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All Travel Medical Options
One of the attractions of bicycle touring is the element of danger, but how prepared are you for an actual medical situation? If you’re getting ready for an international cycle tour, you’ll need more than some aspirin and Duct tape. You need to be ready for whatever your chosen location might dish out. My recommendation is to buy a comprehensive medical kit and start from there. I still carry the same first aid kit I bought ten years ago, but I’ve probably replaced all the supplies a few times over. Make sure your kit comes in a durable, well-marked bag with clear sealable pockets. You don’t want to be scrambling around in an emergency. Consider your destination and be prepared for the dangers of that region. Will you be cut off from medical help? Will you be in the tropics? Snow? Snake-infested jungles? That snakebite kit won’t be of much good if you don’t know how to use it. A course on backwoods wilderness survival could be a lifesaver. Here’s a packing list of medical supplies that your cycling first aid kit should include. The Basics
International
health and first aid manual
-
Make sure you
read through it before leaving for your trip.
shop for first aide and survival books here
Adhesive
bandages, various sizes -
This is my
most often replaced supply, as I find I give them away often. I like the
large size pad for knee scrapes. It is worth it to spend a little money on
bandages, as the cheaper ones will lose their stick easily. A roll of
self-adhesive, elastic bandages will always be useful. There are also
liquid bandages on the market now. I’ve only seen them, but they look to be
an effective way to keep dirt out of a wound. Wound closure strips are
good for holding cuts closed. An Eye Patch bandage will protect an
injured eye until you reach medical help, or in case you need a quick pirate
costume. Shop for
Bandages
Gauze, pads and rolls - I often cut the pads for use as bandages and tape them on with medical tape. Medical tape - Sometimes I use medical tape instead of bandages for small cuts. I like to carry a roll of both wide and narrow tape. Ace-type elastic wrap bandage Antiseptic wipes - These run out quickly. You can replace them, or just use gauze and iodine or rubbing alcohol to clean wounds. First Aid Antibiotic Cream - Use to treat burns, cuts and blisters after cleaning and under bandages. Moleskin/Blister Pads - I don’t get so many blisters while biking, but a day of hiking will chew my feet up. While I still carry the old style moleskin, there are lots of new blister pad products on the market. Blunt edged scissors - Use these for cutting bandages and tape. They’re also handy for the occasional haircut. Safety pins - I keep some in my repair kit as well so I’m not tempted to use my first aid safety pins for clothing repair. Tweezers - Tick and foreign body removal. Keep the pointy-tip tweezers in your medical kit, and don’t use them to pluck your eyebrows. Thermometer Surgical Gloves - I once came upon a car accident in Australia. While waiting for the EMT, I helped clean up a young man with a nasty head wound. As I wiped the blood gushing out of his scalp, he explained how he’d just been released from prison. How thankful was I to be wearing my surgical gloves. Sealable plastic baggie - It’s just polite to properly dispose of medical waste. Eye drops/Saline Solution - More than once, I’ve gotten a bug lodged in my eye while whipping downhill. A squirt of saline relieves the irritation of bug or dirt in the eye. Iodine and/or Alcohol - Both are excellent disinfectants. In a pinch, iodine can be used to purify drinking water as well. Cotton tip applicators - Much cleaner than a finger for applying disinfectants and First Aid cream. Irrigation Syringe - The type with the curved applicator is very good for squirting bits of gravel and dirt out of road rash. During coastal rides, I often meet surfers who are slobs about cleaning coral wounds, which can get infected in a matter of hours. More than once, I found myself digging chunks of coral out of someone’s foot using a Q-tip and a syringe full of water and iodine.
All Travel Medical Options
An Ounce of Prevention
Sun block Medications
Prescription
Medication with Doctors’ Notes Antibiotics to Consider Doxycycline - Antibiotic for the treatment of malaria. There are other malaria medications available. You need to speak with a doctor about which is best for your specific destination, as different regions have different strains of malaria. Remember to take into account the side effects of malarial medications. If you use Doxy, always wear sunscreen, as it will increase your sensitivity to sunburn. Metronidazole (Flagyl) - Used to treat Giardia or Amoeba infections. Ciprofloxacin - Cipro is an antibiotic used to treat infectious diarrhea, pneumonia, typhoid and many other bacterial infections. Amoxicillin - Broad-spectrum antibiotic for general use. More Supplies to Consider
Snake Bite Kit
All Travel Medical Options
Equipment Pages Index
Introduction
START HERE for Touring Bikes and Commuting Bicycles
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Bicycle Touring
Touring Bicycles
Tents
Sponsors (how?)
I have used several brands of bicycle panniers and
highly recommend Ortlieb.
See Why I switched to Ortlieb waterproof Panniers?
Tents and
ground cloths
Cycle Touring Racks: Why chromoly steel is best.
Take a look at the strongest hubs built specifically for touring
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