Planning a once-in-a-lifetime holiday trip involves a lot of little details. You choose a destination, work out the transportation, locate the accommodations, and so forth. It can be overwhelming at times. Perhaps that’s why only a few people think about first aid kits during their vacation planning sessions.
How about you? Is a first-aid kit on your holiday planning radar? If not, It should be. Traveling is an open invitation to accidents, injuries, and unexpected illnesses that can ruin even the best-laid plans. Thinking about them is one way to make sure you are prepared to salvage as much of your holiday as possible by making the best of a bad situation.
It is about the Destination
First aid is one of those aspects of travel that is heavily influenced by the destination. For example, imagine planning a 10-day stay at a luxury resort in the Caribbean. You will be visiting a tourist-heavy destination which will find an adequate supply of medical facilities. That means you won’t need much medicine on your trip.
On the other hand, imagine you are planning a full week of camping in the middle of nowhere. The nearest hospital might be 50 miles away. You will not have access to a pharmacy or department store. If first-aid needs arise, you will pretty much be on your own.
How you plan for unexpected situations is influenced by your destination. The best way to plan is to do some research before your trip. With the help of Travel Health Connect, you can quickly determine the diseases that are found in the country you’ll be visiting, and that way you can get the necessary vaccines before it’s too late. But do not think that popular destinations with plenty of available resources are an excuse to ignore bringing medications. It is still a good idea to be prepared with the basics.
Carrying First-Aid Supplies
More often, planning for vacation trips focuses mainly on putting together a list of supplies you can carry with you. Again, the destination dictates much of what you will need. You can create your first-aid kit from scratch or purchase a ready-made kit online. Either option works just fine.
You might be pleased to know that there are companies that make first-aid kits designed especially for travel. Feel free to click here if you want to see some examples. These kits range from fairly basic to highly specialized. The best part is that they are small enough to carry in your luggage without being obtrusive.
Hand-in-hand with assembling first-aid supplies knows how to use them. This is where basic first aid training comes in. According to tltraining.co.uk, a basic course can teach you how to treat wounds, stop bleeding, and successfully treat things like insect bites and burns.
Research the Risks
Another aspect of planning your vacation is by researching the risks of your particular destination. Before you roll your eyes, stop, and think about how much research went into choosing your destination. If you can spend hours trying to decide between Maui and Mauritius, surely you can spend the same amount of time researching the safety risks related to whatever destination you have chosen.
Research might dictate whether your biggest risks are related to the weather. Or perhaps the primary issue in your chosen destination happens to be local plant and animal life. And of course, there are certain risk factors associated with every activity you plan to enjoy. Research them all. You should also look into possible foreign travel risks issued by the government.
Consider Insurance
When you travel, do you normally purchase insurance? Travel insurance policies can include coverage for accidents, injuries, and illnesses. Furthermore, coverage can be tailored based on your destination and planned activities. Insurance can be a valuable asset in the event you are injured or sickened while away from home.
Insurance will likely pay for most of your treatment. If you need to be transported home as a result of your injury or illness, insurance covers any additional cost you accrue as a result.
Over Planning Isn’t Necessary
At this point, it is necessary to temper our discussion with a bit of pragmatism. In short, over planning is not necessary. It is not possible to be prepared for every possible contingency, so don’t attempt to go that far. Your main goal in planning is to accommodate the most likely risk factors commensurate with how serious each risk is.
Going skiing on your next holiday? You can dress in a way that will prevent hypothermia without being bundled up so tightly that you can’t safely maneuver down the mountain. Plan to stay warm. Don’t over plan to the extent of ruining your trip.
The same goes for assembling your first-aid supplies. You do not have to take the entire store with you. There is no need to take 10 different kinds of bandages along with half-a-dozen pain relievers and the supplies to make your own plaster casts. A basic first aid travel kit will do just fine.
Next time you get ready to plan a holiday or vacation, make first-aid kit a part of the equation. By being prepared for what might happen, you will also be prepared to respond appropriately. A small number of medical supplies might be all that’s necessary to keep your travel on track despite an accident or illness.
