hand sanitizer

* Ibuprofin

* Insect repellent (EcoSMART when malaria/dengue fever isn’t an issue; Ben’s Deet when it is)

* International Certificate of Vaccination (a.k.a. the “Yellow Card”)

* Latex gloves

* Lighter

* One size fits all cough/cold medicine

* Pearls Probiotics

* Prescriptions (Cipro for diarrhea, Ambien for insomnia, Doxycycline as a malaria preventative, altitude meds when necessary)

* Scissors

* Sunscreen (since I’m on Doxycycline for the year and sun sensitivity is a side effect, I pack SPF 50 and above)

* SteriPEN

* Superglue

* Syringes (various sizes, prescribed by travel doctor)

* Temparin One Step Lost Filling Repair

* Tweezers

* World Nomads travel insurance

Community Connection

Do you know you could turn food into first aid? In case you do fall ill while traveling, here are 10 common travel health problems and how to handle them.

My first aid travel kit consists of a couple band aids, and maybe mosquito repellent if I remember. What’s in your first aid kit when you travel? Tell us below.

About The Author

Lola (Akinmade) Åkerström

Lola (Akinmade) Åkerström is a MatadorU faculty member and Network contributor. Her work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Vogue, BBC, Fodors.com, and many more. Follow her photoblog at Sweden.se.

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http://cycleforgailsangels.com Johnny

I love your use of what looks like a gatorade powder mix container as your storage unit for the kit. Genius. Your kit is pretty together, however, I would add Bacitracin ointment, sutures, rolled gauze, and a roll of that blue stretchy sticky tape. I like keeping afterbite in my kit, but its not necessary. I’m on a bike tour so I also keep a Quick Clot or two in my kit in case of road rash or serious bleeds. Cheers!

http://www.lolaakinmade.com Lola Akinmade

@Johnny – The photo is actually not Charyn’s, but one chosen to illustrate the article. Thanks for sharing your first aid kit suggestions.

Madison

Impeccable list Lola! The only things I would change would be to take an OTC anti-diarrhea medication (Immodium, it has saved me!) along with the Cipro. The Ambien might be a harder prescription to get ahold of. Plus, it causes some pretty strange side effects! Benadryl is what I prefer to take if I have sleep issues. The main ingredient is the same as what they put in OTC sleep aids. Its very effective and okay to take when you have the occasional sleep issue.

I’m definitely going to be saving this list for my next trip!
http://www.legalnomads.com Legal Nomads

Hi Lola! Great post. I’d also add triple antibiotic cream (Neosporin or the like), Steri-Strip wound closure strips (I cannot tell you how many times these have come in handy – sad but true!), lidocaine Burn Jel and the always helpful Moleskin (for those blisters that just won’t go away) to the list. Hopefully you’ll never need to use them, but they’ve all been helpful on my RTW.
-Jodi
http://badalaslifeinthailand.shutterfly.com jami badala

Thanks for the list of items we’ll be needing for a first aid kit. This kit is more detailed than I’ve seen, while looking for what I’ll need to pack for our up-coming move to Thailand. We want to travel to surrounding countries after we’re settled there, and will have the little yellow card but this is a great list. Thank you, I’ve printed it out and will be packing all the needed extra items! Jami
http://renegadepilgrim.blogspot.com RenegadePilgrim

For travel in developing countries where sterility cannot be guaranteed, I carry this: http://www.rei.com/product/784611

I also supplement it with steri-strips, liquid adhesive (Mastisol) to secure steri-strips, extra sutures and more gloves.

As for anti-malarials, I think taking doxycyline daily for extended periods of time is a bad idea unless you have a bad reaction to Malarone or Mefloquine or they are contra-indicated for your area, you would be better off NOT taking anti-malarials than dealing with the damage to your body of taking doxy daily for extended periods of time.

My prescription med kit includes: Phenergan for nausea (Zofran ODT is too expensive!), Vicodin for extreme pain (never take it, I have it just in case), Z-Pack (for URI issues), Doxycyxline (treatment for malaria), Cipro (treatment for traveler’s diarrhea). I also have basic OTC drugs like ibuprofen, tyleonol, aspirin, and Immodium, Benadryl, and Sudafed (the real stuff).

Other things I have: bandaids, 2X2 gauze pads, tape, Coban, trauma scissors, antibiotic ointment, duct tape (blister prevention), Compeed (if you live in Europe, this stuff rocks!), alcohol wipes.

Things I wish I had carried: Benadryl creme (they don’t have it in Thailand and the alternative does not work as well with bug bites) and Betadine (you can get small bottles all over the world in pharmacies)

Most countries, even in the developing world, have good pharmacies and you can usually get what you need there. Great idea and I look forward to seeing what other people keep in their kits.

How to: Pack A First Aid Kit For Travel

From Charyn

Community Connection

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Lola (Akinmade) Åkerström

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