Health essentials you need to pack on your next trip
There’s nothing worse than getting sick when travelling. After all, you travel to see the world, not the back of a toilet door or a hotel bed. If you’re worried about catching a bug from an iffy plate of street food or coming home with a severe case of the sniffles, taking a first-aid kit with a few essentials is a good idea. Here is what you can pack for a healthy and happy trip.
Hand Sanitizer
A little bottle with a whole lot of germ-killing power. Hand sanitizer is useful for those moments when soap and water are nowhere to be seen. Whether you're about to eat with your hands, or you've given a street dog a good scratch, hand sanitizer is the on-the-go equivalent of proper handwashing. Pick up a bottle of the stuff from any pharmacy or grocery store.
Probiotics
Imagine you’re a stomach for a second. One moment you’re just going about your day being fed with excellent bland food like tea and sandwiches, and the next moment: Chilli! Alcohol! Street food!
You can understand why your stomach might throw a fit. You’ve just given it a shock. Probiotics are a supplement of naturally-occurring, good bacteria. When travelling, probiotics are a great way to keep everything healthy and moving in the right direction.
Antibacterial and antiseptic products
Little cuts and scrapes can turn into more significant problems if left untreated. If you’re travelling in remote areas, having a few creams and sprays in your bag can be a huge help. If you’ve scratched a mosquito bite, cut your foot on some coral or developed a bad blister, an antiseptic spray can stop it from turning into a severe infection.
Mosquito repellent
Nobody wants Malaria or Dengue Fever to ruin a perfectly good trip. Luckily, mosquito-borne illnesses are entirely preventable with a few essential items. A strong repellent, a long-sleeved shirt and a portable net will keep the biting at bay because no one wants to be a human buffet.
Travel insurance
Travelling without adequate travel insurance is like running without shoes - You could probably do it, but if you hit rocky ground, it’s going to hurt. If you get sick, need to go to hospital, or require an emergency evacuation, your wallet is going to take a big hit. When you’ve got insurance, you can rest assured that you’re covered for a whole range of unforeseen circumstances.
Oral rehydration tablets
If the worst happens, and you and the toilet become closer than you might have liked, hydrating electrolytes aren’t a magical cure but will help get you back on your feet faster. Available at any pharmacy or supermarket, electrolyte tablets are dissolved in a cup of water and come in fun flavours like orange and blackberry. Similar to a sports drink like Gatorade, all these do is get you back to a healthy level of hydration.
Top tip: If you’re travelling through a developing country, give your first aid kit away to the locals before you leave. Access to electrolyte tablets can be a matter of life or death for children in poorer countries suffering from dysentery or other illnesses where vital nutrients are depleted.
You don’t need to take a sizeable medical kit to be prepared. Having a few essentials in your bag is enough to keep yourself healthy while you travel. Remember, prevention is better than cure! Most travellers’ illnesses can be prevented with a bit of caution and can be treated with a few essentials. Don’t forget to be vaccinated well before you leave and don’t hesitate to see a doctor if you need to.
Limits, exclusions and conditions apply. This is general advice only. We do not provide any advice based on any consideration of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider the Combined PDS/FSG before deciding about this insurance.