Travel first-aid kit: the checklist for your holiday

Diarrhoea on the beach, a headache on the plane, an insect bite while hiking or sunburn on the first day of the holiday — small health problems can spoil the loveliest trip. A well-packed travel first-aid kit makes sure you are prepared if something happens, instead of searching for a pharmacy in a foreign country.

1. Why a travel first-aid kit is important

On holiday you are often far from familiar care: the pharmacy speaks a different language, the usual medications are not available or are under a different name, and at night or in remote regions help is hard to reach. A prepared travel first-aid kit solves the most common small problems quickly and easily.^¹

• Able to act immediately with typical travel complaints (diarrhoea, headache, sunburn, insect bites)
• Familiar medications with you — instead of buying unknown preparations abroad
• Important with long-term medication — your own medications in sufficient quantity are indispensable
• Independence from pharmacy opening hours and language barriers
• Reassuring — you are equipped for small emergencies

The travel first-aid kit naturally does not replace medical care — with serious or persistent complaints you should see a doctor on holiday too. But for the small aches and pains it is worth its weight in gold.

2. The basic checklist

This basic equipment belongs in almost every travel first-aid kit — regardless of the destination. We explain the individual categories in more detail in the following chapters:

• Painkillers and fever reducers (e.g. ibuprofen and/or paracetamol)
• Anti-diarrhoea medication (e.g. loperamide) and electrolyte/rehydration powder
• Medication for nausea/motion sickness
• Allergy medication (an antihistamine, e.g. cetirizine)
• Wound care: plasters, sterile compresses, wound disinfection, an elastic bandage
• Sunscreen (high sun protection factor) and remedies for sunburn/insect bites
• Insect repellent
• A thermometer
• Tweezers, scissors, disposable gloves
• Personal long-term medications in sufficient quantity
• Hand sanitizer
• Possibly remedies for colds, sore throat, cough

This list is the starting point — it is supplemented depending on destination, type of trip and people (e.g. children). In the following chapters we go through the most important categories.

3. Painkillers and fever reducers

Headaches, toothache, fever or aching limbs are among the most common travel complaints. A proven painkiller and fever reducer should therefore not be missing from any travel first-aid kit:

• Ibuprofen: pain-relieving, fever-reducing and anti-inflammatory — broadly usable (headache, toothache, joint pain)
• Paracetamol: pain-relieving and fever-reducing, gentle on the stomach — a good alternative, also for many with a sensitive stomach
• For children: age-appropriate preparations (syrup, suppositories) — no ASA for children (Reye's syndrome risk)

Which painkiller is the right one depends on the type of complaint and individual factors. The guide painkillers compared offers a detailed overview. Over-the-counter painkillers too should only be used at the lowest effective dose and not over a long period without medical advice.

4. Stomach and bowel: diarrhoea, nausea and co.

Stomach and bowel problems are probably the most common travel complaints — especially the notorious traveller's diarrhoea ("Montezuma's revenge") on long-haul trips. These remedies are sensible:

For diarrhoea

• Electrolyte/rehydration powder: the most important thing with diarrhoea — it makes up for the loss of fluid and salts (especially important in children and older people)
• Loperamide: stops diarrhoea in the short term — handy e.g. for long travel days; but do not use it with bloody diarrhoea or a high fever (see loperamide)

For nausea and motion sickness

• Remedies for travel nausea (e.g. on car, ship, air travel)
• With nausea/vomiting also make sure you drink enough

Others

Remedies for heartburn and stomach complaints can also be sensible. With diarrhoea when travelling, the general rule is: drink a lot, observe hygiene ("cook it, peel it, boil it or forget it") and seek medical help with warning signs.

5. Allergy medication

Allergies can appear unexpectedly when travelling — through unfamiliar plants, insect bites, foods or sun exposure. An antihistamine therefore belongs in many travel first-aid kits:

• An oral antihistamine (e.g. cetirizine, loratadine): for allergic rhinitis, skin rash, itching, reactions to insect bites — cetirizine causes less drowsiness than older agents
• An anti-allergic/cooling cream/gel: for insect bites, itching, mild skin reactions
• With a known severe allergy: always carry the doctor-prescribed emergency kit (e.g. an adrenaline auto-injector)
• Eye drops for allergic conjunctivitis (e.g. with a pollen allergy)

6. Wound care and skin protection

Small injuries, blisters, sunburn and insect bites are among the most common travel aches and pains. For their care, the travel first-aid kit should contain:

• Plasters in various sizes, blister plasters (for hiking/new shoes)
• Sterile wound compresses, gauze bandages, an elastic bandage
• Wound disinfectant
• Tweezers (splinters, ticks), scissors, disposable gloves
• Sunscreen with a high sun protection factor — the best protection against sunburn
• After-sun/remedies for sunburn (cooling, e.g. with aloe vera)
• Insect repellent and remedies for itching after bites
• Wound/healing ointment

With deeper wounds, a suspected infection, animal bites or missing tetanus protection, medical help should be sought on site. When travelling to tick areas (also in Germany/Europe), think about protection and the correct removal of ticks.

7. Colds and sore throats

Air conditioning, temperature changes and long flights encourage colds — even on a summer holiday. Sensible remedies:

• A decongestant nasal spray (e.g. xylometazoline) — also helpful for equalizing pressure on the plane; but use only for a short time (max. a few days)
• Sore-throat/lozenges
• Cough remedies (as needed)
• A thermometer (also mentioned under painkillers/fever reducers)
• Sea-water nasal spray for moisturizing (a gentle alternative)

Most colds are harmless and clear up on their own. But with a high fever, breathing difficulties or persistent complaints, medical help should be sought on holiday too. The decongestant nasal spray is especially handy for equalizing pressure during takeoff and landing.

8. Individual long-term medications

The most important and most personal part of the travel first-aid kit. Anyone who takes medications regularly has to plan them carefully:

• A sufficient quantity: enough for the whole trip plus a reserve (for delays, loss)
• In your hand luggage: always transport important medications in your hand luggage — not in the checked suitcase (loss, frost in the cargo hold)
• Transport split up: one part in your hand luggage, one part in the suitcase/with a companion — in case something is lost
• Carry a medication plan: with the active-ingredient names (not just trade names, which may be different abroad)
• A medical certificate with certain medications (e.g. narcotics, syringes, insulin) — multilingual
• Medications needing refrigeration (e.g. insulin): a cool bag, do not freeze (see the heat chapter)
• Mind the time difference: with medications with a fixed intake rhythm (e.g. the pill, insulin) adjust the intake schedule — get medical/pharmacist advice

With long-term medication, forward planning is crucial. Anyone who takes the pill should also think about a possible loss of effect with diarrhoea/vomiting. When in doubt, get medical/pharmacist advice before the trip.

9. Adapting the travel first-aid kit to the destination

Depending on the destination and type of trip, the travel first-aid kit needs different additions:

Long-haul trips / tropics

• A travel-medicine consultation before the trip — for vaccinations and possibly malaria prophylaxis
• Stronger insect protection (repellent, possibly a mosquito net) in malaria/dengue areas
• Careful stomach-and-bowel equipment (traveller's diarrhoea is common)
• High sun protection

Active/hiking holidays

• Blister plasters, elastic bandages (sprains), a sports ointment
• Tick protection and a tick tweezer/card

Beach/swimming holidays

• High sun protection, after-sun
• Remedies for ear infections/jellyfish contact depending on the region
• Stomach-and-bowel remedies

Before long-haul trips, with pre-existing conditions, in pregnancy or with small children, a travel-medicine consultation (e.g. with the GP or a tropical-medicine institute) is sensible — also for recommended vaccinations. Inform yourself in good time, since some vaccinations need lead time.

10. Travel first-aid kit for children

If you travel with children, the travel first-aid kit needs special, age-appropriate additions:

• Child-friendly painkillers/fever reducers (syrup, suppositories) in an age-appropriate dose — no ASA for children
• A thermometer
• Electrolyte powder — in children, fluid loss through diarrhoea/vomiting is especially critical
• Sunscreen specially for children (high SPF, child-friendly)
• Remedies for insect bites/itching suitable for children
• Plasters, wound disinfection (child-friendly)
• The child's usual medications in sufficient quantity

With children, special caution is needed: doses are age-dependent, and with fever, diarrhoea or dehydration, medical help should be sought earlier than with adults. Before the trip, get advice from the paediatrician or at the pharmacy about what is suitable for the child's age.

11. Medications on the plane and in the heat

When transporting medications there are two important topics — the plane and the heat:

On the plane

• Important medications in your hand luggage — not in the cargo hold (loss, frost, no access during the flight)
• Liquids: medically necessary liquids/medications are often allowed even over the 100 ml limit — with a medical certificate; inform the airline in advance
• Syringes/insulin/narcotics: carry a medical certificate (ideally multilingual/English)

In the heat

• Protect medications from heat — many lose effect or change in great heat (see the guide medications and heat)
• Do not leave them in a hot car or direct sun
• Medications needing refrigeration (e.g. insulin) transport in a cool bag — but do not freeze
• Suppositories melt in the heat — store them cool

Especially in the heat and on long trips, it is worth looking at the package leaflet for storage. More on this in the guide medications and heat.

12. Legal: medications across the border

An often-overlooked point: not all medications can be brought in everywhere without problems. Some active ingredients (above all narcotics, certain painkillers and sedatives) are subject to strict rules abroad:

• Narcotics (e.g. strong painkillers): within the Schengen area a special certificate is needed; outside it, different, sometimes strict rules apply depending on the country
• Carry a medical certificate (ideally in English) for prescription medications
• Transport in the original packaging with the package leaflet
• Inform yourself in advance: some medications that are normal in Germany are banned or only restricted in other countries — when in doubt, ask at the embassy of the destination country or at the pharmacy
• Carry only for personal use (a usual travel quantity)

13. How brite helps you when travelling

When travelling, several brite features come into their own — especially for people with long-term medications who have to manage time differences, foreign pharmacies and interactions with travel remedies:

Related topics