The following is intended to be resource and educational information only and not direct medical advice. Individuals should consult their
doctors before trying any of these medications as they are not meant to be replacements, and many of the following diseases can be fatal.  Gastrointestinal Health | if inaccessible clean yogurt will have local strains
fermented cabbage is a great natural probiotic for HIV patients (chop cabbage, put in covered bowl with water and let sit
for a few days, strain, and drink juice a couple of times a day)
- citricidal (grapefruit seed extract)-can also be put in suspect water
- essential oils as antibacterials (oregano oil, clove oil)
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| Homeopathic First Aid List | First Aid Homeopathic remedy List: A must for every kit!
**This section is under construction
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| | Hints for Booking Flights | - Booking flights online may be cheaper than booking with an agent. If traveling very long distances an option is
to book your flight in sections. For example, if you are flying to Africa you could find a seat sale to somewhere
in Europe (as there always is…London for example), then book a flight from that European city to Africa, this
can save you over a $1000! If you select multi-trip booking this may save airlines taxes for you.
- If you're bringing medical donations always ask the airline about weight requirements as they can change, and
you may have to pay significantly more for extra baggage or weight….sometimes more than your original ticket
price!
- Also, if bringing medical equipment, ask the airline about the requirements as some airlines require a typed sheet
with all the content of your supplies to cross customs at your destination. |
| Tips for what to bring | - Take your full traveling backpack for a walk around the block before you leave the country to ensure the weight
is manageable without throwing out your back!
- Most volunteer organizations will give you a list of things that they recommended you bring with you. This is what I take on all of my trips depending on the conditions:
- ceramic water filter, headlamp flashlight (small and light), mosquito net big enough to cover all of you, small bug spray if going into jungle or bush areas, sun screen, sleeping bag (a 5 degrees one is usually light enough for summer, but still good for cool nights)-one that packs small-can buy a compression bag to make it even smaller, compact one person tent, small conventional first aid kit plus remedies (ex. arsenicum, china, nat-m), water disinfectant tablets or drops (MEC has great ones by Pristine water purification system-around $20.00), good book(s), travel towel (they dry way faster then the other ones), journal to write down your experiences in. I also always bring a very small roll of duck tape (in case the tent poles break-yes that's happened before ;-), four clothes pins, travel sewing kit, zip lock bag of biodegradable laundry soap, a few high calorie snacks to keep in my bag, zip lock bag of latex examination gloves, my stethoscope, thermometer for seeing patients, lighter, swiss army knife or equivalent, one roll of toilet paper in a ziplock bag, adapter to plug my camera charger in, travel alarm clock with enough batteries, small water bottle to carry, a few pictures from home to carry with me!
As for personals: I bring a pair of scrubs for medical work, a couple t-shirts, one long sleeve shirt, one tank top, one pair of light pants, one pair of capri pants, bathing suit, a light fleece jacket, and light rain jacket, three pairs of socks, and lots of underwear!
I usually only bring a very small tube of toothpaste, and travel sized shampoo etc. and buy enough to last me once I get to the country...this means a lighter bag, and less weight through the airlines. For the ladies don't forget tampons/pads, diva cups are pretty difficult to manage when your traveling so I don't recommend bringing them. Hand sanitizer is a must!
I also bring with me a treatment dose of malerone, and cipro, but would depend if you are on malaria proph. already. If you haven't traveled much before I recommend going to a travel health clinic.
I bring a few copies of my flight info, credit card emergency number etc in a plastic sheet so it doesn't get wet, and carry important documents in a money belt.
Get you travel visa's ahead of time if you have the time to avoid line ups at the airport.
This seems like a lot, but I manage to easily get it into a 40-50lbs bag weighing around 19kg, with room to spare.
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