11 Mar Pack It Up! Tips for Traveling with T1D
Wanderlust hit us hard! We’ve spent the past 2 years sticking close to home. With COVID cases declining and every family member vaccinated and boosted, we’re not just comfortable but excited to start exploring more of our big, beautiful world.
Are you traveling over spring break? We’re sharing our top tips and a packing checklist (in Google Drive) that you can download, customize for your child with T1D, and keep on hand to streamline the packing process and never have to rely completely on memory again.
As with most things, travel with T1D requires a bit more planning and preparation. We have a three-pronged approach:
- Overpack
- Use a checklist
- Keep and carry hard copies of vital info
Overpack
With T1D, there’s simply no such thing as over packing. T1D supplies aren’t easily found in large cities let alone foreign countries, mountain peaks, sandy enclaves, or quaint resort towns. Every time I unload packed (but unused) supplies, I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s a good indication of preparedness rather than a sign of miscalculation.
Our biggest tip when vacation planning is to pack extra supplies. Our surplus saved us when Ellie had two CGM sensors fail during one week on Cape Cod and again when we blazed through four infusion sets between bent cannulas and ineffective adhesive on a trip to Disney.
We take triple to 4x what Ellie would use at home. I keep everything in carry-on luggage. (Check to make sure at least one carry on is small enough to fit in the overhead bin or stow under the seat in front of you on a small aircraft; you do not want to have to gate check diabetes supplies if you’re on a “puddle jumper” for a connecting flight.)
We travel with plenty of non-liquid fast acting carbs (glucose tabs and candy) and extra insulin. The Medicool Insulin Protector keeps extra insulin cool and works for us for flights, hot theme parks, and sunny beach days.
Quick Tip: The Medicool system comes with two packs. At our destination, we ask the hotel front desk or guest services to freeze the pack that is not in use on any given day. It keeps insulin cool for up to 12 hours.
Use a Checklist
Packing diabetes supplies can be stressful. Will you have enough? Will you remember to include everything you need? We keep a document that Ellie and I can print and check off as we pack. Each person has different needs. We’re sharing our checklist as a jumping off point only. Access the Google document, edit/personalize to make it your own, save, update as you go, and keep using the list and letting it evolve as your child grows, needs change, and travels expand.
Remember, if you’re using a pump that runs on batteries, you’ll want those on your list. If your pump uses a USB charger, make sure your packing list includes charge cords and an extra source of power like a portable charger.
The checklist is designed to streamline the process and take the burden off your memory, so customize this tool and keep it on hand.
Template Downloads
Keep and Carry Hard Copies of Vital Information
When we travel, we have a letter from Ellie’s endocrinology clinic regarding her condition and the equipment with which she travels. We present the letter along with sensors that can’t go through an X-ray machine to be hand checked by TSA agents.
In addition to taking photos of Ellie’s pump settings, I write down the info and keep a hard copy in a plastic bag with other important items and/or travel documents. I jot down her current bolus ratios, basal rates, correction factor, etc. in case we have a pump failure.
Check if your pump manufacturer has a loaner program so that you can take an extra insulin pump. If not, we travel with insulin pens (and needles!) of fast acting Humalog and longer lasting Lantus. If you’ve been using a pump, share data with your endo team prior to your trip to help calculate what a potential Lantus dose would be in the event of an emergency requiring you to come off your pump and resume multiple daily injections.
Travel broadens horizons, expands views, and creates adventures and memories. If you’re traveling with T1D, don’t mind the extra baggage. Take the trip. Make the memories. Do it joyfully and safely.