When going on trips, who would like to pack a travel first aid kit. We all hate accidents and bad health. But our hatred is not enough to keep it at bay. Doesn’t matter if you like it or not, travelling by default welcomes accidents and bad health, all thanks to expeditions, change of environment, varied food eaten and many more reasons. To combat all of these emergent situations, travellers can rely on the first aid kit. The perception of it might be wounds or cuts, but there is more to it. It relieves the amount of pain, and prepares you for instant health perils. So here we are with tips to pack your travel first aid kit for a winning holiday.
Bandages – These are the must haves in cases of minor cuts or grazes, the most common health peril that you could face while cutting an apple or maybe opening a beer. The best bet is to carry bandages of different sizes and shapes that would fit to wound of all scales.
Blister bandages – If you are going on trek, hiking, this will be god send. Only a traveller could feel the pain of a blister that too when they have to keep walking on it. These too come in different sizes and safest way is to keep most of the sizes. This is a primary step to outdoor safety.
Gauze – It can be used for applying pressure on wound, clean injury, soak blood, stop bleeding, and is instrumental in dressing. You can’t just leave this one. It is best used with bandages. The best one to use is wrapped sterile squares that are ready to go. It is a must have.
Crepe bandage – These are bigger and elastic format of bandages. It is primarily used for muscle sprains and strains by reducing the flow of blood to a particular area by applying stable pressure. It also prevents swelling at place of injury. It is must have if you hit the outdoors.
Surgical Tape – It is a crucial essential that binds the bandage or the gauze to the wound. It is the basic essential used for dressing of the wound. It comes in different variants such as cloth, paper, waterproof, micropore, and pressure-sensitive. So pick as per your need.
Scissor – This is another must have that will help in the dressing of wound or cut. It will give shape to the gauze, and determine the appropriate length of the bandage to bound the wound. It will also help in cutting of medicine packets especially the sterile ones to avoid contamination.
Antiseptic Wipes – These are another must have that can prevent severe infections. It is used to clean the wound and ensure that it doesn’t gets infected by dirt or external bodies. People normally wash wounds with water, but it is highly unadvisable. It is easy to obtain from local pharmacy.
Condoms – Yes the young travellers must keep couple of them in the first aid kit. You never know when you are going to need it. In foreign lands you need to be extra careful while having sex. Keeping condoms is not only for men, but women too, as your partner might need it.
Benadryl – It is used as a cure of allergies, hay fever, and common cold. The common symptoms to these might include rash, itching, watery eyes, itchy eyes or nose or throat, cough, and runny nose. It is not just for allergies, but pretty useful as a sleep aid too. But don’t overuse it.
Laxatives – Travelling also brings in lots of changes in routine, changes in eating habits, changes in sleeping pattern, etc. With all of this, your bowel movements also get affected. If you will not take care of your stool coming out, it might lead to acute case of diarrhoea.
Neosporin – Keeping antibacterial creams is always a good idea. It comes quite in handy for cuts and abrasions. It boosts the healing process and also prevents any further infections.After applying it on cuts, wounds, or scrapes, remember to cover it with bandages for effectiveness.
Loperamide – If you love food over travel, chances are you are going to need this one. Eating at street joints, open air Asian restaurants, or too much of spices are one of many reasons to get diarrhoea. This medicine slows down the movement of guts and makes stool less watery.
Antihistamine cream – We all get that insect bite that turns into a huge red bump, or an itchy patch. It doesn’t harms much, but is mother of annoyance. To treat itchy skin due to allergies, poison ivy, insect bites, or sunburn, you will need an antihistamine cream. Be sure to carry one.
Ibuprofen – No Pain, No gain, doesn’t always fit well with everything. Yes you got to take care of pain caused by headache, dental pain, menstrual cramps, muscle aches, arthritis, or even pain caused by common flu, cold. This is where Ibuprofen comes to work.
ORS Packets – Oral Rehydration Solutions are used to treat the obvious dehydration. They contain salts and sugars, especially sodium and potassium. It is usually used as a side treatment for diarrhoea, though dehydration could also occur due to Hyperthermia, or Diabetes insipidus.
Where ever you go, go with all your heart and a first aid kit!
