Packing a Travel First Aid Kit

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This post was sponsored by the makers of BENADRYL®. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Raise your hand if you have a family member with allergies. Can I raise three hands?

As everyone knows, we are a travelling type of family. From one end of North America to the other, (and Europe as you can see in the above photo) we are almost always on the go on some trip or another. With always being on the go, I definitely have a first aid kit handy in our car or luggage at all times. From pain relief to allergy medication, I try to be prepared.

That said, I’ve joined the Most Prepared Mom program with BENADRYL® to talk about how I’m (trying) to be a prepared mom. It’s hard enough being prepared for huge trips, but when you add in my son’s pet dander allergies, my husband’s hay fever and my own dust allergies…sigh. Can you imagine what it’s like packing to take care of all our various ailments?

It’s crazy and time consuming and also nerve wracking. I can’t forget my own Epi-pen. I absolutely can’t forget BENADRYL® for Mike and Mr K. There is nothing worse than staying in a hotel room that had a pet in it, and having my son’s eyes well up and violent sneezes start. While he is fine with most dogs, oily haired dogs like Labradors will trigger an allergic reaction.

It sounds like an advertisement but honestly, BENADRYL® is my preferred medication to use when my son has an unexpected allergic reaction. It’s the only thing my sister uses when my nephew develops hives from something he’s allergic to. We’ve tried other brands, and BENADRYL® is the only one I keep on hand at all times. Mike won’t even think about anything else for his hay fever. Spring is such a lovely time in our house for allergies.

Did you know that Canadian travelers have voted BENADRYL® as their favourite brand for Allergy Medicine in the 2016 Travelers’ Choice Awards? It doesn’t surprise me at all, as they would be my first choice as well. The TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards are determined by surveying thousands of travelers around the world about their favourite brands, and asking which ones they prefer to take with them on their trips.

Read and submit your own product review of BENADRYL® on Bazaarvoice.

Now, my first aid kit items are NOT major essentials such as splints and eye bandages. My travel first aid kit is all about packing the most punch for the least amount of room. Remember, when you travel you have very little room!

My first aid kit is very family travel friendly, and includes the following items:

• A large amount of adhesive bandages – usually cartoon character covered
• Antibiotic Ointment – make sure to check your expiry dates!
• Pain Killers for adults and kids
• BENADRYL® for our unexpected allergies
• My Epi-pen ( and one in my purse at all times)
• Antiseptic Wipes
• Extra medication that my family members are on – extra inhaler for my son
• Hand sanitizer
• Anti-nausea medicine to treat motion sickness and other types of nausea
• Anti-diarrhea medicine
• Your Benefits Card

On the note of the last item, your benefits cards, we call our insurance company every time we have a question about where we are going and the coverage we have. One of the most important things you can do is know where you can take your child in case of illness and what steps you have to take. My sister has to call her insurance company while travelling in the States and they will tell her where she can take my nephew when he’s not feeling well. This is something every travelling family needs to know!

So whether you fly, drive, cruise or take a train, you need to be prepared. Of course, it will vary from family to family based on your needs, but the point is a travel first aid kit has to be concisely thought out with the bare minimum of necessities because you don’t have the space that you would otherwise.

This post should not be used to diagnose your allergy symptoms, or the cause of them. Seek a health care professional if you experience any of the above mentioned symptoms, and always read and follow the label.

What are your essentials for your family’s first aid travel kit?

Happy (and safe!) travels everyone!

Karlynn