First Aid Kit For the Body and Mind: My Ultimate Healthy Travel Kit

Accidents and emergencies happen while traveling as often as they do while at home. Although, while traveling, we don’t have the convenience of a fully stocked medicine cabinet to cure our aches and pains. That’s why it’s smart to pack a small first aid kit every time you travel.

Most places you travel to will have pharmacies and hospitals, and you’ll be able to buy what you need when you need it. But, consider the travel time between destinations. An eight-hour bus ride is not the time to feel ill with no access to medicine.

There will also be times when you will need to feel comforted, have a reminder of your home, or need a creative outlet to distract you from feeling homesick, culture shock, or anxious and depressed.

I like to pack what I call a healthy travel kit – a first aid kit for the body and mind. A healthy travel kit is more than just a first aid kit. Staying healthy and comfortable, and being able to practice self-care while traveling is very important. How else will you be able to happily see all the sites, participate in all the fun activities, and enjoy all the delicious food?

I do tend to over-prepare in this department, but I don’t think it’s an appropriate place to cut corners. Thankfully, I’ve never run into a situation that I couldn’t fix with the help of something I packed in my healthy travel kit. So, I feel justified in always carrying these items with me.

First Aid Kit For the Body

My healthy travel kit pretty much stays the same whether I’m traveling to New Orleans or Belize. The only thing that may change is the amount of some items, depending on the length of the trip.

I also carry a couple of extra items that aren’t necessary for everyone due to a severe allergy and some things that are more for comfort and mental health first aid. Having something that reminds me of my home is the key to staying positive and anxiety-free.

Allergies

Benedryl & Zyrtec

I suffer from allergies, both indoors and outdoors, all year long. So I try to curb the symptoms by taking Zyrtec (or generic Cetirizine) daily. It’s important not to miss a day – especially while traveling and coming into contact with new allergens and pollens.

I carry Benedryl at all times because it goes hand-in-hand with my EpiPen (see more on that below). It’s also good to have in case of other unknown allergic reactions, like to a new food, bug bites, or a crazy pollen outbreak.

Digestion Issues

Pepto Bismol pills, Imodium, Smooth Move tea & Probiotic

These are MUST-PACK items! Indigestion, heartburn, nausea, gas, diarrhea, constipation – these are wet blankets for a good time. They are also sort of inevitable while traveling, eating all the foods and sightseeing, so be prepared!

For more serious bouts of traveler’s diarrhea (most likely to happen in countries with different standards for drinking water) get a prescription for antibiotics before your trip.

Motion Sickness

Dramamine, mint candy, ginger candies & snacks

Cars get me almost every time, unless I’m driving, and planes only affect me once in a while. Mint or ginger candies and a healthy supply of little snacks help me out big time. I like Ginger People’s chewy candies (they make hard candies, as well) and Pep-O-Mint Lifesavers.

Snacks that I like to travel with are usually individually packaged and easy to prepare if necessary. Some favorites include protein bars, granola bars, instant oatmeal packets (never get in a car without eating breakfast!), mixed nuts, dried fruit, drink mix packets, tea bags, and hot chocolate packets. Pretzels, saltines, or some kind of cracker to nibble on during long drives, especially if mountains are involved, is a MUST.

Aches, Pain & Fever

Ibuprofen & thermometer

I don’t joke around when it comes to my body temperature. A spike in temperature could indicate some sort of infection or a negative reaction, so I bring a small thermometer. Ibuprofen will bring high temps down as well as ease headaches and other minor pains.

When the Illness Takes Over

Day and night sinus congestion/cough medicine, cough drops

Beautiful vistas and iconic landmarks can seem lackluster while you’re viewing them through a thick fog of sinus congestion, clogged ears, and a sore throat.

Colds are inevitable. Taking the proper medicine to battle the symptoms long enough to enjoy yourself is key. I like Halls Defense Vitamin C Supplement Drops or Honey Lemon Drops to ease sore throats and coughs.

Lack of Sleep

Melatonin, lavender lotion & earplugs

Sometimes I need some help falling asleep, especially if I’m in a new place or sharing my sleeping space. The calming smell of lavender works well for me. You can get lavender-scented eye masks, rice bags, or aromatherapy candles, but I like lavender vanilla-scented lotion from Bath & Body Works. Just a little bit on my hands and arms before bed helps me fall asleep almost right away.

To carry this lotion with me when I travel, I put some into a small reusable travel container or squeeze bottle. Another portable option is to use lavender essential oil.

Melatonin is a supplement that I occasionally take to help me fall asleep at night. It’s a hormone naturally produced by your body to help control sleep and wake cycles, but there are side effects associated with taking the supplement. Talk to your doctor before deciding to use it.

Minor Injuries

Basic first aid kit with Bandaids, tweezers, Aquaphor, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone cream, burn cream, tiger balm

I carry a typical first aid kit with all the essentials for minor injuries. There’s a variety of Bandaids, tweezers to extract pesky ticks and splinters, and all the ointments and creams you can think of.

Although, tiger balm is the star of the show. This ointment will clear up a stuffy nose if dabbed under the nose, relieve sore muscles, and soothe itching bug bites. The scent also sometimes helps me get over nausea.

Another multi-use item that is essential to a great healthy travel kit is Aquaphor. Use it on dry skin, condition your cuticles, help small cuts heal faster, and use it as a lip balm. It’s one of the three things I always travel with, no matter what.

Personal Prescriptions

EpiPen, antibiotics, and other prescriptions as needed.

EpiPens, or epinephrine auto-injectors, are used when severe allergies cause anaphylaxis. Not everyone needs an EpiPen, but I happen to be allergic to bee stings, so I carry one at all times. I know how to inject the medication myself, but really would prefer not to ever do that, so I’m excellent at running away from bees. If I do get stung and need to use the EpiPen, I will immediately take Benadryl and find a ride to the nearest emergency room.

Fingers crossed this never, ever happens!

First Aid Kit for the Mind

There are things besides medicine that will keep you healthy and anxiety-free while traveling. Like your favorite downtime activities or comforting and calming self-care items. These are the items I like to have with me when I travel in case I feel anxious or have a panic attack.

A book, Kindle, pen & notebook, camera. 

Reading, journaling, and documenting my travels through photography are relaxing pastimes for me. If hit with a bit of anxiety, I can find solace in quietly reading or writing or seeing new destinations through my camera lens.

A cozy hoodie and a big warm scarf.

My favorite hoodie and blanket scarf comfort me when I’m homesick and warm me when I’m chilly. They act as an invisibility cloak when I need alone time. Sometimes they are a bitch to pack and haul around, but so, so worth it when the need arises.

Earbuds, audiobooks, and a good playlist.

I like to disconnect from the chaotic sounds of crowded buses and planes by listening to my favorite playlist, podcasts, or audiobooks. It’s meditative to focus only on what I’m listening to instead of what everyone else around me is doing.