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
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.