Pack Peace of Mind: Creating Your Ultimate Travel First Aid Kit

At Staffordshire Travel Care, run by Cornwell's Chemists, we advise all our travellers to prepare a kit tailored to their destination. Here is a guide to what should be on your list.

The Foundations: Basic Wound Care

These items are non-negotiable, regardless of whether you're relaxing on a beach or trekking a trail.

• Assorted Plasters: Include different shapes and sizes, especially blister plasters for comfortable footwear.
• Antiseptic: Wipes or a small bottle of antiseptic solution to clean wounds and prevent infection.
• Gauze and Tape: Sterile gauze pads, a small roll of medical tape, and a triangular bandage for wrapping sprains or creating a sling.
• Tools: Small, blunt-ended scissors (check airline restrictions for hand luggage), fine-tipped tweezers for splinters or ticks, and safety pins.
• Gloves: A pair of disposable gloves for safe wound treatment.

Medication Essentials (Over-the-Counter)

Having these common remedies on hand saves you the stress of finding a local pharmacy in an emergency.

• Pain Relief: Paracetamol and/or ibuprofen for headaches, fevers, and minor aches.
• Digestive Upset: Anti-diarrhoea tablets (like Loperamide) and oral rehydration salts (ORS). ORS are vital for replacing lost electrolytes, especially in hot climates or after an upset stomach.
• Allergies: Non-drowsy antihistamines for insect bites, stings, or sudden allergies.
• Motion Sickness: Anti-sickness tablets (if you are prone to motion sickness on planes, buses, or boats).
• Creams: Bite creams for insect and mosquito bites.

Destination-Specific Additions

The location of your trip will dictate other necessary items.

• For High-Risk/Tropical Areas: Ensure you pack Insect Repellent (with DEET), bite relief cream, and potentially a standby course of antibiotics for Traveller’s Diarrhoea (available from our pharmacists via a travel consultation). Mosquito nets may also be appropriate in areas known to be high risk for mosquito-born diseases such as Malaria, Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever and Chikungunya
• For Hiking/Adventure Trips: Ensure you pack blister pads, elastic compression bandages, and water purification tablets or drops if you will be sourcing water remotely.
• For Sunny Destinations: Ensure you pack high-factor sunscreen (SPF 30+), after-sun/aloe vera, and lip balm with UV protection.
• Final Pro-Tip: Prescription Checklist

Don't forget to include all your personal prescription medications in your first aid kit. Remember to keep them in their original packaging and carry them in your hand luggage, along with a copy of your prescription list.

For advice tailored to your exact destination—including necessary vaccinations and specialist travel medicines—book a pre-travel consultation with our experts at any of the 10 Cornwell's Chemists branches across Staffordshire. We’ll help you pack peace of mind!