Travel Prep & Safety

When traveling, there are a few things that you can do ahead of time to protect yourself in case of emergency.  If you’re lucky, you’ll never need to implement any of this and your partner will just think you’re a little paranoid. But the minute you need to act on any of this, you’ll be so glad that you did.

1.  Travel Insurance:
Always buy the travel insurance. If you or someone in your group need emergency care and or a medivac, it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Take the insurance. It’s worth it.
 
2.  Medical Benefits:
Make copies of your medical cards, and keep the phone number for your insurance handy.  My US health provider also provides telehealth internationally. Check to see if yours does as well. And be sure to get international insurance for the duration of the trip.
 
3. Prescriptions:
I make a small dopp kit of just medicines. This is a list of possible prescriptions you should bring with you. Since they are prescriptions, I bring them in my carry-on: 
Z Packs
Azithromycin
Epi pens
Plus any prescribed medications you may be taking
 
4.  OTC:
I have another small makeup bag that I fill with general medicine cabinet items that we may need. Suggested OTC medicines to pack:
Gas X
Immodium
Advil and Tylenol
Dramamine
Claritin and or Zytrek D
A decongestant
Benadryl
 
5.  First Aid:
A first aid kit with band-aids of a variety of sizes, Neosporin, an ace bandage, tweezers, alcohol wipes, some gauze pads and some waterproof tape. I pack this in a ziplock bag so it is easy to see everything in it in an emergency, and it’s easy to squish into daypacks.
 
6.  Vaccines:
Be sure to check the CDC website for any recommended vaccines for your trip. DO this as soon as you book it, as some vaccines will need to be ordered by your doctor’s office, plus there may be a period of time that needs to pass before they are effective. Or there may be a series of vaccines needed (e.g. rabies).
 
7.  Passports and Visas:
Take photos of your passports – both the picture pages and the bar code in the back, and any visas you may need for this trip. Email them to yourself and keep it in the cloud. Print two hard copies and leave one with a friend or family back home, and place a second copy in your luggage, separate from the passports.  This will make it much easier for state department and embassy officials to issue emergency passports in case they are stolen or lost.
 
8.  State Department:
Register your trip with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) with the state department. Also, make a note of the addresses and phone numbers of the US embassies closest to the cities that you’ll be visiting.
 
9.  Credit Cards:
Make copies of your credit card information and the customer service phone numbers. Be sure to put international travel alerts on your cards as needed.
 
10.  Connectivity:
Make sure you have what’s app downloaded to your phone and that you are comfortable using it. Internationally that is how everyone will want to contact you – for drivers, reservations, or even your hotel. Also, I highly recommend that you bring a fully charged battery bank with you each day. You won’t always have a chance to plug in and charge, especially if you are remote.
 
 

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