March Madness for many of us includes a once-in-a-lifetime spring break trip! To help you pack before bouncing off to sand or snow, here’s a list of must-haves that’ll help keep you safe and healthy while you’re away from home:
Healthy must-have packing list
- Disinfectant spray
- First aid kit
- Hand sanitizer
- Medicine (prescription as well as OTC; pack two extra days’ worth)
- Petroleum jelly (it’s a versatile skin moisturizer and protectant)
- Shower sandals
- Sunscreen (SPF 15+)
- Sunglasses (polarized, especially if you’ll be on the beach or the slopes)
- Travel pillow and blanket
- Vital documents: photo ID, insurance card, printed prescriptions
- Water bottle
Here are a few tips to help keep you at wellness-level 100 and stress-level zero on vacay:
- Check your immunizations and make sure your tetanus shot is current.
- Wash your hands often (for about 20 seconds with soap and hot water) and dry them thoroughly. If you’re nowhere near a restroom, just use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Hand washing is one of the best ways to avoid germs and airborne viruses such as colds and flu.
- Track your time in the sun to protect yourself from sunburn and heat exhaustion. Wear sunscreen and eye protection, even if the weather is overcast and cool. If you’re in the water, remember to reapply the sunscreen often.
If you’re flying
- Check out the TSA’s spring break travel tips. It also offers guidelines about luggage contents and what you can take on a flight (and remember to put toiletries in TSA-approved containers).
- Keep your feet covered to protect yourself from germs left behind by thousands of passengers (airlines don’t routinely clean carpets and bathroom floors). Pack a pair of thick socks or travel slippers in your carry-on luggage if you want to take off your shoes.
Headed out of the country?
If you’re leaving the U.S. (including on a cruise ship), check for any travel guidelines that the State Department may have issued for the locations you’ll be visiting.
Important tip: Keep a change of clothes, your medications, and your vital docs in carry-on luggage just in case your checked bags don’t arrive when you do.
No matter where you go in the U.S., be sure to download the Teladoc app before leaving home. If you get sick while traveling anywhere in the country, our board-certified doctors are available 24/7 to diagnose a non-emergency illness, recommend treatment, and even send a prescription (when medically necessary) to a nearby pharmacy that you can select in the app. Be safe and take lots of selfies!
This portion of the Teladoc website occasionally offers health, fitness and nutritional information and is provided solely for educational purposes only. You cannot rely on any information provided here as a substitute for or replacement of professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Teladoc cannot assure that the information contained on this site always includes the most recent findings or developments with respect to the particular subject matter covered.
If you ever have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.
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