You're 100 miles from home and you've cut your hand. Don't feel like getting dressed, going down to the hotel gift store, and paying an arm and a leg for some band-aids? Then it's time you pulled out your handy dandy travel first aid kit.

Wait - you don't have a travel first aid kit? That means you'll have to run to the bathroom and use one of the room's towels. Not very sanitary is it? No one likes to think about getting hurt, but it does happen. It's good to be prepared.

Having a travel first aid kit is one of the best things to have on hand when you're away from home. But there is a difference between having a first aid kit for going to another city and having a first aid kit when you're going camping or into the wilds. Here's hot to supply your first aid kit for travel.

Here are some suggestions for a travel first aid kit when you're going to be in another "civilized" area.

band-aid of different sizes
triple-antibiotic ointment
lip salve
sunscreen
antiseptic hand wipes
motion sickness pills (for nausea)
antihistamine (for allergies)
ibuprofen or Tylenol (for pain or fever)
moist towllettes or hand sanitizer (for when other means of cleaning hands is not available)

Here are some suggestions for a travel first aid kit when you're going camping or in a rural area.

Pack everything into a polycarbonate water bottle: It's crush-proof and you can drink out of it

< Tylenol
< ibuprofen
< antihistamine
< pseudoephedrine: (nasal decongestant)
< loperamide: (anti diarrheal)
< motion sickness pills
< multi-tool: (Swiss army knife)
< safety pins: (quick fix for clothing, sling)
< sun screen: (small bottle)
< lip salve
< antiseptic towellettes: (cleaning hands of wounds)
< electrolyte packets: (replacing loss due to vomiting or diarrhea)
< matches: (light and/or fire)
< mole skin: (blisters on feet)
< band-aid: (minor cuts and scrapes)
< tweezers: (removes ticks, thorns, cactus, etc.)
< portable flashlight
< thermometer
< latex gloves
< 4x4 gauze pads
< hand sanitizer
< triple antibiotic ointment
< gauze roll

If you're the type person that will never go camping or travel to some out-of-the-way place, making the second travel first aid kit is not necessary for you. But if you're the type of person that will travel - by car, by plane, by train, or boat - for business or pleasure - making the first travel first aid kit is something to seriously think about. Keep yourself and your family prepared for emergencies. Hopefully you'll never have to use it, but it's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Good luck on your travels and have fun.

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