10 Essential Medical Supplies for any Backpacking Trip
Beside the requisite backpack and apparel, there are a few health related things you need to purchase. If you are not a hypochondriac, the below items should get you through any health issue that should arise abroad. If you are a hypochondriac, consider traveling in a plastic bubble dome. Lets get to it:
Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer
Hands, and other body parts, will be exposed to lots of new foreign germs. Foreign germs easily turn into nasty colds and infections. You should wash your hands whenever possible, but for an emergency germ cleansing – rub a bit of this stuff on and you effectively kill the little germy bastards. Other uses: put it on a pimple.
Ibuprofen or Tylenol
Good for headaches, fevers, pain relief of all sorts (stubbed a finger playing Rugby in London? Ass hurt from the camel ride in Egypt? You get the point).
Sunscreen
You heard about Cancer; you know sun rays age your skin. A sunburn will majorly slow down your trip. Your backpack will feel like a sandpaper-covered lava rock and meeting people for the first time looking like a lobster isn’t at all attractive.
Chapstick
New climates and dehydration will cause your lips to chap. You have no time for a bleeding, cracking mouth. Your mouth needs to be functional for talking, getting directions, meeting people and other activities.
Bug Spray
Places that are nice to visit usually have the hungriest bugs (think rain forests in Costa Rica). Don’t feed the bugs with your exposed, unprotected skin.
Band Aids
You will be moving around a lot more than usual so cuts and scrapes here and there are likely. Walking in the wrong shoes will give you blisters. Shaving your legs in small showers and swimming on a rocky beach will both require the use of band aids. Other uses: use instead of tape; fun way to wax your roommate’s eyebrow if they pass out.
Neosporen
Infected cuts, so gross and often dangerous. Keep it sanitized. Plus this stuff doesn’t drip and leak anywhere.
Immoduim AD
Stomach issues can ruin your precious travel time (there is only so much fun you can have laying around in pain in your hostel bed or sitting on the toilet). Diarrhea is very common abroad since your body isn’t adapted to the microorganisms around you, especially those in water. If you need more convincing read this article – “40 shocking facts about water”. If you choose to just wait for the diarrhea to pass on its own, you may end up with a nice, juicy hemorrhoid. Then you will need…
Preperation H
Rectal itch, anal pain and butt bleeding. Enough said.
Sleeping/Anxiety Pills (by prescription)
Expect to fly more than usual and, unless you operate a whorehouse, sleep with more people in your room than you’re used to. These circumstances can lead to unnecessary anxiety and sleepless nights. Lets not become dependent on these pills but if you know you need them, get them.
Condoms
We all know their benefits. Bring some with you so you’re not trying to figure out how to say condom in German to an already apprehensive store clerk in the heat of the moment.
The above items will keep you generally ouchie-free. You should also make sure to have any prescription medicine you may need. Make sure your meds clear through customs; Jack Daniels is not medicine. Things like diabetic insulin, birth control, allergy and asthma inhalers should be fine. Make sure to bring extras of all necessary prescription medicine, just in case.
Written by: Anna Starostinetskaya
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