Travel pharmacy bag

We all love to travel in order to meet new places and cultures. Furthermore, we want to experience new things. Through sightseeing, through local customs, through local food-drinks and desserts. That is to say, we have to be prepared. Firstly for allergies or intolerance to the ‘exotic’ food, secondly for bites and burns etc.. After all, it is more possible something ‘bad’ happen to a new uncontrollable environment. Meaning in a very crowed one like airplanes or carnivals. Instead of happening to your usual daily one, from home to work and back again.

For that reason, probably all of us have one of these travel pharmacy bags. But, do we always know what to put inside? Or are we searching in each trip something to fill it? If you are an organized person, you can continue reading to cross-reference information with me. If you are a free spirit, then ….xmm, I know that you will not read this article. Maybe you are one of those that says: iiif something happens, I will go to a local drug store to find what I need.

I know what you will tell me. All cities have pharmacies and apothecary shops. Well…I do not want to figure it out whenever I need them. Furthermore, I do not want to explain all my symptoms to the pharmacist of a foreign country to give me the right pill. I prefer to have some common ones with me. And if something uncommon will happen, then I will address to them.

Well, I want to be prepared for few -at least- situations. So, below we will organize this travel pharmacy bag of ours. Start putting √ with me.

Facts

First let’s see some facts to take under consideration.

Fact No1: Relax and do not overthinking. We cannot be prepared for whatever can go wrong. However, we can predict those little daily things we need.

Fact No2: If you are traveling with kids, it’s inevitable that e-ve-ry time something does go wrong. So, you will definitely need this travel pharmacy bag.

Fact No3: Inside the travel pharmacy bag, we are putting some common stuff and then we are putting medicines subjectively. According to each other’s needs. Or if you are travelling with kids. Put inside their baby lotion and cough syrup.

Fact No4: There is no specific mean to avoid sickness, buuut ……. you can be prepared with your own travel pharmacy bag to avoid few of them. Or just to eliminate the symptoms.

Fact No5: All essentials should be in one small bag that you can carry inside your backpack. Amazon has many of them here. I propose a clear waterproof one. PS: You do not have to take with you the whole box, just a board with few blisters from each one.

To start

1. Dramamine gums/pills or ginger drops for flying/sea nausea.
2. Band-aids and comfort paddings for feet blisters from all this wandering around the museums.
3. Alcohol wipes for cleaning a wound, antibacterial wipes for cleaning hands and tissues.
4. Sanitizer and face masks.
5. Antibiotic-analgesic ointment for itching and pain.
6. Allergy meds like antihistamines for trying new foods with safety.
7. Painkillers with ibuprofen or paracetamol for headaches.
8. Sodium alginate-sodium bicarbonate-calcium carbonate to help you with any heartburn relief and indigestion or antacids drops.
9. Chlorphenamine, our common cold&flu pills for any fever, cough or congestion and runny nose appears. Along with cough drops of course.
10. Loperamide against diarrhea. We all know the imodium, which exists in every country.
11. Plain vitamin C.

Extras

1. Electrolytes to stay hydrated.
2. Rhubarb drops for gas relief and fiber pills to prevent ballooning. Everyone ‘struggling’ to a new environment.
3. Hand lotion, antibacterial or not.
4. Pads.
5. Nail clipper.
6. Lens case.

Outdoor activities

1. Sunscreen lotion. Especially if you are coming to Greece. You do not need it only to go to the beach, but also to wander around Plaka neighborhood and Acropolis. PS: It is better to be waterproof and sweat proof. And…maybe you will need a lip balm with SPF too. I’ve always with me at the beach especially.
2. Hemostatic gauze and small scissor.
3. Tweezers for pulling out the wood splinter from your finger.
4. Ammonia stick or soothing gel. They have hydrocortisone for sting relief from mosquito-bug-jellyfish bites or poison ivy.
5. Hydrogel wound dressing. If you are a mountain lover and go for camping, then you will need a fire to warm you up or to cook a fish from the river. Hence, this one is suitable for burn and scald care.

Before travelling

Take some echinacea. Vitamins or drops of this herb will boost the immunity support against viruses.

All the others, are common sense. Since you do not want to take everything with you, then choose the most significant ones for your health. If you are traveling to colder climate, you’re gonna need cold&flu pills. However, if you are travelling to Greece, you will need sun lotion or mosquito repellent. So, pack your travel pharmacy bag appropriately, like your suitcase and you’re ready to go.

PS: Do not forget to adapt the travel pharmacy bag according to your illness. e.g. if you are diabetic do not forget to take your insulin and your syringes with you in a cool travel pharmacy bag. Or take the baby lotion and baby wipes and thermometer, if you are traveling with babies/kids/toddlers.

I hope I helped you to √ your necessities easily and from now on you will just enjoy your trip.