First aid when traveling

Going on a trip? Make room in your luggage for a travel first aid kit. It doesn’t have to cost much or take up much space, but it can come in handy to relieve minor aches and pains that could sideline your vacation plans.



Feel free to improvise your first aid kit
and put in a container like a tote bag or
small backpack.

A good first aid kit should help you cope with situations like a headache, stomach ache, allergies, sunburn, blisters, scrapes, and cuts—maladies that can keep from enjoying your time away even if they’re not considered “serious” health issues.


Bandages come in many varieties,
so choose the ones that  work best
for each trip.

If a box of bandages and tube of antibiotic ointment--tossed in a plastic baggie--is what you’re counting on in an emergency, it’s time to update your supplies. Ready-made first aid kits are available, but you can assemble your own for less and with items geared to your family’s specific needs and activities.

The first thing to pack is any prescription medicine in its original bottle.  Then include over-the-counter remedies (generics are fine) that your family uses and trusts. Just remember to check the contents of the kit before every trip and dispose of any items that have expired or replace any that were used.

Pack prescription medications in original bottles.

“The most important thing to have is information,” says Kathleen Clem, M.D., Chief of Emergency Medicine, Duke University Medical Center and spokesperson for American College of Emergency Physicians. “In addition to a first aid manual, record allergies and medications used by family members in separate lists.”

Motion sickness bands can
provide relief.

Gather items into a sturdy container that you put in a carry-on or tote bag rather than in checked luggage or the trunk of a car. Here is a list of items to include when creating or updating your travel first aid kit:

Anti-nausea/ motion sickness medication
Tables for indigestion, heartburn, or upset stomach
Anti-diarrheal tablets
Tylenol or Advil to ease headache or fever
Hydrocortisone cream to soothe itches
Antibiotic ointment or wipes to prevent infection from minor cuts or scrapes


Bandages with Velcro fasteners
can serve many purposes.

Bandages to cover blisters or cuts
Antihistamines or other allergy medications
Hand sanitizer to kill germs when washing hands isn’t feasible
Tissues for sneezing or cleaning cuts
Instant cold or hot compresses
Insect repellent
Sunscreen
Safety pins, cotton balls, tweezers, plastic zip-top bags

Photos from free sources.