For first-timers and sports travelers alike, it’s essential to pack a well-maintained and carefully planned first aid kit. If you’re traveling to a football league or tennis tournament, you’ll certainly want to bring a few crucial first aid supplies to keep yourself safe and healthy throughout the tournament.
But what needs to go in your first aid travel kit for a sporting event? I’ve spent a lot of time traveling (and at football matches!) and have had to call upon my first aid kit a few times over the years. Based on my experiences, here’s a list of the most important supplies for your sports travel first aid kit..
Why you need a first aid kit when traveling to a sporting event
You might be thinking going to a football league in Europe, not a backpacking trek through a jungle. Do I really need a first aid kit?” You sure do! It’s a football tournament, yes, but that doesn’t mean a first aid kit won’t come in handy.
The thing is, you never need a first aid kit until you do. You might pack a first aid kit 20 times and never use it when you travel to a sports event, but if you don’t pack it that 21st time, you may find yourself in a tricky situation without the supplies you need.
A first aid kit can be useful for everything from treating blisters (which are very common if you’re exploring on foot!) to finding relief from sunburn (which can easily happen as you’re enjoying the sports event on a sunny summer’s afternoon), or even treating a mild headache.
With a well-stocked first aid kit, you can deal with minor accidents, cuts and scrapes, or basic ailments without needing to visit a pharmacy or medical clinic. You’ll want to be as comfortable as possible at the tennis tournament or baseball match so you can focus on taking in the spectacle, and a first aid kit certainly helps with that.
What to have in a first-aid kit when traveling to a football match?
So, what should go in a first aid kit when you travel to a Premier League match, for example? While each kit is slightly different, they all follow a pretty basic formula with the same staples. Here’s an idea of what you’ll need to add to your travel first aid kit when you travel to a football team match.
Band-Aids
Every first aid kit starts with band-aids (or an equivalent type of plaster with a built-in gauze patch). Even when I don’t take my whole first aid kit with me, I always take some band-aids in a bag or purse – you just never know when you’ll need one! There are of course billions of different band-aids you can choose from, but I like to go with a band-aid variety pack so that I have plasters in different shapes and sizes.
If you’re trying to save space, it’s not necessary to take a hundred different band-aids – just take a few different sizes. If you have a more serious cut or bad blisters and you’re changing your band-aids frequently, you can always pick some more up at a local pharmacy if you run out.
Bandages
You may never need to use an ACE bandage, but it’s still a great addition to your first aid kit. If you find yourself with a cut or scrape that’s too large for band-aids to handle, a bandage can help deal with the bleeding and keep the area clean until you have a chance to get some proper medical care.
You should only need one of these bandages, and it will probably last you several trips because there’s only a slim chance you’ll ever need to use it. But, if that day does come, you’ll be so grateful you planned ahead!
Gauze
Gauze is an easy supply to throw into your first aid kit, and it’s a great, versatile addition. With so many different uses, there’s a good chance you’ll be reaching for your gauze at some stage of the trip. I’ve used gauze for everything from nose bleeds to stemming the bleeding from a cut on my hand.
Gauze is lightweight, so it’s a good idea to pack as much in your first aid kit as you can. The non-sterile gauze options are cheaper, for those traveling to a sports event on a budget, but if you think you might be applying it directly to a wound, I prefer the sterile, individually wrapped squares. These are also more convenient because you don’t have to cut them off a larger roll – they’re ready to use whenever you need them.
Neosporin or Similar
Neosporin or a different type of antibacterial cream is another great addition to your first aid kit for traveling. Any time you have a cut, scrape, or even a blister, you can add a dab of Neosporin before you apply your band-aid or bandage.
Wounds like cuts and scrapes are more likely to become infected when you’re traveling, because you’re using public facilities, touching a lot of shared surfaces, and aren’t able to stop and clean your wound like you can at home. Neosporin can help you keep your wound clean when you’re on the go, reducing the risk of an infection that would require medical care and antibiotics.
Scissors and Tweezers
If you have gauze or bandages you might need to cut, a small pair of scissors is a good addition to your first aid kit, and they can also come in handy for cutting loose threads off your clothes. If you have ready-to-use bandages and individual gauze squares, you may not need scissors. If you do take them, make sure they’re in your checked baggage – airport security may not let you take them on the plane.
Tweezers are a great addition to your first aid kit, especially if you get a pesky splinter on your travels. You can also use tweezers to clean wounds and remove anything (like small pebbles) that may have become trapped in a cut or scrape.
Medical Tape
If you have a larger wound that requires gauze or a bandage, medical or surgical tape is a great way to secure the dressing to your wound and prevent it from slipping. It eliminates the need for safety pins, which used to be a common addition to travel first aid kits. You likely won’t need a lot of tape – a small roll should do it.
Alcohol Wipes
Alcohol wipes are another item that I have with me at all times, even if I’m not carrying a full-on first aid kit. You can use them to clean your hands after using a public restroom or before you sit down to eat at a restaurant, and to clean your seating area on public transport.
As well as using alcohol wipes to keep yourself hygienic on your sports travels, they’re also very handy if you get a cut or scrape. You can wipe your wound (though it may sting a bit) before applying your band-aid or bandage to keep it clean and help prevent infections.
Pain Relief
Basic pain relief medication like paracetamol or acetaminophen is a great addition to your first aid kit. The wrong hotel pillow and mattress combination can give me a pretty bad headache when I wake up, and having pain meds helps me get on comfortably with my day so I don’t miss any of the action! Just bring a few of whatever you normally use for basic pain relief at home.
Allergy Pills
Even if you don’t normally experience allergies, you may find that you’re allergic to a certain type of pollen or plant that you come across when you are a sports traveler. Allergies can cause red, itchy eyes, headaches, and a runny nose, and can seriously ruin your holiday. Having some allergy pills with you can provide relief when you need it most, but make sure you opt for a non-drowsy type.
Insect Bite Treatments
Some of the sports events like Euro, Copa America or Olympics will be held during the summer, and there’s a chance that the mosquitos could be out in full force. Especially if you’re camping at some sporting events, you may find yourself dealing with some itchy bites. An ointment or cream (like an antihistamine cream) can reduce itching and help you forget about those annoying bites.
Aloe Cream
Do your best not to get sunburnt throughout the summer tournaments by staying in the shade as much as possible, keeping your skin covered with clothing and a hat, and applying sunscreen frequently. If you do find yourself dealing with a sunburn, an aloe cream can provide some soothing relief, taking away some of the heat from your skin and hydrating it at the same time.
Things to Pay attention when preparing the First Aid Travel Kit
Those are the basic supplies you’ll need for your first aid kit, but there are a few other things you should know about when it comes to packing your kit. Here’s what to keep in mind as you start putting together your first aid travel kit.
Keep Medications in Original Packaging
For medications like painkillers and allergy pills, make sure you keep them in their original packaging. There’s a chance that airport security or customs personnel will need to check your medications, and keeping the original label is a good way to make sure your medications don’t get confiscated.
Order Your Prescriptions Ahead of Time
If you have any prescription medications, make sure you order these ahead of time. Ensure you have a supply that will last the duration of your trip, as well as several spares in case anything goes wrong or your flight home is delayed. Trying to fill a prescription overseas can be very complicated (but you should still take your prescription info with you, just in case), so make sure you’ve ordered enough meds to get you through your trip.
Invest in “Travel-Sized” Items
Using travel-sized products is a great way to keep your first aid kit small and manageable. You generally only need small quantities of each item, and like I said, you can always stock up on supplies at a pharmacy if you’re running low. Your kit is just designed to help you through an emergency and get you by for a day or two until you can either find more supplies or get medical care.
Re-Stock Your Kit After Each Trip
There’s no point traveling with a first aid kit that only has half the things you need! After each trip, make sure you’re re-stocking your first aid kit with anything that you’re running out of. Also, check the expiry dates on medications and products with active ingredients – discard them safely if they’re expired, and replace them with fresh items.
Stay Safe With the Best Travel First Aid Kit
Your sports travel adventure should be all about cheering your team on, not spending all day finding a local pharmacy or trying to purchase painkillers while dealing with a language barrier. Taking a well-stocked first aid kit with you when traveling to a football match, it will be so much easier and less stressful to deal with minor issues and accidents along the way. If you want to get more tips on how to stay healthy while traveling to a sports event, check out our guide.
With the tournament coming up quickly, it’s time to start gathering your supplies to pack a first aid travel kit that has everything you need to survive (and thrive!).
