Travel Emergency Kit – What Might Be Useful in a Crisis Situation?
Monika Barańska
2022-04-13
Travel adventures can sometimes take an unpleasant turn. Painful falls, abrasions, cuts, punctures, burns, insect bites – these are just some of the unfortunate incidents that can occur. They are not just the domain of children, so it's wise to bring an emergency kit on every trip. Quick assistance provides pain relief to the injured, minimizes the risk of infection, and allows you to forget about inconveniences during the rest of the journey.
The contents of a portable first-aid kit should be tailored depending on where you are going (the farther and with less infrastructure, the more equipment you should take), how you are traveling (a car allows for a larger and better-equipped kit), and who you are traveling with.
What Should Be in a Travel First-Aid Kit?
- Band-aids – a set containing band-aids in various shapes and sizes works best. Waterproof, hypoallergenic, and gentle on the skin, they provide excellent isolation and dressing for minor wounds. It's advisable to have a set of band-aids with antibacterial dressing handy.
- Bandage – a non-woven bandage secures non-adhesive dressings, facilitates the application of compressive dressings, immobilizing splints, and joint protection after an injury. It's worth asking at the pharmacy about modern bandages that work like a tape and do not require additional clips or pins.
- Saline solution – a neutral fluid for the skin or mucous membranes is ideal for cleaning the eyeball or a wound. A few 5 ml ampoules can fit into any, even the smallest, first-aid kit.
- Cooling spray, which quickly and easily absorbs, delaying swelling, reducing the risk of bleeding, and limiting swelling.
- Pain reliever – an over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic, preferably with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.
- Disposable gloves – also for your own safety, to prevent contact during cleaning and dressing a wound.
Essential first-aid kit equipment can be purchased in a ready-made set. It's not a significant expense, and the purchase can prove helpful.
However, it's worth modifying this set and reviewing it from time to time to check if it has been damaged or if all its elements have a valid expiration date.
