Packing a Great Travel Medicine Kit for Your Trip

Gone are the days when I would just toss items into a bag and be OK to stay away for a week. With age comes the need for drugs! To clarify – legal drugs. Honestly, I always needed to bring certain pharmaceuticals, I just wasn’t always smart enough to be intentional about packing them. But as I became a more experienced traveler, I learned how to pack a great travel medicine kit.

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A Great Travel Medicine Kit Starts with a Great Bag

I love a good bag – even if it is for something as mundane as a travel medicine kit. I have experimented with all sorts bags over the years and find my favorite to be this Sea Team mesh bag. It is large enough to hold all my meds for even the longest most arduous journey, yet “squashable” to fit in any space if I don’t need to fill it up.  It is also reasonably priced and comes in a pack of 6 different colors.  I also use one for my make-up and I gifted the remainder, but they would be handy for any number of items. They are so lightweight and flexible that they typically fit inside my Toiletry Kit. This makes packing both my Ultimate Carry-On Combo and my Checked Bag Trifecta easier.

Those who like a dedicated and official looking travel medicine kit might prefer this portable mini first aid pouch. This particular pouch arrives empty so you can tailor make your kit to suit your medicinal needs. It is also reasonably priced and comes in a choice of colors. No matter which one you prefer, I recommend having a specific bag in a designated color so you can spot it quickly in your suitcase in case of emergency.

Daily Prescriptions

I take a horrible amount of daily pills for a woman of my age.  While more than I like to admit is prescription medication, vitamins and supplements make up the bulk of it. I used to think that I could simply skip the “optional” items while on vacation. But as I grow older, I think it best I utilize all the help I can get to stay healthy and strong – especially on vacation.

We always hear that you should take your medications in their original bottles. Are they absolutely insane??????  My suitcase space is precious, and I don’t want to waste any of it. I have only ever fallen for this crazy advice one time, and I regretted it.  Before traveling to Japan, we read over and again about how strict they were if you didn’t have your meds in the original bottles.  Well, the very last thing I needed was to land in Tokyo and have my asthma medicine confiscated. So, I broke down and took everything in original packaging.  What a waste of space!

Everyone has to do what makes them comfortable, but I simply take my daily meds in little pill pouches.  I take meds in both the morning and the evening so I label them accordingly and take enough for each day (plus 2-3 extra in the event of a delayed return).  Just in case there is an issue when I enter a country (there has NEVER been an issue), I make a copy of my prescription or take a photo of my bottles.  The pill pouches are reusable, but they are also inexpensive enough that you can toss them as you take your meds each day.

Special Prescriptions

It is not terribly uncommon to find yourself a bit under the weather on vacation.  Sometimes you react to the different climate, and other times you just plain catch the crud. This isn’t all that surprising. The very nature of vacation often results in being crammed into an airplane with everybody else’s germs. Plus, I never get enough sleep and I always overdo it in order to see all the sites.

I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do on vacation is visit a doctor. Not only can that be outrageously expensive (or just $5 in Mexico), but it consumes time I prefer to spend exploring. If you do not already have one, find a doctor who is willing to prescribe medication to support you in case of illness. I never leave the states without first getting a script for Amoxicillin and Cipro or Azithromycin for traveler’s diarrhea.

I discuss my destination with my doctor to see if there are other things I should have on hand. For instance, he checks to determine if anti-malarial meds are needed and what type should be prescribed for the area I plan to visit. And, of course, we always chat about recommended vaccinations for the trip!  Not everyone is as fortunate as I to have a doctor who understands their travel needs. If you are not so lucky, you may want to seek the services of a specialist in travel medicine. The CDC provides wonderful guidance to those seeking travel medicine services.

Basic Over-the-Counter Medications

As I mentioned above, I take several over-the-counter supplements with my daily meds. But those are not the only non-prescription medications I take on a trip. It is super easy to find most medications across the globe, but not always. Besides, who wants to spend their vacation trying to interpret labels at the drug store. Or if cruising, you definitely do not want to pay shipboard prices for a couple of aspirin!

Depending upon the trip, I may carry a large arsenal of over-the-counter medication. The longer and more remote the trip, the more complete my kit becomes. You will likely pair this down somewhat depending upon your health needs, but here is a list of over-the-counter meds for you to consider:

• Tylenol
• Excedrin
• Ibuprofen
• Zyrtek or other allergy med
• Mucinex
• Sudafed
• Pepto Bismol (not the liquid)
• GasX
• Imodium
• Systane Eye Drops
• BiteMD
• Neosporin
• Miscellaneous band-aids

Special Items I Add to Make My Travel Medicine Kit Great

• Alcohol – can clean a wound but can also be used for ear drops after a swim. I put it in this little dropper bottle. 
• Moleskin – because blisters will happen even in the best shoes. 
• Mosquito Repellant Dots 
• UpNature Head Ease Roll-on – made from peppermint and coconut Essential Oil Roller this helps soothe headaches, motion sickness, and aching joints. We also used this combination to mask the odor at the tannery in Morocco! 
• UpNature Shield Roll-on – an essential oil blend that will boost your immunity. 
• Sea Bands – to protect against motion sickness.
• Baggies – to use as ice bags if you experience an injury.

A couple of extras!

All these medications are well and good, but they don’t help if they are in your room while you are out and about. I carry a couple of Tylenol, a Pepto, and an Imodium in one of an Ezy Dose Pill Container while out an about. Anything more than that can typically wait until I get back to the room, but I don’t go out for the day without these basics.

What items do you need to make your travel medicine kit great?

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