No matter where you’re traveling, it is always a good idea to bring a travel first aid kit, as you never know when an injury might occur. It is a particularly great idea to pack first aid supplies when visiting a place where you don’t speak the local language. When it comes to your health, you'd rather be safe than sorry, right? To help you prepare, here are 10 things to pack in your travel first aid kit!
What to Pack in Your Travel First Aid Kit
1. Band-aids
This should be the #1 item on everyone’s list! Bring lots of different sizes of bandaids, from standard to extra-small. Band-Aid blister blocks are also great options for those pesky blisters that you get on your heels, and tend to stay on really well for a very long time.
2. Scissors
Bring scissors to clip your nails or cut down a bandaid, burn pad, or athletic tape - this is small and definitely worth bringing!
3. Athletic Tape and Gauze
Athletic tape is great if you plan to walk a lot - sometimes your ankles aren’t ready for it! Check out this great video about how to tape an ankle if you plan to keep walking on it - it really works. Gauze is great to pad wounds and stop bleeding.
4. Second Skin burn pad
Also known as a “moist burn pad,” keep an eye out for this at your local drugstore. When you’re walking around all day long in a new city, especially in warmer weather, there’s a good chance that you’ll get a blister in your shoes. Nothing feels better on an open blister than second skin!
5. Moleskin
Also great for blisters, you can use moleskin to pad any area on your foot that is bothering you due to blisters, so you don’t have to postpone your exploration of a new place.
6. Antiseptic Wipes
Sterilization is extremely important before applying any kind of bandage to a wound. Make sure that you clean the area well with clean water, and then apply Antiseptic Cleansing Wipes to make sure that you don’t leave the wound prone to infection.
7. Benadryl
Nothing is worse than having an unexpected allergic reaction and not knowing what to do - or seeing someone have one and not being able to help. Bring Benadryl in the off chance that you develop allergies in a new location or get stung by a bee for the first time.
8. Pain Killers
Advil, Tylenol, or a painkiller of your choice is a great thing to bring with you. When you get off a long flight and are dehydrated, you may get a big headache and will want to stop it so you can enjoy your destination!
9. Aloe Vera
Sunburns are the worst, especially if you spend a great day in the sun and forget to put on sunscreen. Be prepared for the worst and bring aloe with you, just in case!
10. Tweezers
Avoid splinters with some handy tweezers in your purse, especially if you’re planning to go to the beach or head into the woods!
Make sure to bring some extra water with you whenever you go so that if you get a cut or a scrape, you can immediately clean it out. Change the bandages every few hours and be aware if you notice any swelling, heat, or pus - all of which are signs of infection. If you are concerned or notice any worsening symptoms, be sure to head to the doctor as soon as you can - before your trip, make sure that you have the correct phone numbers so you’re not caught in a jam.
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This article was written by Cathy Trainor. Image credit: Andrew Colins.