First Aid Kit for Traveling

It is that time of the year when we a lot of us are off on vacations, whether it is a two day trip or a cross country trip, you need to stay prepared. It doesn’t matter if you are planning a short car trip or even a plane ride, things happen, accidents happen. If you are prepared in advance, a small little mishap will not ruin your vacation.

For this reason, make room in your suitcase for a traveling first aid kit, even if that means leaving a pair or two of shoes at home. You may be very glad that you did, if a medical emergency arises.

First, you need to start out with the kit itself. Many people have found that a nice washable tote bag is the perfect solution. Tote bags are easy to carry and can hold many items. You can even use it as a carry on bag if you are flying, just add your wallet and a book to read and you are set for the plane ride.

What should your kit contain?

Pain medicines and fever reducers: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin tablets. These will be beneficial for headaches, muscle cramps, PMS, or fevers. The aspirin will come in handy if anyone would suffer symptoms of a heart attack. Two aspirins given at the first signs of a heart attack can sometimes stop the attack. Yet, one must still seek professional help. Also remember aspirin is not recommended for children under the age of twelve.

Antihistamine: These are great for allergy symptoms, including bee stings and hay fever.

Anti-nausea Motion sickness medicines. These will come in handy for long rides or even boat trips. One can become motion sickness when they never have experienced it in the past. Plus, as the temperature outside becomes warmer many people begins complaining with stomach upsets.

Bandages of Assorted Sizes. You never know when someone may get a cut or a scrape.

Elastic Wraps: Make sure you have these in assorted sizes to wrap a wrist, ankle knee or elbow injury.

Gauze Tape in rolls and in pads. These work great in dressing larger cuts and scrapes.

Adhesive Tape: This is used to help keep the gauze in place.

Sharp scissors with a rounded tip: These will be needed to cut the gauze, tape or clothes

Safety pins: To fasten splints or bandages

Antiseptic wipes: A quick way to disinfect wounds or clean hands, tweezers, scissors and thermometers.

Antibiotic Ointment: To prevent infections in burns, cuts and scrapes

Hydrogen Peroxide: To disinfect and clean wounds

Disposable instant activating cold packs: For cooling burns, bug bites and bee stings

Tweezers: To remove small splinters bee stingers or ticks from the skin.

Rubber Gloves: To protect hands and reduce infection when taking care of someone else who is bleeding.

Thermometer and case: to take temperatures.

Calamine Lotions: To relieve itching from bug bites and irritation from poison ivy.

Hydrocortisone cream: To relieve irritation from rashes

Sunscreen: Be sure it has a SPF of at least 15

Insect Repellent: To repel insects. Be sure the DEET is no higher than 10-15 percent for children and no more than 20-30 percent for adults because any higher percentage of DEET is harmful.

Change: In case you have to call 9-1-1 at a pay phone

What else should you carry? Immunization records for children, all allergy listings, and all medications as well as a listing of the medications all family members are taking along with names and addresses of all doctors and pharmacies seen by family members.

After your bag is packed and ready, you are set for all basic emergencies. Now you can relax and enjoy your trip.