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Your Traveling First Aid Kit
What to take when you travel

Accidents and illness can happen anywhere. Taking first aid supplies when you travel is one way to head off potential problems. Try to anticipate your needs when deciding what to pack.

• Where are you going and how long will you be away? Are you backpacking or staying in five-star hotels?
• Do you have ongoing or frequently recurring medical problems?
• Do you need regular medication or have serious allergies?
• Will you be looking after others while you travel, such as young children, aging parents, or someone with a disability?
• How easy will it be to access reliable medical care where you are going?

Look in your medicine cabinet to see what you normally use to deal with minor problems. When you walk down the drugstore aisle, imagine what you might run out to buy at 10 o’clock at night. These supplies may not be available or recognizable in another country. Product names will be different and, depending where you are, labels may not be written in English.

You must be particularly careful when purchasing first aid supplies in a developing country.

• Is the product authentic? (Counterfeit medications exist.)
• How old is the product? (Is it expired?)
• Is the product sterile (for example, needles or bandages)?
• Could anyone have tampered with the medication?
• Has the product been properly stored? (Was it kept at the proper temperature?)
• Is it safe? (Some medications with serious side-effects are sold over-the-counter.)

Be realistic. You must carry what you pack. It is not possible to anticipate and provide for all medical problems. At some point, it may become necessary to seek local medical care.

Some stores sell packaged first aid or emergency kits that are worth a look. Certainly, if one seems to fit your needs, buy it. However, it can often be cheaper and more practical to make your own.

If you are taking needles and syringes to treat a condition like diabetes in a foreign country, bring along an explanatory letter from your doctor. Any medication you carry should be in its prescription bottle (with the label) or the manufacturer’s box. A doctor’s note is not usually necessary for these unless you use narcotics for pain control. Narcotics may cause problems at customs, even with a doctor’s note, so if possible try to travel with an alternate medication.

With advance preparation, your travels can be worry-free. Bon voyage!