The DIY Travel Medical Go-Bag You Absolutely Need if You’re Traveling with Kids this Summer

After a decade of family travel, I finally perfected the ultimate travel medical go-bag.

From the moment you have a child, keeping them healthy feels like the top priority. But as toddlers grow into sturdier little adventurers, it’s easy for parents to forget the essentials while traveling. Too often, my son would trip on vacation—and I wouldn’t have a single bandage in sight. Or take the unforgettable moment at Dulles Airport, just minutes before our boarding group was called for a flight to Florence, Italy, when he got stomach sick and vomited all over Gate 25C. That’s when I realized: a well-stocked travel medical bag isn’t optional—it’s survival. You can pack all these goodies in anything, but I’ve found Band-Aid’s build-your-own first aid kit zip bags are ideal for packing. My son turns 11 this month, which means it took me a full decade to finally get this right. Here are the travel medical essentials I now swear by—so hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and reach travel nirvana much sooner.

Yes, yes, I know. This is the most “no duh” first aid item ever. And yet, I include it here because you would be amazed at how easy it is to forget. Buy a mixed box of Band-Aids that includes those teeny weeny ones, perfect for paper cuts, all the way up to the big daddy three-inch bandages, in order to always be prepared.