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What is in your first aid kit when going abroad?

56 replies

Ima90sbaby · 31/08/2023 11:48

Going on holiday abroad in a few weeks and need to get a first aid kit together, will be starting the kit from scratch...
We are going with DS2 and husbands neice and nephew who are 5 & 6 (although I'm assuming MIL will take things for them).
What do you have in your first aid kit?

TIA x

OP posts:
illiterato · 31/08/2023 11:56

Honestly depends where I’m going. I normally just take a few plasters, some compeed and some alcohol wipes, some antiseptic cream and a bottle of Calpol. But I normally go somewhere where there are shops so just buy it there if I need anything else.

lurchermummy · 31/08/2023 11:58

Yes depends on where I'm going - if say France, then nothing. If rural Vietnam then I'd take more.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 31/08/2023 12:00

Paracetamol
Anthisan for insect bites - essential! Though usually for someone else.

Sachets for treating the symptoms of cystitis - after one episode abroad, where you couldn’t buy any such thing and I ended up needing ABs once home, I never go away without them now. Though touch wood have never needed them since.
Mozzie repellent

If going away with children, which we generally don’t any more, I’d take some Calpol, antiseptic wipes and plasters.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 31/08/2023 12:02

@lurchermummy , but the trouble with France is that you have to go to a pharmacy even to buy paracetamol, and you can almost guarantee that when you really need any such thing, the shop will be closed.
(Speaking from experience here!)

ButterRoad · 31/08/2023 12:03

Where ‘abroad’?

arethereanyleftatall · 31/08/2023 12:03

Nothing. Never ever crossed my mind. Would buy anything if needed.

Mushroo · 31/08/2023 12:05

arethereanyleftatall · 31/08/2023 12:03

Nothing. Never ever crossed my mind. Would buy anything if needed.

Same. I’ve taken bug spray but that’s about it!

gingercat02 · 31/08/2023 12:05

Painkillers of choice (check you can take ibuprofen where you are going)
Plasters and compeed for my crap blistering feet
Antihistamines and hydrocortisone for insect bites
That's it unless going off grid tropics

LivStanshall · 31/08/2023 12:06

Plasters, blister plasters, paracetamol, probably Anthisan if I was going somewhere with mosquitos, a couple dressings because if someone cut themselves I don’t want them dripping blood all over the place, scissors.

fancyfrogs · 31/08/2023 12:07

Calpol, paracetamol, plasters and hydrocortisone cream for bites/my eczema. Have sudocrem in the baby changing bag so can use that too.

ShesJustAShyGirl · 31/08/2023 12:07

Paracetamol
plasters
anti histamines
rennies
Bite cream
immodium.

Laxatives were not. Guess what I needed, which having an IBD came as a shock! 10 days of being bunged up. Not a good
look.

skgnome · 31/08/2023 12:09

Painkillers (age appropriate)
Plasters
Rennie or similar
antihistamine
lemsip/Sudafed - for a sore throat
period products (if needed)
contaception (if needed)
depending on weather- insect repellent, sun cream, after sun cream

Birdienumnumm · 31/08/2023 12:10

Just to save myself the hassle of trying to find a pharmacist (and things always seem to happen when they’re closed), I always take some paracetamol, plasters, compeed, antihistamine, alcohol wipes.

TwoBlueFish · 31/08/2023 12:13

Plasters, pain killers, germolene, something for itchy bug bites, tweezers

whoruntheworldgirls · 31/08/2023 12:14

Plasters of various sizes
Antiseptic cream
Anti histamines
Imodium
Heartburn tablets for me
Ibuprofen (tablets and child liquid, both in hand luggage in case needed in flight)
Paracetamol (tablets and child liquid, both in hand luggage in case needed in flight)
Bite cream
My asthma inhalers

EversoDetermined · 31/08/2023 12:14

Paracetamol/ibuprofen
Immodium
Dioralyte
Hydrocortisone
Insect repellant
Seasickness bands for cruise/ferry
Plasters (compeed and normal)
Zovirax (I get cold sores)
Antiseptic wipes

I know they sell these things abroad, but if you are in a resort or touristy area, or countryside there isn't always a pharmacy nearby, often supermarkets don't sell much medical stuff like they do here.

cocksstrideintheevening · 31/08/2023 12:16

Immodium. I have IBS and don't want to be looking for a pharmacy when I need it.
Indigestion tablets
Hydrocortisone
Antihistamine
Paracetamol

Used to take plasters, savlon and calpol when kids were small.

Fraaahnces · 31/08/2023 12:17

I’m a nurse and tend to over-prepare. I also love in Aus and am accustomed to long road trips, etc. My answer depends where you’re going and for how long. I would always take antihistamines, paracetamol, salbutamol (and spacer)and ibuprofen. I also carry rehydration powder or fizzy tablets. For wound care, a small bottle of betadine or chlorhexidine, gauze bandages to use for padding if necessary, a couple of different-sized elastic bandages, some disposable splinter picks, decent tweezers, saline vials, cotton wool and some micro pore tape. If going bush, ALWAYS a snake bite kit as well. (Very long bandages). I have an epipen, salbutamol and some Israeli army tourniquets in my glove box. Also GLOVES.

GailTheFish · 31/08/2023 12:18

Calpol and kids’ ibuprofen
Wound wipes
Plasters and steri-strips
Piriton
Bug spray and bite cream

GailTheFish · 31/08/2023 12:19

oh and magnesium sulphate after too many holidays dealing with small children with splinters

Basilthymerosemary · 31/08/2023 12:24

Painkillers (ibuprofen and paracetamol)
Calpol
Plasters + spray plaster+ wound dressing
Antiseptic wipes + small isopropyl alcohol bottle
Antiseptic cream/Savin type cream/sudocreme
Antihistamines + antihistamine cream
Movicol + anti-diarrhoea pills
Small scissor + nail clippers

Put it all in a makeup bag and replace items when used.

NannyGythaOgg · 31/08/2023 12:26

I call mine incident kit rather than first aid and along with the standard stuff already mentioned I include a bottle opener and corkscrew, some sandwich bags and at least one plastic knife and spoon. Oh and a couple of plastic food containers. Some servings are enormous and depending what it is (particularly with children) it can be packed up and eaten later.

TheBirdintheCave · 31/08/2023 12:29

Calpol, paracetamol, ibuprofen, husband's migraine medication, travel sickness pills and herbal sleep tablets (he's like a walking pharmacy 🙄) plasters and mosquito bite stick.

All bar the Calpol are stored in little plastic bags (saved from IKEA items haha) labelled with a Sharpie and fit inside a pouch that lives in husband's bag.

I am a hyper organised person in general (ASD) but it goes into overdrive when we go away 😂

GingerIsBest · 31/08/2023 12:29

I can't say I've ever thought of an actual first aid kit when travelling. I usually have paracetamol for adults and children and antihistamines in my bag. Anthisan if I'm going somewhere there might be bugs. Embarrassingly, I also take Anusol as both DS and I find we might need it while travelling. That's it.

But then, we're usually in fairly populated, modern places. I'd definitely take more in the disinfect category etc if we were out in the bush somewhere.

Maddy70 · 31/08/2023 12:30

Antihistamines
Plasters
Pain killers.

That's it