Travel First Aid Kits - What should the perfect kit contain?
How to create a bespoke kit to cover you for all eventualities.
Wherever you’re travelling, it’s important to have suitable first aid supplies with you so that you can deal with basic medical problems. Of course, the precise contents of your travel kit will depend on where you’re going. After all, your needs would be very different if you were taking a city break in Paris compared with if you were heading off on a backpacking adventure in Thailand.
However, this brief guide will talk you through the basics. Helping to ensure you have all you need when you set off on your next overseas excursion.
The travel essentials
There are certain essentials that all first aid kits should contain, no matter where you’re taking them. For example, they should feature sterile dressings, bandages and plasters. They should also contain scissors to allow you to cut bandages and dressings to size. Another must for all kits is antiseptic wipes. This is vital as a means of preventing infection.
Depending on the nature of your trip, you might also need items including wound closures, sterile syringes, disposable needles and disposable gloves.
Medications
In terms of medications, you might want to include over-the-counter antihistamines to help reduce the itching and inflammation caused by insect bites and allergies. Painkillers are also useful to have. Meanwhile, anti-diarrhoea pills can prove useful in many parts of the world, as can rehydration sachets.
Remember, if you are taking medicines with you, it’s crucial that you check that they are in date. Often, people leave pills lying around for years on end without checking if they are still extant.
Other useful supplies
As well as these first aid items and medicines, you might benefit from taking a range of other health supplies with you on your trip. For example, blister plasters can come in handy, especially if you will be doing a lot of walking or running. If you’re going somewhere warm and sunny, sunscreen is a must, and you might need to take insect repellent.
If you’re heading to a malarial country, a mosquito net could be important as well. Bear in mind that when you’re buying one of these nets, it should be impregnated with the contact insecticide permethrin. This kills insects that land on nets and therefore increases their effectiveness. Nets generally need to be re-impregnated with permethrin after six months of use. You may also need to take a small sewing kit with you to repair any holes that develop in your net.
Advanced planning is key
There is a lot to think about when you’re heading overseas, so it’s important that you do some advanced planning. Make a list of all the first aid items and other medical supplies you may need when on your travels well ahead of your departure date. This way, there is less chance that you will forget anything. Also, preparing in plenty of time will mean that if you discover you need to stock up on certain supplies. You’ll have plenty of time to do so.
Knowing that you have all the necessary provisions when you set off on trips abroad is a big comfort. Why not work up your ideal travel kit now using our quote system and we'll come straight back to you with a quote?