Never Leave Home Without the Basics

• What: Packing a medicine bag
• When: Traveling with kids
• Why: Keep them safe
• Where: Your trip

Whenever I travel, particularly with my kids in tow, I have a bag of over the counter medicines I take with us. I always use the same bag and put the same things from our medicine cabinet in it.

I always use the same bag for our medicine, and I leave the basic supplies that don’t expire packed.

I keep certain things, like a syringe, bandaids, and a dosage cup, in the bag year round. When we start packing, I toss in the things that can expire. I put in infant or children’s Tylenol or Motrin, whichever we happen to have on hand (and whichever is age appropriate for my kids). Nothing makes a trip worse than having a kid in pain and having to go out and find a pain reliever, much less an open store where you can buy the right kind.

I take a variety of medicinal creams with us.

I also toss in various types of creams. I always include one for infections, like Neosporin, and one for itching like hydrocortisone. If we’re going somewhere in the summer or out camping, I try and make sure we have some bug bite specific creme as well. 

I take a basic thermometer, so I don’t have to guess if someone has a fever. I tend to include a first aid pack with some individually packed antiseptic wipes, an assortment of non decorated bandages in various sizes, and some single use first aid antibiotic packs.. While I don’t always need any of these things, much less all of them, they come in extremely handy when we do need them. If we’re traveling with other families with kids, they can make good use of these basics in a non-emergency, too.

I take a basic digital thermometer with us as well.

If you, too, have a kid with serious allergies, you’ll want to make sure to include a bottle of Children’s Benadryll. With our serious nut allergy requiring an EpiPen, I’ve never had any problems getting a bottle on board flights. And it makes me much less worried traveling, since once we leave our familiar environment you never know what you might encounter. If I can head off a trip to the emergency room (especially out of state or out of country) with a timely dose of Benadryl, I will cart it around indefinitely.

I keep these things, along with adhesive bandages and a clear plastic bag, packed all the time.

Luckily most of the items in my bag come in packages under 300 mL (3.4 ounces) so I don’t have to carry them in a checked bag when we fly. I also don’t have to buy specific travel size packaging to make sure they meet the requirements. I do have the liquids in a clear Ziploc bag. Depending on the airport, I take that out to go through security checkpoints.

No matter where your travels take you, a bag of the basic first aid supplies can ease most incidents and make traveling less stressful.