If you travel with kids, it's inevitable that someone in the family is going to get hurt or sick at some point in your travels. A basic first aid kit stocked with items like bandages and some medicines for common ailments is a travel necessity. For family travelers, you likely aren't going to need the heavy-duty kind of first aid supplies that back-country hikers will need (unless, of course, you are hiking with your kids in the back-country!). But having the essentials is advised so you don't have to make a midnight trip to the pharmacy in a strange city or new country.
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Buy the Basics
I strongly recommend buying a basic first aid kit already made and then supplementing it with a few particulars your family uses. Here are some of my favorites first aid kits you can purchase already made for travel.
Most Basic: Johnson & Johnson Mini First Aid Kit ($1.50-4 depending on stores)
This 12 piece mini kit is the size of the palm of your hand and has the basics for cuts and scrapes. Since it is so small, I always travel with one no matter where I'm going. You can often find them in the travel size section of Target and Walmart.
Step Up: Adventure Medical Adventure 2.0 First Aid Kit ($18.99)
This kit has a variety of items for wound care as well as basic medicines and survival tools. Perfect for families going somewhere a little more exotic than grandma's house.
Build-Your-Own First Aid Kit for Family Travelers
You can also build your own kit from scratch or supplement a basic kit with more specialized items your family needs. Here's my complete packing list for our family's travel first aid kits. Remember that travelers with young kids need to make sure to have the right kid-appropriate medicines and dosages on hand!
For Babies & Toddlers
- Infant pain relief (Infant Advil, Infant Tylenol)
- Baby Orajel or teething tablets
- Diaper cream (Desitin, etc.)
For Kids
- Children's pain relief (Infant Advil, Infant Tylenol)
- Medicines for coughs & colds (Robitussin, Dimetapp, etc. - check age restrictions!)
General & Adult Items
- Bandages in a variety of sizes and shapes
- Hand sanitizer
- Alcohol wipes
- Antibiotic ointment (Neosporin)
- Itch cream (Benadryl cream)
- Moleskin
- Gauze pads
- Medical adhesive tape
- Pain relief medicine (Advil, Tylenol, etc.)
- Motion sickness medication (Dramamine, etc.)
- Pepto-Bismol
- Anti-diarrhea medication (Lomotil, Imodium, etc.)
- Allergy medicine (Sudafed, Benadryl)
- Cough drops
- Bug spray
- Sunscreen
- Chapstick with SPF protection
- Aloe vera gel
- Vaseline or Aquaphor
- Prescriptions (especially a general antibiotic if traveling abroad)
- Medical insurance cards
- Small scissors
- Tweezers
- Safety pins
- Pocket knife
- Thermometer
- Cotton swabs
- Cold packs (instant ones that activate without freezing)
It's Day 4 of Packing Week at Trips With Tykes! Be sure not to miss the other posts in this series below:
Sadie Gibbs says
Very useful information. Thank you for sharing this post. First aid kit is one of the most important things that you should have when you are traveling. I hope don`t have to use it. Best regards!