Travel Checklist

for those summer or year round excursions-

Summer Travel Safety and Travel First Aid Kit Guide

Many of us travel year-round, but summer vacation is often when individuals and families travel most—whether to the beach, the mountains, across the country, on a cruise, or abroad. A little preparation can prevent a minor illness or injury from turning into a major disruption.

Before You Travel: Check the Destination

For international travel, check two key sources before leaving:

The CDC Travelers’ Health destination page gives country-specific guidance on vaccines, malaria prevention, food and water risks, outbreaks, and other health precautions. The CDC also posts travel health notices when there are outbreaks or special disease concerns. (CDC)

The U.S. State Department travel advisory page gives safety and security guidance by country, including crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping risk, natural disasters, medical care limitations, and areas where the U.S. government may have limited ability to help citizens in an emergency. (Travel.gov)

For cruises, remember that close quarters can increase the spread of stomach viruses and respiratory infections. The CDC recommends not traveling while actively sick with respiratory symptoms until symptoms are improving and fever has been gone for at least 24 hours. Cruise travelers who become ill during the voyage should seek care at the ship’s medical center. (CDC)

General Travel Precautions

Before leaving, consider the following:

Make sure routine medications are refilled and packed in the original labeled bottles. Carry important medicines in your carry-on, not checked luggage.

Take a written medication list, allergy list, emergency contacts, and a brief medical history, especially for children, older adults, or anyone with chronic medical problems.

Bring copies or photos of insurance cards, passports, vaccine records when relevant, and important prescriptions.

For international travel, consider travel insurance and medical evacuation coverage, especially for remote areas, cruises, or countries with limited medical infrastructure.

For children, elderly travelers, pregnant women, and those with heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, immune suppression, or significant allergies, plan ahead with a clinician before travel.

Travel First Aid Kit: Core Items

A good travel kit should be practical, compact, and tailored to where you are going.

Basic First Aid

Include:

• Bandages of different sizes

• Gauze pads and medical tape

• Antiseptic wipes

• Antibiotic ointment

• Tweezers

• Small scissors

• Instant cold pack

• Elastic wrap for sprains

• Blister pads or moleskin

• Hydrocortisone cream for itching/rashes

• Digital thermometer

• Hand sanitizer

• Disposable gloves

Pain, Fever, and Inflammation

Consider packing:

• Acetaminophen

• Ibuprofen or naproxen, if safe for that person

• Children’s fever reducer, if traveling with children

• Throat lozenges

• Saline nasal spray

Avoid NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or naproxen in people with kidney disease, ulcers/GI bleeding history, blood thinners, certain heart failure patients, or those told by their clinician to avoid them.

Stomach and Digestive Illness Kit

Travel-related stomach problems are common, especially with new foods, questionable water, cruises, or international travel.

Consider:

• Oral rehydration packets, such as Pedialyte packets or WHO-style rehydration salts

• Electrolyte packets

• Bismuth subsalicylate, if appropriate

• Loperamide for non-bloody diarrhea without high fever

• Probiotic packets or capsules

• Ginger chews/capsules for nausea

• Ondansetron prescription, when appropriate, for nausea/vomiting

• Physician-prescribed traveler’s diarrhea antibiotic when appropriate for international travel

Seek medical care urgently for bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, signs of dehydration, confusion, high fever, diarrhea lasting more than several days, or illness in a young child, older adult, pregnant woman, or immunocompromised patient.

Motion Sickness and Cruise Kit

For boats, cruises, winding mountain roads, amusement rides, or long car rides, consider:

• Meclizine

• Dimenhydrinate

• Scopolamine patch by prescription, especially for cruises

• Ginger

• Acupressure wrist bands

• Small emesis bags

• Crackers or bland snacks

Start motion-sickness prevention before symptoms begin, especially on cruises or boat trips.

Allergy, Bite, and Skin Kit

Summer travel often means insects, sun, plants, rashes, and outdoor exposures.

Pack:

• Non-drowsy antihistamine such as cetirizine, loratadine, or fexofenadine

• Diphenhydramine for more significant allergic reactions, if appropriate

• Hydrocortisone cream

• Calamine lotion or anti-itch cream

• Insect repellent with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus

• Sunscreen SPF 30 or higher

• Aloe gel or burn cream

• Lip balm with SPF

• EpiPen if prescribed for severe allergy history

For tick-prone areas, bring tweezers or a tick-removal tool and check skin daily after hiking, camping, or walking in tall grass.

Infection and Wound Preparedness

Small cuts, blisters, and abrasions can become infected, especially with heat, sweat, sand, ocean water, lake water, or hiking.

Bring:

• Antiseptic wash or wipes

• Antibiotic ointment

• Sterile gauze

• Waterproof bandages

• Medical tape

• A marker to outline redness if infection is suspected

Get medical care for spreading redness, red streaking, pus, fever, worsening pain, animal bites, deep puncture wounds, or wounds exposed to dirty water.

For certain trips, especially remote or international travel, a clinician may consider prescribing a “just-in-case” antibiotic, but this should be individualized and used only with clear instructions.

Respiratory and Cold Symptoms

Airports, planes, cruise ships, and crowds increase exposure to respiratory illnesses.

Consider:

• Masks for crowded indoor spaces or if someone becomes ill

• Saline spray

• Decongestant, if safe for the patient

• Cough drops

• Honey packets for cough in adults and children over age 1

• COVID tests, if appropriate

• Thermometer

Do not fly or cruise when significantly ill if it can be avoided, especially with fever, worsening respiratory symptoms, or contagious illness.

Sun, Heat, and Dehydration Protection

Summer travel increases the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, sunburn, and heat stroke.

Pack:

• Refillable water bottle

• Electrolyte packets

• Wide-brim hat

• Sunglasses

• Sunscreen

• Cooling towel

• Lightweight breathable clothing

Watch for dizziness, headache, nausea, weakness, confusion, rapid pulse, or inability to cool down. Confusion, fainting, or very high body temperature can be signs of heat stroke and require emergency care.

Special Considerations for Beach, Lake, and Mountain Trips

For the beach, bring sunscreen, aloe, waterproof bandages, water shoes, vinegar or sting-relief product for jellyfish exposure depending on local guidance, and plenty of hydration.

For mountains, prepare for altitude, dehydration, sun exposure, ticks, sprains, and rapidly changing weather. Bring layers, blister care, and extra fluids.

For camping or hiking, bring a headlamp, extra batteries, whistle, map, water purification tablets or filter, tick remover, and emergency blanket.

Prescription Items to Discuss Before Travel

Depending on the traveler and destination, it may be reasonable to ask your clinician about:

• Ondansetron for nausea/vomiting

• Scopolamine patches for cruises/motion sickness

• Antibiotic for traveler’s diarrhea

• Antibiotic for skin infection or UTI in select patients

• Malaria prophylaxis for certain countries

• Altitude sickness medication for high-altitude travel

• EpiPen for serious allergy risk

• Asthma inhaler refill

• Extra insulin/diabetes supplies

• Ivermectin or other treatment planning in high-risk patients, when appropriate

Final Travel Safety Checklist

Before leaving, make sure you have:

• Medications packed in carry-on luggage

• Medication and allergy list

• First aid kit

• Sunscreen and insect repellent

• Electrolytes and rehydration packets

• Nausea, diarrhea, and motion-sickness supplies

• Emergency contact information

• Copies of passport, insurance, and important documents

• Destination-specific CDC and State Department information checked

• A plan for where to seek medical care if needed

Bottom Line

Travel should be fun, restful, and memorable—not derailed by preventable illness or poor preparation. A thoughtful travel kit, destination-specific planning, and a little common sense can make a major difference, whether you are headed to the beach, the mountains, a cruise, another state, or another country.

Dr. P