What should be in a travel first-aid kit?

A travel first-aid kit does not need to be complete in a hospital sense. It needs to cover what actually happens: small wounds, blisters, a headache, an unhappy stomach.

The eight things you will use

Plasters in several sizes. By far the most-used item in any kit. Take more than you think.

Blister plasters. Hydrocolloid ones, not ordinary plasters. They change a walking day entirely, and are useless if they stayed at the hotel.

Antiseptic wipes. Individually wrapped, to clean before covering. A poorly cleaned wound in the tropics infects fast.

Sterile gauze and a bandage. For what a plaster does not cover.

A thermometer. Compact, cheap, and the only way to know whether a fever justifies seeing a doctor.

Hand sanitiser. 50 ml passes cabin security and gets used daily.

Tweezers. Splinters, ticks, debris in a wound.

Oral rehydration sachets. The most underrated item. A stomach upset at 35 °C dehydrates you quickly, and water alone does not replace what you lose.

What stays in the kit unused

Large scissors, suture kits, tourniquets. Unless you are genuinely self-sufficient far from help, they add weight without realistic use.

Expired medicines rescued from the bathroom cabinet. They take up the space of things that would actually help.

Your own medication

This is not part of a standard kit and nobody can choose it for you. Carry it in its original packaging with the leaflet, and keep the prescription with you.

Where to keep it

A kit in the hold is no use during a twelve-hour flight. Keep the basics in the cabin: plasters, sanitiser, your own medication.

Watch out for sharp items: scissors and tweezers travel in the hold depending on the airline. Check before you go rather than at security.

If in doubt

This guide describes a general composition. If you have a particular medical condition, are travelling with an infant, or are going somewhere far from medical care for a long time, ask your doctor or pharmacist.