St. Paul or Sao Paulo? First-aid kit should fit your destination

SLOWLY but surely, we’re catching on: Accidents and illnesses happen, even on the most idyllic vacation and even if you’re so healthy that you brag you can eat anything anywhere. (More brag than fact: As many as half of all international travelers, or more than 10 million Americans, develop traveler’s diarrhea each year, says the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.)

As the Boy Scouts say: Be prepared. For travelers, packing a first-aid kit is a start.

Whether you’re updating your own kit or thinking about giving your favorite world traveler one as a holiday gift, here’s what you need to know about what’s available ready-made and what you need to assemble a good one.

Choosing a ready-made kit by destination makes sense, says Angel Castellanos, a buyer for Distant Lands, a book and travel supply store in Pasadena. It’s convenient, a time-saver and the contents are tailored to the type of vacation you have planned.

Adventure travel kits cater to those planning strenuous activities such as hiking, kayaking and biking. Adventure Medical Kits has kits for mountain climbers, campers, paddlers, boaters and cyclists.

Currently popular with customers, he says, is Adventure Medical’s Ultra Light Traveler Medical Kit ($24.95), especially for those destined for developed countries.

It contains a travel firstaid pamphlet, butterfly closure strips, moleskin for blisters, sterile dressing, antihistamines and medications for colds, flu, headaches, muscle aches and diarrhea. It has tweezers for extracting splinters, safety pins and an accident report form (with pencil).

Travelers to less-developed countries in Southeast Asia and Africa probably should get Adventure Medical’s Savvy Traveler, Castellanos says. It’s $54.95 and includes a guide to wilderness and travel medicine, oral rehydration salts, bandages and moleskin, as well as sterile dressings. It includes the same medications as the Ultra Light, plus the safety pins, accident report and tweezers. It includes a bandage scissors, which Castellanos advises fliers to stow in their checked bags because metal scissors with pointed tips are not allowed in carry-on luggage.

The Healthy Traveler Kit is a traditional top-seller at travel-goods supplier Magellan’s, says spokeswoman Lynn Staneff.

It costs $29.85 and includes more than 100 medical aids for treating minor injuries and ailments. Among its contents: cold remedies, diarrhea medications, antibiotic ointment and bandages, eyewash and sunscreen.

Another company, Campmor, offers a variety of kits for hikers, including those destined for the backcountry.

Edward Lister, a registered nurse who owns Travel Medicine, a clinic in Rancho Mirage, Calif., generally discourages his patients from buying ready-made kits.

One exception is the kits made by the American Red Cross, which are excellent, he says. (See www.redcross.org, click on “store” and view three models.)

Otherwise, the kit “should be tailor-made for them -- their destination, their age group and any kind of medical problem they may have,” Lister says.

Here is what Lister recommends for international travel, although the kit also would serve domestic travelers well.

Bandages in various sizes and wraps for strains and sprains.

A dental repair kit.

A spare pair of reading glasses.

Hand wipes. Frequent hand washing -- or using wipes if water isn’t available -- can cut down on disease.

Also add to the kit: antibiotic cream such as Neosporin; a small flashlight in case of power outages; a thermometer; hydrocortisone cream for inflammation; glycerin suppositories for constipation; an antidiarrheal remedy such as Imodium (loperamide); oral rehydration packets; gauze; adhesive tape; antiseptic; fever reducer and pain killer; Benadryl for allergic reactions or to decongest stuffy ears; and earplugs to equalize pressure during takeoff and landing.

Include a fever reducer in liquid form for young children.

If anyone’s prone to motion sickness, pack an over-the-counter remedy such as Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) or Bonine (meclizine).

“Put a copy of your insurance information in the kit,” Lister says. Include information on your medical evacuation policy, as well as contact information.

“If you have a heart problem, get a copy of your most recent electrocardiogram, fold it up and put it in the kit,” he says.

Depending on your destination, pack mosquito repellent.

And don’t forget sunblock with a sun protection factor of at least 15, no matter where you go.

Healthy Traveler appears every other week. Kathleen Doheny can be reached at kathleendoheny@earthlink.net.

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Resources

Adventure Medical Kits, P.O. Box 43309, Oakland, CA 94624; (800) 324-3517, www.adventuremedicalkits.com.

Campmor, 810 Route 17 N., Paramus, NJ 07652; (888) 226-7667, www.campmor.com.

Distant Lands, 56 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105; (800) 310-3220 or (626) 449-3220, www.distantlands.com.

Magellan’s, 1006 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401, and 110 W. Sola St., Santa Barbara CA 93101; (800) 962-4943, www.magellans.com.

Travel Medicine and Immunization Clinic, 71321 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270; (760) 340-6990.

-- Kathleen Doheny