Never leave home without the basics, then add what's necessary depending on the length and destination of your next travel adventure.
These are the basics, for every trip --
Antacids -- Such as Maalox, Tums or Rolaids, for upset stomach due to unfamiliar or spicy food, late night meals, and the effects of high-altitude travel. Tablets are lighter to carry than liquids, and less likely to be confiscated by the airport security police.
Headaches and body aches -- Ibuprofen (Motrin), acetaminophen (Tylenol) or naproxen soidum (Aleve), whichever you take at home. Aspirin can lose potency when exposed to high humidity and heat.
Cuts and scrapes -- Band-Aids and anti-biotic ointment.
Tools of the trade -- A pointy tweezer for splinters, tick removal and eyebrow maintenance, too. A Swiss Army knife with a tiny scissors, and also a corkscrew and bottle opener for other kinds of self-medication. Remember not to take the knife in carry-on luggage; it will be confiscated.
Bug bites, sunburn, poison ivy - An itch relief gel spritz, such as the one from Johnson & Johnson Band-Aid brand.
Hand sanitizer -- For when soap and water isn't easily accessible.
Prescription meds -- Always carry a full supply of your crucial medications, and always carry them as carry-on, never in your checked luggage.
Eyeglasses and contact lenses -- Carry a spare pair of glasses, and a full supply of contact lens solution. If you run out, contact lens solution may be difficult to find, and it certainly will be pricey.
Add this to your traveling medicine kit for extended adventures --
Copies of your medical prescriptions -- Even if you are not planning to be gone for an extended period, it's a good idea to carry copies of those prescriptions -- ask your doctor for copies in the generic names -- since the so-called brand name of something might be different, and totally unknown, in foreign countries. Ditto a copy of your eyeglass prescription.
Going too much or not at all -- Anti-diarrheal treatments, such as Immodium-D, and stool softeners for the opposite problem.
Motion or sea sickness or general nausea -- Dramamine or Sea-Band, the elastic wristband fitted with a ball-shaped plastic dot that provides acupressure against the wrist. It also works for nausea sufferers at high altitudes (over 10,000 feet) such as in the Andes in Peru, Chile and Argentina, or in the Colorado Rockies.
This "basics" list will cover most accidents and maladies for globetrotting adventure travelers.
Of course, you have an up-to-date passport. If not, you need to know the latest news about US Passport regulations .
